Day 5 of Cycling the 55 Gallon

Tonight the ammonia levels are minimal -- they hardly register with my test kit. The nitrite levels, however, are way up there. I'd say the might even be as high as 5 ppm. (The test kit that I'm using doesn't seem to be all that accurate at high levels.) So, though I have a good population of ammonia consuming bacteria, I still have to wait for the levels of nitrite consuming bacteria to build up.

Since the ammonia levels are so low, I have decided add a small amount of ammonia (to keep the bacteria well-fed). I added 1/2 a teaspoon last time, so I think I will try only a 1/4 teaspoon this time.

I will continue to monitor the nitrite levels. When those have abated, it may be time to add fish!