Cycling, Nitrite, Help, 6 weeks

Ok, help it's been 6 weeks and my nitrites are still high. I mean like off the chart. Is there something that could be holding my second stage bacteria back? And what's the maximum time it would take for the second stage bacteria to build up? I have a good amount of live rock in there. Could it be that I don't have enough surface area for the second stage bacteria?

 

Because you added a lot of live rock and live sand after starting your intial cycle, it's not a big surprise that you're still in the middle of another cycle. What are your ammonia and nitrates are, assuming you've been testing for them?

 

If its week six i would 86 all live stock except for LR and LS and one med. fish....i mean everything!! Wait 2 months then start adding slowly. Also shck the intakes on your PH's for debir and dead critters/plants. Start from scratch so you can isolate problems as they occur.

 

I only have 2 fish in there one about 1 inch and the other about 4 inches. Thats the only thing I could take out.

 

In that case, just let the tank do its thing for 2 months.....take weekly water tests and watch the tank stabalize on its own. The hardest part is waiting 2 months, many people either give up trying to fix problems caused by quick fixes or just loose interest....be determined, forget it exists (to an extent), and "let it grow".

 

Hey, i just looked @ your avitat....did you take that pic...?

 

Yea I took that pic, you like it? That's in a diffrent tank.

When you say two months. You mean TWO MORE MONTHS?!?

I'm going to ask a question. Brace yourselves. My questions is why? Is it that my bacteria doesn't build up as fast as other bacteria? If there is a fair amount of second stage bacteria in the tank why don't I just change out all the water for Natural sea water 100%. Shouldn't the system be able to take it from there?

 

Heres another image from the same tank

 

I honestly don't see how changing your water is going to do anything but prolong the cycle. The water does not contain the bacteria that you are talking about. The rock, sand, glass, equipment does so just leave it be and keep testing your water. Your bacteria will/does not grow any faster or slower than anybody else's

You haven't been doing any water changes have you?

 

Hmmm yea. I did two trying to drop the nitrites the other day. But the thing is even after I did two huge water changes nitrites were still off the charts. I mean way off the charts.

If I have the two fishes in there and they produce ammonium. And my 1st stage bacteria seems to be well established so that's converting the ammonium to nitrite pretty quickly. Why would a water change stall anything? I'm just asking out of curiosity. I know I shouldn't have done it. Everyone recommends against it.