Cycling taking FOREVER

[tszabo86]

I started cycling my tank about a month and a half or so ago. It had a good start, started getting nitrites and nitrates, but then all of a sudden the bacteria just stopped getting rid of the ammonia. I used like a teaspoon of ACE ammonia for my 20g once every 2 days before it stopped. I'm wondering if it was too much. After the cycle seemed to stop I did a 25% water change and started using half a teaspoon. Looks like the cycle is picking up again very slowly.
My nitrites are over 5ppm and my nitrates are sky high also (tests are done with an API test kit)

 

[lateinningmagic]

I started cycling my tank about a month and a half or so ago. It had a good start, started getting nitrites and nitrates, but then all of a sudden the bacteria just stopped getting rid of the ammonia. I used like a teaspoon of ACE ammonia for my 20g once every 2 days before it stopped. I'm wondering if it was too much. After the cycle seemed to stop I did a 25% water change and started using half a teaspoon. Looks like the cycle is picking up again very slowly.
My nitrites are over 5ppm and my nitrates are sky high also (tests are done with an API test kit)

You say you aren't sure if you added to much or not. Do you have an ammonia test kit? A test kit will let you measure accurately. What you want is to keep Ammonia at 2ppm until NitrItes drop to 0 and NitrAtes are skyhigh. At that point your tank should be able to go from 2ppm to 0 in 24 hours.

 

[jpappy789]

It is possible to kill off some bacteria if ammonia gets too high which would stall the cycle. Like all substances, it is toxic to even the beneficial bacteria at high concentrations...unfortunately, I do not know of much research that states specifically when this happens but most people try to stay under 5 ppm ammonia.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I've started cycles in a 5g bucket with a HOB filter on the side. Dose the bucket with your ammonia daily until the cycle is complete and bacteria have populated the filter. Move the filter to the tank and you're all ready to go without the huge nitrate buildup in the main tank.