Nitrites Not Rising?

[PA_fishlover]

I have been trying to get my 20g tank cycled and it's been one frustration after another. First, added too much ammonia. Got that fixed and now my ammonia level is dropping to 0 in less than 24 hours. However, the nitrites have been stuck at 2. I would think that now that the ammonia is cycling, that my nitrite level should be rising. It has been at 2 for over a week now.

Any ideas why this is happening? Or is this normal and it will just take longer than I am expecting?

 

[nukeonekitty]

Just wait, I'd think they would spike soon!

 

[joloco]

i say wait too - mine took ages, at least 6 weeks before it all settled down
it is frustrating though!

 

[PA_fishlover]

ok, I guess I'll wait a little longer. I just expected to see the nitrites keep rising. They have been showing 2 on my test kit forever now. I thought that the nitrites should eventually go off the chart while cycling. I still don't have any nitrates, so I know the nitrites I have are still not being processed.

 

[scubadoo]

The nitrite processing bacteria take a lot longer to establish a good size stable colony than the ammonia munchers. It is unusual though that your levels are stable - the ammonia munchers should be producing nitrites each time you add your ammonia and you should therefore be off the chart after a couple of weeks or so.

All the same, just stick with it - it will happen eventually.

 

[robyngunston]

I have been trying to get my 20g tank cycled and it's been one frustration after another. First, added too much ammonia. Got that fixed and now my ammonia level is dropping to 0 in less than 24 hours. However, the nitrites have been stuck at 2. I would think that now that the ammonia is cycling, that my nitrite level should be rising. It has been at 2 for over a week now.

Any ideas why this is happening? Or is this normal and it will just take longer than I am expecting?

Hang in there PA_fishlover.....it is very frustrating, we all agree.

 

[PA_fishlover]

The nitrite processing bacteria take a lot longer to establish a good size stable colony than the ammonia munchers. It is unusual though that your levels are stable - the ammonia munchers should be producing nitrites each time you add your ammonia and you should therefore be off the chart after a couple of weeks or so.

All the same, just stick with it - it will happen eventually.

That's what I was thinking. It seemed unusual that the ammonia munching bacteria wasn't producing nitrites. I'm hoping in the next week or so I see the level start to rise. My ammonia level is going back to 0 in about 16 hours, so I know that bacteria is present.

Does the nitrite always go off the chart? or is it possible that this is as high as it will go?

Guess time will tell if things are going well or not.

 

[PA_fishlover]

ok, it's now 5 days later and my nitrite level still has not budged from 2. I'm not showing any nitrates either, so I know it's not being processed. Therefore, I would think the number should be rising by now. I'm getting totally frustrated and about to drain all my water in the tank and start over.

Anyone have any insight into this???

 

[Tsi_User]

ok, it's now 5 days later and my nitrite level still has not budged from 2. I'm not showing any nitrates either, so I know it's not being processed. Therefore, I would think the number should be rising by now. I'm getting totally frustrated and about to drain all my water in the tank and start over.

Anyone have any insight into this???

What kind of test kit are you using?

 

[PA_fishlover]

ok, it's now 5 days later and my nitrite level still has not budged from 2. I'm not showing any nitrates either, so I know it's not being processed. Therefore, I would think the number should be rising by now. I'm getting totally frustrated and about to drain all my water in the tank and start over.

Anyone have any insight into this???

What kind of test kit are you using?

I'm using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit

 

[Tsi_User]

ok, it's now 5 days later and my nitrite level still has not budged from 2. I'm not showing any nitrates either, so I know it's not being processed. Therefore, I would think the number should be rising by now. I'm getting totally frustrated and about to drain all my water in the tank and start over.

Anyone have any insight into this???

What kind of test kit are you using?

I'm using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit

damn that's crazy.... how many days has it been cycling for now?

Looking back at the cycle I did on our 30 gallon it took 15 days after adding amonia to not have a trace of nitrites in the tank.

 

[PA_fishlover]

ok, it's now 5 days later and my nitrite level still has not budged from 2. I'm not showing any nitrates either, so I know it's not being processed. Therefore, I would think the number should be rising by now. I'm getting totally frustrated and about to drain all my water in the tank and start over.

Anyone have any insight into this???

What kind of test kit are you using?

I'm using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit

damn that's crazy.... how many days has it been cycling for now?

Looking back at the cycle I did on our 30 gallon it took 15 days after adding amonia to not have a trace of nitrites in the tank.

We've been cycling it since the end of August. It started out with 4 fish in it that we got before we heard of fishless cycling. They were in the tank for 10 days until we rehomed them. We then added the ammonia to start the fishless cycling. I've had nitrite readings since before the fishless cycling started, but it has yet to get above the 2 on the chart in the test kit. I was even showing some nitrate readings at one point, but they have dropped off and back to the 5 that is in my tap water.

Should I just scrap everything and start over?

 

[xoedusk]

Are you still adding ammonia to your tank daily? Or are you just seeing the readings drop when you want to test it out? I think you need to keep adding ammonia when their levels drop.

 

[PA_fishlover]

I have been adding ammonia every day when the level drops to zero. That is why I am surprised that the nitrite level is not rising.

 

[xoedusk]

I'm colorblind, so I can't tell what levels our ammonia/nitrite/nitrate is at exactly - my girlfriend does that. Could that be an issue?