Re-cycling My Tank Ammonia Goes Down But Nitrites Does Not Go Up

Hello,

I’be been in the process of (fishless) re-cycling my tank again from my move at the beginning of the month but noticing something odd with my tank. For the past week the tank is able to process ammonia between 2 to 4 ppm within a 24 hour period, but my nitrites are holding steady at 1 ppm and my nitrates shows 0 ppm.

Is my cycling beginning to stall? I remember when the first time I cycle when my ammonia was being processed my nitrites were off the scale.

My ph is around 8.3

 

Just be patient. The cycle doesn't always happen perfectly. Once Nitrites are 0, ammonia is 0 and Nitrates > 0 ppm, your tank is cycled and it is safe for fish. My first cycle took over a month to complete the process.

 

Yea, the first time it took me 2 months to cycle the tank. I just find it odd my nitrites not going off the scale since my ammonia is being processed.

 

Do you have a lot of plants? They may be using some of the ammonia so it doesn't get turned into nitrite. The rest of it then may be turned into nitrite but the nitrite doesn't go up a lot because the plants are also using nitrite. It's unlikely but possible.

 

The only thing in the tank is Texas Holey rocks.