[Fish Guy84]

Hello, I started a fishless cycle with FritzZyme ammonium chloride and FritzZyme 7. I added 4ppm ammonium chloride as suggested and dumped the bottled bacteria in the tank. Now its a 180 gallon. I started this exactly 2 weeks ago June 25th. I've never done a fishless cycle before so I was not 100% on how do this this. The directions were vague on the containers until I read further on the website. When my ammonia started to drop to zero my nitrites spiked and and from what I read I heard not to let the bacteria die and to add ammonia so I kept doing that until I've realized today that my nitrites are not going down and tested my nitrates which are sky high. I have been adding roughly 1-2 ppm ammonium chloride daily for about 6 days because in less then 12 hours it is converted into nitrite and nitrate. I'm afraid that my nitrite and nitrate are very toxic for the bacteria. I have done a 40 gallon water change (25%) today and tested again. there is no drop in nitrite or nitrate. How should I proceed with this? will the bacteria feed off nitrite by just letting it be?
Thanks in advance

 

[JJ09]

As I've understood it, you want the nitrite to get sky high. Nitrite will spike first, then drop to zero while ammonia spikes, then when you get zero ammonia, zero nitrite and tons of nitrate, you do a big water change to reduce the nitrates and the cycle is done. Don't do any water change, and keep adding the ammnonia each day, until you get to the end point with the big water change.