35 days into cycle. Nitrites still extremely high. Looks to be going nowhere?

[ReefKing101]

My 25g nano has been at a stand still for weeks now. I’ve had extremely high nitrites for well over 2 weeks now that haven’t gone down at all. Ammonia has been 0 for weeks though. And around 10-20ppm nitrates. I started tank with dry sand and Dead live rock. My theory is the rock I bought had huge amounts of die off and this has delayed my cycle. I can see lots of old algae on it and it did smell when I got it.

ive tried being patient but I’m over it lol would doing water changes speed things up or should I buy some Live rock from my lfs?

 

[Plecosam]

High nitrates due to nitrite affecting test, your cycle is done. My theory after learning from the Cycle Guru, stalling a cycle is not possible.

Did you use any bacteria products, but water change and good to go in my opinion, how high exactly are your nitrites though?

 

[ReefKing101]

High nitrates due to nitrite affecting test, your cycle is done. My theory after learning from the Cycle Guru, stalling a cycle is not possible.

Did you use any bacteria products, but water change and good to go in my opinion, how high exactly are your nitrites though?

I thought high nitrites are deadly to fish? From what I’ve been reading I’m not cycled yet

 

[Plecosam]

I will let Brandon reply, he has studied this a lot better than me.

 

[Fred2482]

I was thinking the same thing..

Reading this article, he pit a lot more thought into this than I ever had:

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Faithbleed]

Whats are your actual readings? Amm, trite, trate. salinity, temp?

 

[ReefKing101]

Whats are your actual readings? Amm, trite, trate. salinity, temp?

Ammonia is 0, nitrite is possibly around 5ppm. nitrates 10-20ppm, salinity 0.026 and temp at 26-27c

 

[Faithbleed]

What have you been using as your ammonia source?

 

[Greg P]

Ammonia is 0, nitrite is possibly around 5ppm. nitrates 10-20ppm, salinity 0.026 and temp at 26-27c

Hopefully you meant 1.026

Perform some water changes to get your Nitrites down near to or at zero.
If this doesn't bring your Nitrates down to what you feel is acceptable, clean out whatever filter sponges/socks/sand you have that may be holding you back.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I thought high nitrites are deadly to fish? From what I’ve been reading I’m not cycled yet

Not in a marine system. That is an inaccurate carry over from freshwater systems.

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[lapin]

Ammonia is 0, nitrite is possibly around 5ppm. nitrates 10-20ppm, salinity 0.026 and temp at 26-27c

Your prob done after 1 month. If the die off on the rock is not causing any ammonia to show with a test, I would not worry about the rock.
Big water change to bring down nitrate. Wait 1 day. Test and you should be ready to go.

 

[ReefKing101]

Your prob done after 1 month. If the die off on the rock is not causing any ammonia to show with a test, I would not worry about the rock.
Big water change to bring down nitrate. Wait 1 day. Test and you should be ready to go.

Ammonia has been zero for weeks now after it reached extremely high from ghost feeding and I assume some die off from the rock but seems stable now. I’ll do a large water change today I think