40 Gallon Tank Cycle stuck in nitrite stage - dont know what to do anymore....

I have had this previously established 40 gallon stuck at the nitrite stage of cycling for over three months. For a few weeks I thought it was finally fully cycled, ammonia and nitrites were both at 0 and did a small water change to reduce the nitrate levels (80ppm) now a few hours later nitrite is it at 5.0ppm again and my favorite fish is dead.
To make matters worse, it's a fish in cycle, I have a ridicules level of ammonia in my well water (8.0ppm) That I have been using zeolite to combat; putting a bag of the stuff in a 5-gallon bucket to reduce the ammonia to 0.25 in 24 hours, then doing a water change; and practically no GH. Please, I'm at my wits' end here and I'm just about done with this mess

Ph 7.4
Ammona 0
niritr 5.0ppm
nirate 8.0ppm

 

Still a mystery but then I’m not a chemist to be able to help with some theories. .
Hopefully it continues to go and stay down!

Fingers crossed.

 

The ammonia test today reads the same as last time. Definitely 0.50 ppm

 

I had to do a water change yesterday, nitrates were getting too high. I would say it was about 20% to 30% and today the ammonia readings are either 0.25 to 0.50 ppm so progress in a way.

 

Still 0.25 or 0.50 ppm. No progress

 

Did a water change yesterday. No change in ammonia. My brother is tearing out the sink downstairs. Well see about getting a ro system in there and see if that changes anything.

 

Well I finally got a RO unit! It has just been set up and going. Lets see if this works.

 

Well I finally got a RO unit! It has just been set up and going. Lets see if this works.

Good luck!
My well nitrates and occasional ammonia are no where near what you are dealing with so you might have to change out the filters and membrane more often. I have yet to change any of mine after 2 1/2 years of use but my water is still reading 0 tds and 0 nitrates. But I should probably do that soon!
And I’m in the process of switching from Seachem Equilibrium and alkaline buffer to Nilog liquid GH and KH booster. Didn’t even see if the Nilog is more expensive. It’s soooo much easier though since it’s liquid.
Is yours a RO/DI or just RO?

 

I'll probably need that luck. It looks like it's a RO/DI model. I ran it for about 4 or 5 hours yesterday and got about half or maybe a little less of a 5 gal bucket. SO much waste water! I don't know what I was expecting but still. A question though, I have the seachem buffer should I add that to the bucket as it fils or wait until its full?

 

Yeah there is a ton of waste water. Mine drains right out to the septic field and slowly gets absorbed into the ground so I don’t consider it a total waste.
I mix the equilibrium in a gallon jug and the alkaline buffer in a glass jar and add them right before using. I make the water up in a 32 g Brute trashcan where I can heat it and run a large air stone. I leave the air stone running to help mix everything and then unplug and take out before I refill the tank. The Brute is on a wheeled dolly that attaches to the bottom.
I used to make it up the night before a WC but it tends to precipitate out of solution a bit. Hence switching to the liquid Nilog.

 

I've let the water sit in a bucket for a day(maybe two.) I just tested the ammonia readings and its.............2.0 to 4.0ppm. Just how?

 

I have no idea.
What RO/DI unit did you get?
Do you have a well water specialist in your area that could help?
I’m thinking that water isn’t potable tor human use either.

 

I have no idea.
What RO/DI unit did you get?
Do you have a well water specialist in your area that could help?
I’m thinking that water isn’t potable tor human use either.

It was this unit here.https://amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LKF09IW?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
I don't know about any well specialist but it looks like I had better find out.
Edit: well I'm an idiot. I never turned the flush valve shut after opening it. So the water wasn't really getting filter'd. At least I think that's how it works.

 

Well I've run some water through the unit the CORRECT way and the readings went much better. 1.0ppm, maybe 0.50ppm.

 

On mine, I usually flush before and after use. But the flush water goes out a different line than the filtered water. So it just goes down the drain. But I have flushed for quite a while because I forgot to turn it to filter. Oops!

 

On mine, I usually flush before and after use. But the flush water goes out a different line than the filtered water. So it just goes down the drain. But I have flushed for quite a while because I forgot to turn it to filter. Oops!

ooooh. ok hopefully third times the charm.

 

Third time was kinda the charm? It's reading about 0.25ppm to 0.50ppm so the lowest it's been yet. Progress I guess?

 

Been slow on the updates because, of course, a pipe burst under the house. sigh. Its never easy.

 

Where to even begin? After waiting for the pipe to be fixed, the power cut off to our house and the hunt for an electrician was ridiculous. The two major ones in my area are behind on their workload by three months because of covid. But that was eventually resolved and I don't even know where I left off! Lol.