[kizanne]

Also you can just add ammonia (liquid buy at the store) But if you have to do a huge water change to get your nitrates down then it isn't cycled.

You should leave the water alone because you won't grow nitrate bacteria without nitrates. If you have sufficent nitrate bacteria you would have 20-40.

The plants will help with nitrate removal and you can add plants to a tank with Nitrates. You can also buy some nitrate bacteria at the fish store or online to boost that population. Nitrates are the last part of the cycle. You first build ammonia bacteria then Nitrites then Nitrates. You should be fine by January.

I'd add the plants and add some ammonia each day to keep your tank cycling.

Often times a cycling tank will also get a touch of diatoms or algae before it balances.