fishless cycle nitrite spike

[ben27]

hey, i am about 2 and a half weeks into my fishless cycle. I have had nitrites for 5-6 days now, totally off the charts. I did a 60% water change the other day that made no difference. Should I continue doing water changes to get the nitrites to readable levels or just leave it? I've found conflicting things and just don't want to stall the cycle.

Thanks, Ben

 

[Aspencer]

For me when I was cycling my 20g, it felt like I stalled when my NitrItes go too high so I did water changes until it was readable...my NitrAtes were also high then too.

 

[rich311k]

I agree I would change the water until they readings are back within measurable quantity.

 

[ben27]

is this a general rule I should follow? Becuase I'm sure when I get it down to a readable level it will skyrocket again the next day.

 

[rich311k]

Hopefully you will turn the corner shortly and it will start to come down. When nitrites get sky high things tend to slow or stop.

 

[ben27]

hmm ok hopefully things will pick back up again. Thanks for the help ill post here if I have any more problems with the cycle

 

[Aspencer]

For practicality sake instead of doing a perfect theoretical cycle, in my 20g, I did not wait for my tank to hit 0 for my NitrItes. I was dosing ammonia to 4 ppm each time.

My reasoning was that when I added my first fish to the tank, 3 Swordtails, they would not produce 4 ppm ammonia levels so that what little ammonia was converted to NitrItes would be small and that small amount converted to NitrAtes would be small too. I just changed water so that NitrItes was low and added fish. I did test everyday for a week and then every other day for another week finding that with a low bioload, water parameters were fine.

That was just me but I think it works if you stock slowly.