It has been running for 1 month. Yesterday I added Stability which I will do every day for a week and I added Prime and Cichlids Lake salt. I tested the nitrites this morning and they are still high but I am sure it will not change over night. They do seem to be doing less rubbing.

What size tank is it, and how many fish are in there?
Do you see ich in the tank? It sounds as if you do not.
Is that tank overstocked?

I agree with yasherkoach. And only fill two of you filter pad holes. I found that with my penguin 200, two pads restrict the flow of the water after a short period of time, and the bacteria does not grow as fast. And if you have to clean the filter...DON"T use tap water. It will sterlize your filter, and put ammonia back in the aquarium. I only used two pads in mine when I know I can't rinse the old one any more so you have a clean filter that bacteria is all ready on. And I would say you probably do need to change more volume of your water out. Mabey 50% then 25 or 30%. But don't clean the filter,filter housing, or anything that your bacteria can grow. I have read that you can get some coarse foam for filters and weigh a peice down in your tank and the bacteria grows quicker in it. Should send you my foam out of my Aquaclear. You would have a bacterial bloom quick. I never change it untill it starts going over the overflow. Then I just rinse it out in some of the water from the tank. Keep going,,you'll get it. And I just check my tap water for ammonia. Check the tank if someting looks amiss. I almost tell you daily, where my Pleco has been by the gravel movement.

As long as your fish aren't showing signs of stress, all you can do is let it keep cycling. But it is harsh to have to change you water daily, and you bacteria will grow slower. Watch your fish, that is the biggest sign. Also changing water that often can stress your fish. 2 good things that I had good luck with when I first started my tank,(over a year ago), is API Stress coat, which helps with the ammonia,and the slime coat for fish. And that could have been what was making your fish "itch". The prtective coat on them wasn't strong enough to protect them, so their scales-skin itched to them. And 2nd, API Stress Zyme. It contains live bacteria and speeds up the cycle. But FOLLOW the directions.I don't think you can over dose the stress coat...but the stress zyme....another story. To much and you will have a major out break of algae. Not good, cause then you will have to scrape your tank and change water again. And then use API Algaefix to keep it knocked down. But you can't use it if you have crustaceans,(shrimp, crabs, ect). And it says wont hurt fish..but when I used it once the bottom feeders acted a little funny for a day or so. Only use it if you have to. I went thru about the same as you are when I started my tank. All though I didn't have Cichlid's, just some zebras, and long finned tetera's. Still got them. It is so much easier if you can get some gravel from a good cycled tank. I started with a 10 gal, and when I got it cycled(finally), took half the gralvel from it and the whole filter and put it on my 30 gal. It cycled in a week. I was pulling my hair out till I talked to a guy at a fish place, and he told me I was over doing it. JUST WATCH YOUR FISH. They will let you know. And always have some aged water with NO ammonia in it. Just check it and see..then do what you have to and make it 0ppm. That is what did the trick for me. When my fish started acting sluggish or breating fast(not beacuse of not enough O2), but the ammonia can show the same signs. Now I just change 5 gal every month or if the water starts murking up. I just make sure no ammonia in the water I change with. I have 9 different types of plants and about 35 fish in my 30 gal. And just finshed today makeing my 10 gal all live plants to. It has 5 different types of plants and 15 fish. The water in both tanks are the same on all readings when I tested them today. Ammonia-0ppm Nitrites-0ppm Nitrates-30ppm P.H.-7.0 Temp-80 degreese. And I only checked to make sure because all the plants came from clippings from my 30 gal, and I didn't want to shock them. You will get the feel and it will just go poof, and work. Oh, and get some hornwart plants..you don't have to plant them..just let them float. They will help out with the cycling to. You'll get it, and it's fun..cause then you can tell some one else how did it. Let me know how it goes.