Stalled Nitrites...

[Crippldogg]

I gotta 36 gal tank with a penguin 170 filter that has been set up for 6 weeks with 3 small african cichilds. The ammonia has spiked and is stays around 0.125. The nitrites have been stuck at 2ppm for about 2 weeks now and nitrates have been stuck between 5 and 10ppm. I've been doing anywhere from 30% to 40% water changes every week. What do I need to do to get the nitrites down to finish the cycle??

Thanks

 

[AtodaJ]

Just be patient and continue what you have been doing. You are very close to completing the cycle. It can take up to 8 weeks for a cycle to complete so it really hasn't been that long considering the small bio load you've got in that tank.

Good luck!