Patience...

[aic]

This post is to remind everyone waiting out their cycle to listen to GNR.
You just gotta have a little patience.

I had been getting frustrated with my cycle. The Nitrites just wouldn't fall. I was about 3 weeks in and if anything they were increasing. Last night I tested the water and the nitrites looked even higher.
I was frustrated, but started mixing up some water to add for evaporation (no top off yet) and mixed a little too much. I ended up having about 2 gallons extra so I took out 2 gallons and then added in the new water. Last night I begrudgingly checked the parameters and incredibly shocking to me the Nitrites were 0. I couldn't belive it I had to go get another test tube and test it again. Was shocked it fell so fast.

Looks like it's time to do a large water change to get rid of the nitrates and then test with a small bit of ammonia tomorrow. Hang in there everyone.

[kevin21]

By mixing water for evaporation, what do you mean? Any water you are adding in should be fresh RO/DI water. There shouldn't be any mixing involved. Hope you aren't adding salt water for your top off!

Wait on the large water change. In a couple days, re check the parameters and see what everything reads. If you have zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and just nitrates showing, then you can do a nice 20-30% water change and look to add a few members for a clean up crew. See how they respond in a week or 2. If all is well, add the rest of your clean up crew. Wait another week or so. If all is well, look to add a nice hardy soft coral (if this is your plan) and see how it does. If all is well, then you are looking to add your first fish.

Hope this helps. I agree with you, patience is always key.

[aic]

By mixing water for evaporation, what do you mean? Any water you are adding in should be fresh RO/DI water. There shouldn't be any mixing involved. Hope you aren't adding salt water for your top off!

Wait on the large water change. In a couple days, re check the parameters and see what everything reads. If you have zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and just nitrates showing, then you can do a nice 20-30% water change and look to add a few members for a clean up crew. See how they respond in a week or 2. If all is well, add the rest of your clean up crew. Wait another week or so. If all is well, look to add a nice hardy soft coral (if this is your plan) and see how it does. If all is well, then you are looking to add your first fish.

Hope this helps. I agree with you, patience is always key.

I do know about only adding fresh RO/DI water. However, I got a refractometer that gave me a better reading than the plastic tool I was using before. Salt was a little low so I mixed a small bit into the top-off water.

[Betaktical]

What is GNR


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[g_langley]

Guns N' Roses is where money is at on that one.