4 weeks into cycle, high nitrites 0 ammonia. is my cycle stalled?

[catfan73]

Hi, im 4 weeks into my cycle and have had 0 ammonia the past week. My nitrites are over 5.0 ppm and havent changed for a while. Ive been doing 20% water changes every 3 days over the past 9 days.
My nitrates have been 40 on first water change, 79 before the second water change and 21 on the last water change.

If nitrates are still going up does that mean the nitrites are going down but not registering on the API test because so high?


Also on a side note: I am using accyrlic covers on my tank, however they get really foggy/condesation. Is this blocking alot of light?

Thanks.

 

[brandon429]

no that cycle is fully done. you can change water now to have a clean start, less algae fuel, or just proceed adding life you want in the tank. nothing will harm the life, those aren't even the real levels of your cycle it just what non digital test kits show. given this many days, we have digitally-tracked studies to know where your cycle stands

you're into disease prevention selection phase, cycling is done. this assessment is new cycling science, cycles don't stall they complete by a predetermined number of days after setting up the tank and feed + inoculation

only cheap test kits make us think otherwise

 

[brandon429]

the specific aspect of updated cycling science that governs your issue is any searchable post from Randy Holmes Farley on nitrite in a reef tank: harmless, can't stall a cycle at the levels reefers cause in their initial ammonia dose. nitrite doesnt factor, so if you removed that descriptive of your thread leaving the other portions about ammonia everyone would agree you're cycled. to include nitrite in a determination of cycling status is old cycling science, that's what bottle bac sellers want you believing

 

[Cell]

Presence of nitrite elevates your nitrate reading. Don't test nitrate until nitrite goes down.

 

[brandon429]

also curious: what brand of bottle bac did you use here

 

[catfan73]

also curious: what brand of bottle bac did you use here

thanks for the info, i used Quantum Water Stabiliser for 1 week. 8 caps full a day.

Unfortunately last night i felt a slight current in the sump, the culprit being my return pump. So ill have to replace that before doing anything else