No ammonia nitrites or nitrates why?

Hi LiamB. It seems like somehow, that 8 gallons you took out refreshed everything and removed the nitrites. My best advice is to keep testing for ammonia and nitrites and the next time you get a reading for nitrites, don't change any water until the nitrites reach 2.0ppm or more. Then do a small water change like you did before. The key to successfully cycling fish-in is to stick it out until the ammonia and nitrite reach danger levels. Otherwise, there will not be enough to start the cycle. I've made the same mistake; in my desire to ease my fish's discomfort, I removed way too much water and stopped the cycle cold.

Well taking out 8 gallons at most should have made the nitrites ~0.4.

This is day 3 of the same results... Any idea what could be going on?


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Just keep changing water when the ammonia or the nitrite reach >0.25ppm (is the figure I see most recommended). The tank will cycle all by itself. You'd have to take steps to prevent it. It's likely this will not require more than one water change per week. That's what you should be doing anyway. And, as always, Prime is your friend.

Sakura, do you really advocate letting the nitrite rise >2.0ppm? Neither have I heard of a large water change actually "stopping the cycle cold." In my experience, it hardly slows it down.