fishless cycle, nitrites won't drop. :(

so far everything is still the same, ammonia 0, nitrites real high. I am trying to hang in there but its so frustrating. I am going to try and do a good size water change within the next couple of days if i don't see any changes. Thanks for all your help everyone, I'll be sure to keep giving updates on my progress.
 
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Juju, I feel your pain.

From day one of my tank, I had a reading of .25ppm of Nitrites, that only in week 7 of a fishy cycle did they finally drop. However where Nitrites are yoru issue, Ammonia was mine!

About week 4, my Ammonia zoomed up within a matter of 3 days to unreadable numbers. I was doing water changes daily for almost 2 weeks, cut back on fish feeding, etc.! Boy I was scared my danio's weren't gonna make it, and my patience level was tested.

About the beginning of last week (week 7), the Ammonia finally became readable again, and has been dropping slowly. Now, at the beginning of week 8, my Ammonia is reading about 1.0ppm (stalled there the last few days) for some reason.

So yes, time is a killer. Someone reminded me of the old cliche: A watched pot never boils.

Anyway, my fish are still alive, but I've maintained the feeding once a day rule now instead of twice, and they seem fine.
 
Ok, so yesterday I did a water change, well 2 changes actually to try and get my nitrites down to a readable level. The first change was 15 gallons, and the second was 10 gallons, and still nitrites were off the chart. Today I changed another 15 gallons and nitrites are STILL off the chart. I am thinking that maybe I was adding too much ammonia before and that the nitrites just built up to a really really high level. What can/should I do? Just keep doing changes until nitrites are are a decent level? If I don't do any water changes and just let the nitrites stay high will the tank still cycle? Man, this is getting REALLLY frustrating. :(
 
I would keep doing water changes daily.

When I had a unreadble Ammonia spike, I was doing water changes twice a day for what seemed like at least a week before the levels were measurable again.

I know... VERY frustrating, and confusing at times. You keep wondering if you're doing all you can because it never seems to work....then all of a sudden...BAM....reading start coming back into the norm.
 
Well, to update everyone on my situation.....IT FINALLY finished!!!! :D I am so excited. I put my fish from my 10 gallon in today, well the serpae tetras, and i bought 3 ottos. What should I feed the ottos. The guy at petland said they eat algae so i figured I'd feed them algae wafers but they haven't touched the ones I put in. Also, as far as stocking the tank, i was thinking of this: (please help me if you think this would be overstocked or incompatable fish)

46 gallon bow front:

6 serpae tetras
3 blackskirt tetras
10 neon tetras
4 corys (panda cories probably)
3 ottos
1 or 2 Dwarf gouramis

would that be fully stocked or could I possibly add maybe 3 or 4 more of another type of tetra or zebra danios.

I can't wait to put fish in this tank. :D :D

Also, how many fish can I add at once? I have heard that when fishless cycling you can pretty much add all the fish at once.
 
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