3 weeks ago I set up a 40 gal aquarium. I planned to do a fishless cycle since i was leaving for vacation for the holidays. I added enough pure amonia to bring the ppm to about 3 or so...i dont remember. anyhoo its 3 weeks later and i test the water. the nitrites spiked off the charts! the color in the stick is such a hot pink it looks undoubtedly high. anyways i was wondering how long it would take for them to drop and if i should add any prime water conditioner... since it has directions on reducing nitrite toxicity. all other tests read safe--FYI.

any advice would help

IF your tank is FISHLESS, you do nothing. If you have NO ammonia left in the tank, I would suggest adding about 1cc pure ammonia to the tank. Measure the ammonia in 24 hours. If it is zero again, give the tank 1cc ammonia or so every day. This addition will keep feeding your ammonia processing bacteria that have colonated your tank.

Let the nitrites be. Do not add anything. You need them there to feed and stimulate the second type of beneficial bacteria to grow. They just mean that the first kind of bacteria - the ones that process ammonia are working well, but that the second type of bacteria that processes nitrite into nitrate are not going yet.

The second part of the cycling will be really neat to watch. It will seem like nothing is happening at all. You will see sky high nitrites for days and then, all of a sudden they will virtually disappear - almost over night. At that time, your tank is cycled.

I really do not know how long it has been since the ammonia started being processed, but you may only be a few days away from a cycle!!!!

Congratulations!!!!