Help cycling a 20g

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skenny

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
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216
Hi i am not a newbie to this hobby, but i have been having some severe trouble cycling this tank. it has one angelfish in it, but i don't want to switch to fishless right now. you see i went on vacation in mid august and came back to havoc in my tank, multiple fish were dead, all the others were sick. sadly Mr. Angel was the only to survive the disaster. my ammonia has been high since then and it seems as if all my bacteria are gone. right now i have a ammonia of 1ppm but a pH of 6.2 so i guess its OK. i have no nitrite or nitrate. i have obtained filter media a few weeks ago from a friend but it hasn't helped. i am thinking of trying tetra safe start, i have heard good things about it. any help at this point would be greatly appreciated.
 
just keep up water changes and keep on testing

i dont have any expierence with tetra safe start but just google"tetra safe start reviews" and TONS of websites come up, look through them

-joma
 
hey, i have been verry patient the past few days with this cycle. i still have ammonia at about .5 and no nitrites. the weird thing is i tested for nitrates with shaking the number 2 bottle very well, and i have 10ppm! why am i not seeing nitrites and why do i still have ammonia?
 
Have you been doing aggressive gravel vacs / water changes?
 
no but i did add tetra safe start and ive heard some people say this happens
 
That is your likely cause. Food, detritus, etc. will get trapped and degrade into ammonia. Are you using any other product to dechlorinate your water? It could be coming from your tap as well. You should not need to repeatedly use Safe Start.
 
i use prime, i tested my tap and no nitrates. why isnt the ammonia from the food cycling then?
 
should i be doing agressive water changes. i did you some ammo lock a few weeks ago. i still have ammonia of 1ppm but it doesnt seem to be rising. i have a little more nitrates now though. should i do a water change.
 
A 50% or more water change is always called for with ammonia above .25. Gravel vacs will help I believe.
 
Another 50% will get it to temporarily safe levels. I'd do an 80% change.
 
yes ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10ppm IM CYCLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when are nitrates dangerous?
 
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