Nitrite Level Not Falling As Quickly As I Would Like...

Do you know what your KH is? If not, check http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/you-and-your-home/water-quality/waterqualitysearch by inputting your postcode and also against here http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/Domestic/Files/You-and-Your-Home/Water-Quality/Scottish-Water-Hardness-Data.pdf?la=en to find out what your water hardness level is and the units of measurement. The reason I suggest doing this is because I also tried to do a fishless cycle using fish food as the ammonia source and didn't really progress; I only really learned the reason (or one of the reasons) why after joining the fish forum - low KH can cause the cycle to stall. Let us know what your water hardness is and the units of measurement and we may be able to advise on what action to take which might help the cycle to progress.

It might be that you do need to go down the dosing with actual ammonia route as it would make it a lot easier to gauge progress on the cycle.

How heavily planted is your tank? May we see a pic or can you spot someone else's pic on here which is roughly the same in terms of quantity of plants?

I doubt if the shortage of a filter sponge is necessarily the problem here as it's likely the beneficial bacteria would have just colonised the existing sponges, so I think the answer might lie elsewhere.

Thanks.  So I am using fish food, and I had a fish in there for 4 days (but that's another story!).
Readings from Scottish Water are:
Calcium 21.43 mg/l
Magnesium 3.63 mg/l
68.36 Hardness - Moderately Soft
4.8 Clark Degrees
6.84 French Degrees
3.83 German Degrees

I'm using an API Nitrite test kit.  Interestingly, the 2005 kit and brand new one are giving the same reading.  That. also, is another story.

Hoping to be able to add some more plants this weekend.
m.d.

Just a pinch a day.  I did a water change yesterday - about 20 litres.

m.d.