Tank Cycling - Water Params - Trouble??

[DGalt]

So I posted probably about a week or so (maybe 1 1/2 week) ago about my emergency need to get a new tank due to the old one cracking and subsequently having to put my fish into an uncycled tank.

Well my test kit finally arrived and here are my params:

Ammonia: 0.5
Nitrite: 0.25
Nitrate: between 0 and 5
Ph: 7.2

I've been doing 20% water changes every 2 days, so I'm not sure what else I can do until the tank cycles and hopefully the ammonia level goes down.

 

[Lucky]

Keep doing water changes until the ammonia is .25 or below - may have to increase the frequency and/or amount of water changed. If you have trouble with it, get some AmmoLock - it will "lock up" the ammonia so that it's still there and available to bacteria (and it will still show up on tests), but not toxic to the fish. You've got nitrites, so it shouldn't be too long, I don't think.

 

[Coler]

Solid advice ^

Have you checked this out ? http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

Just keep up with the testing and water changes to bring ammonia and nitrite to 0 whenever they are showing .25 or higher. Should not be long now that you have Nitrates showing.

 

[KarlTh]

One more thing you can do if nitrite levels can't be controlled through water changes is add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt per 10 gallons. Table salt is fine.