frustrated with cycle

[epjan7]

Cycling my 20g aquarium. Fishless cycle.
Started fishless cycle 8/2. Dosed it with pure ammonia to 4ppm or a little higher. Tested daily. Its dropped to about 2ppm but nitrites are at 0 and nitrates are at 5ppm or slightly higher.
Should I add more ammonia to bring it back to 4ppm? And also my tank water level is too low. Will adding more water (with prime of course) stall or hurt my cycle?

 

[librarygirl]

I sent this in PM but will say it here too:

Given your past post, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary that could be stalling the cycle. The only thing I'm thinking is maybe the water has been standing too long and it needs to be replenished, so I would do a full water change (as much as you can), use dechlorinator (even double-dose in case your water has extra chlorine or chloramines in it). Let it run, wait an hour or so, test all levels. Everything should be 0. Then dose ammonia only to 2. If you have some fish food, grind up a flake and put it in, but if you don't that's ok too.

 

[Rare]

Do you know what your pH is at right now?

 

[epjan7]

Do you know what your pH is at right now?

pH is at 8

 

[epjan7]

I sent this in PM but will say it here too:

Given your past post, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary that could be stalling the cycle. The only thing I'm thinking is maybe the water has been standing too long and it needs to be replenished, so I would do a full water change (as much as you can), use dechlorinator (even double-dose in case your water has extra chlorine or chloramines in it). Let it run, wait an hour or so, test all levels. Everything should be 0. Then dose ammonia only to 2. If you have some fish food, grind up a flake and put it in, but if you don't that's ok too.

Ok ill do a partial water change right now

 

[Rivercats]

Library Girls advice is good as it gets but with a nitrate reading of 15ppm you might want to test your tap water to see if it has nitrates in it.

 

[epjan7]

Library Girls advice is good as it gets but with a nitrate reading of 15ppm you might want to test your tap water to see if it has nitrates in it.

It has 5ppm in it

 

[Rivercats]

I'd do as suggest with the WC and considering you only have 5ppm of nitrates in your tap water somewhere in the time you've had it up some nitrites had to be present to process more nitrates. I think a big WC might give your cycle the kick it needs. Then with adding a smaller ammonia dose you should see things moving again.

 

[epjan7]

I'd do as suggest with the WC and considering you only have 5ppm of nitrates in your tap water somewhere in the time you've had it up some nitrites had to be present to process more nitrates. I think a big WC might give your cycle the kick it needs. Then with adding a smaller ammonia dose you should see things moving again.

I hope it works