It has been over 4 weeks and I am still getting Nitrite readings..is this normal. I am doing water changes once every two days, about 30%. I have a 75gal..when the heck does the Nitrate kick in? Should I back off on water changes?

I have a XP3 filter.

PH is good
Nitrite is .25 , it has gotten to 1ppm before

giving us no detail on ammonia and nitrate, will be dificult to give advices.
better check the tap.....if there is ammonia and nitrates, then perhaps you
dion't have enough bb to process them yet.

Do you have fish in the tank?

it seems tome that you are headed in the right direction. And remember that the cycle takes 5 weeks.

Do you have a nitrate reading in there?

What fish have you got?

My tap water does not have any nitrates. The ammonia is 0ppm..I am only getting a nitrite reading. Ammonia has been far gone..weeks ago. I am testing for Nitrate every two days and it's yellow as can be..no change yet. I have the expensive liquid testing kit

I have a Pleco about an inch and half long..and I have one Oscar about two inches long. 75 gallon tank

0 ammonia
7.2 ph
Nitrite .25ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

I figure I am in the right track but my new faucet does not accept that plastic "python" that they now sell in petsmart. It has to do with the male/female fitting. The green "real" python that is so hard to find here in Jersey used to have a brass fitting that was universal for all faucets..but I sold that along with my 55 gal I used to have.

I am getting tired of daily water changes with a bucket and going back and forth a million times in the bathtub. I can't wait for the Nitrates to kick in so I can back off on the water changes a bit

and my bad guys, I posted some videos and pics of my tanks and fish. I am guessing you don't remember me since there are so many people on this site lol.. I figured you new I tested my tap water before, I actually think Paul you asked me to do that before.

Just seems like the cycle is taking a long time..maybe I need to get another fish for the Oscar.

Hi, my advice would be to stop doing water changes for now.. with only 2 small fish your biological filter wont be getting a lot of food (ammonia) and wont develop strongly as without food it wont grow...

water changes are VERY important, but in MY opinion primarily when your biological filter is established, your bacteria need food, so constant water changes simply take away a lot of their potential sustanance so slowing their delvopment..

also, if you can get an old filter sponge from a mate that is in a tank that is known to have cycled that will help.. put it in a water tight container and just squeeze its contents into your filter.. this should kickstart it all (this is what I did and mine was cycled VERY quickly), just make sure the tank it comes from is disease free...

hope that helps

Tony

If you don't know anyone to get some filter bacteria you can buy some chemical called filter start #14 by interpet. this can be used while you have fish in the tank and your filter isn't working correctly(bacteria not flourishing as it should)I think with those 2 small fish the filter isn't getting enough ammonia, nitrites for it to work as it should.

I disagree with tony, ammonia and nitrites are not good for oscars and this is why it is not recommended to cycle with oscars. However as you have your oscar you will have to continue cycling with it in place. So the best thing to do is daily water changes. Unfortunately this increases the time it takes to cycle and as you are finding out is a hassle. Just stick with it