usually cycling is completed when ammonia and nitrite reaches zero... for nitrate to be zero, DSB and a regularly harvested macro-algae refugium is needed... almost a year it has been since i started my tank and my nitrate is stagnant at 25ppm until now... did u add any medication to the water? any powerheads with steel shafts? u can lower pH by adding the seachem additive.. not sure of the name but im sure there is an additive..