Fishless Cycling

I'm using Dr. Tims One & Only and my ammonia has been at 0.25 ppm the past three days and my nitrite at 1.0 ppm or higher, I can't really tell the color difference using the API test kit. My nitrates have been at 10-20 ppm the past three days as well. I did around a 5 gallon water change last night on a 75 gallon tank with probably around 10 gallons of water in the sump. I checked my nitrite this morning before work and it was still around 1.0 ppm. I'm wondering if I should just leave it alone or try to do another water change to lower the nitrites. Does anyone have any advice?

 

personally I would just leave it alone and let it cycle.

 

Thanks, that's what I figured it's just taking longer than I thought.

 

feed it, get some raw shrimp in there.

 

I used ammonium chlroide as the ammonia source.

 

That is what I was going to say Ken.. My wife's tank was taking a long time and that is what we did and it kicked it into over drive..

 

Don't add anything else until the cycle "moves"...you can actually stall the cycle by feeding it too much, as the "second" bacteria species to show up (that handles NO2) grows much more slowly than the "first" species that converts NH3 to NO2.

 

I just popped a load in mine last weekend, the levels went through the roof, this weekend i will be dropping about 180 - 200 gallons and starting to "git er done"

LoL

 

I just went through this and for the one and only to be useless. What helped my cycle finish was feeding a tiny bit of fish food every night. like a 1/4 pinch.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm just going to let it sit like Greg said.