Ammonia won't drop

I have been cycling a quarantine tank for about five weeks, two weeks ago the ammonia spiked, then the nitrite. The nitrite dropped back to zero, the ammonia dropped but only to .025 where it has been stuck for a week and a half.

I tested the ammonia in my main tank just to make sure the test kit is working and it reads zero. So what is going on, why will the ammonia not drop to zero.

 

Hi
Can we get a bit more info on the QT,like what filter your using is there anything in the tank IE liverock etc.
For Ammonia to be present something is decaying in there.

 

One piece of live rock and a filter pad.

 

Your tank is still cycling is can take up to 3 months to complete everything will go up and down so i really wouldnt do anything at this point. i took my reef tank 2 months to complete the nitrogen cycle.

 

I have cycled many tanks myself and they have never taken 3 months, normally the ammonia drops around the same time as the nitrite.

 

You could still be getting some die off from the LR if your nitrites started to fall and Ammonia havent moved or went back up you are deff still getting some decay. Another week or 2 you should be done cycling as you know

 

Thats the problem each cycle can be different I too have cycled a few tanks & some have no visible cycle & others take months,basically there must be something big decaying or allot of die off in the liverock.

 

after 5 weeks, it is common to still have ammonia readings. Nothing out of the usual

 

I'm probably just impatient, waiting to pick up a new fish once this QT is ready.