55g planted fishless cycle (first tank ever)

[nativetexan]

Hello everyone!

I'm looking for a little bit of advice on my 4 week old cycle progression in my 55g planted tank. From the start I've used API master test kit, Dr.tims ammonia, Dr. tims one and only nitrifying bacteria and prime for conditioning the water.

Through the first week I had high ammonia at 4ppm and no nitrites or nitrates. After a week or so nitrites appeared at 2-5ppm. After another week and a half I started to see nitrAtes appear. PH during this time was steady at 7.5 and ammonia was still at 2-4ppm. One day in later week 2 early week 3 the PH started going down to 6.0-6.8. After a couple days of 50% water changes it balanced back out to 7.5. In week 3 : 7.5ph, 1-2ppm ammonia,
2-5ppm nitrites (bright, vibrant purple on API test), 0-5ppm nitrAtes.

I went to the LFS and bought some Fritz 7 and some activated charcoal to clear up the water from some driftwood that was added before starting the cycle. After putting the charcoal in the mesh bag and added it to my Tidal 55 filter and put in the Fritz 7. We are currently in week 4 and the test results are .25-.5 ammonia, 2-5ppm nitrites (bright, vibrant purple on API test),
80-160ppm nitrAtes and a PH of 7.5.

Here is my concern. My nitrites have been the same since the late first week. I've read so many different things about doing water changes to lower nitrites, not doing any water changes, blah blah blah. All seems a little confusing and so it brings me here with my specific situation.

Should I do 70-90% water changes to lower nitrites?

Should I just leave it be?

Was I right to do water changes when the PH crashed?

Any advice on how to continue?

 

[fishwonder]

Hello. Welcome. Here is some information on cycling your new Aquarium filter/tank. Keep us informed.

 

[nativetexan]

This doesn’t answer my questions above. Thanks though.

 

[fishwonder]

Well according to the link above and you doing a fishless cycle, you are fine. No need to do any water changes since no fish. It will take 3-8 weeks to cycle your filter/tank before any fish should be added. Doing a water change removes what is needed for you bacteria to build up on your filter and will take longer to cycle.

 

[nativetexan]

Well according to the link above and you doing a fishless cycle, you are fine. No need to do any water changes since no fish. It will take 3-8 weeks to cycle your filter/tank before any fish should be added. Doing a water change removes what is needed for you bacteria to build up on your filter and will take longer to cycle.

Gotcha. I'm going to dose up to 2ppm of ammonia while I test nitrites and hopefully they start to go down soon. Once ammonia zeros out again but nitrites are still 2-5ppm I should continue to add ammonia until nitrites hit zero right?

 

[fishwonder]

Gotcha. I'm going to dose up to 2ppm of ammonia while I test nitrites and hopefully they start to go down soon. Once ammonia zeros out again but nitrites are still 2-5ppm I should continue to add ammonia until nitrites hit zero right?

From Cycling with Ammonia

Keep adding ammonia in whatever form you decide to use every day until the measurements of ammonia and nitrites come out with zero ppm measured 24 hours after adding the ammonia. The aquarium has then completely cycled.

However, ammonia could be 0.25 ppm which is considered 0.