cycling question help!

[techshredder]

My ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all spiked like they're supposed to. My ammonia is now at 0. My nitrite is .75 and what im confused on is my nitrate was down to 20 on an api test kit, but now it spiked way up to the highest on chart. What do i do? Is my tank even close to being done cycling? Do I need to do a water change? It been set up 20 days. Someone help I'm lost

 

[gio28]

i think when the nitrites are stable at 0 and the nitrates come down to 10ppm or below you are safe to add your CUC (clean up crew) as your first inhabitants in your tank. they cant tolerate high nitrates...but yeah watch for those nitrates to come down over the next week or so and then your cycle should be complete

 

[techshredder]

is it normal for the nitrates to spike then come down to 20 ppm and then spike up again to like 80 ppm

 

[gio28]

im not really sure on this subject...but it dosent sound right. so they went from 20 to 80 and thats what they are at now? im not sure...but im sure someone else will chime in and help.

 

[techshredder]

yes my nitrites have been lowering then my nitrates were lowering .my nitrates were at 20 ppm on sunday but today when i tested they were up again round 80 ppm .that why i asked it didnt seem normal to me but maybe it is....i dunno if i should be concerned or not

 

[spanko]

Are your ammonia and nitrite readings zero?

 

[techshredder]

amonia is 0 nitrites ate .75 they havent come all the way down to 0 yet still waiting

 

[spanko]

Your tank is doing fine. Let the nitrites come down to zero then test for an additional week for ammonia. If it stays at zero, do a 20% water change and go find yourself some clean up crew.