Hello fishblr! I’m hoping to get some much needed advice on this fine night!
I’ve started cycling my 55 gal on the 9th of Feb (using a dead shrimp at first but switching to pure ammonia after 2 days because UGH SMELL (+ it’s easier to control the ammonia readings))
ANYWAYS all was going smoothly and on the 24th of Feb my nitrItes were at 2/5 (colors are hard)ppm and my nitrAtes at 0.5ppm. Yes! The cycle is, well, cycling!
Except that it’s been like this since then. My ammonia gets down to 0.25/0.50ppm, I add ammonia (to 4ppm), next day its disappeared, I add, and so on and so forth, with no change whatsoever to my nitrItes and nitrAtes.
I tested my ph yesterday (the 8th of Mars) and got 6.4/6.6. Thinking it might be too low for the beneficial bacteria to grow, I did a 50% water change, which brought it back up to 7. I use Seachem prime as a dechlorinator (might seem counterproductive but I read this doesn’t affect the cycling process?)
I’m really at a loss here! Am I being too impatient? Is there something I’m missing? :(
Thank you so much for your time!!