No cycling puzzle

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maximovv

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
1
Location
North Carolina
Hi everyone,

I am new here and hope someone can help me solve a puzzle I have been struggling with for months. I have kept freshwater fish for years and never had this problem before. So, last summer I moved to North Carolina and within a month was able to set up my 20g tank - filled up with tap water, filter, live plants, and waited for it to get cycled. I expected, within a month, it would happen, as it always did before. For five months now, I keep having the exact same levels of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, and nothing seems to help. Ammonia is at 0.5, nitrites at 0, and nitrates at 10. PH is about 7.2-7.4. I thought that there were supposed to be bacteria in the tap water that would later multiply in the tank. I figured that was not the case this time, so I went to the store and bought live bacteria - three times. The first time I bought a product by Tetra (I think) and followed all instructions - no change. Then I got the Special Blend by Microbe-Lift, poured the whole bottle in as I was disappointed with the first trial, but no change again - not within a week and not within a month. Last week, I got the Microbe-Lift Nite-Out II, I have been following instructions so far, and yet absolutely no change in the water readings.

Any idea what is taking place? Are these products complete junk - or is something wrong in my tank, or something in the water of NC? I have lived in Georgia and Florida before and always did the same, and it worked. For months now I cannot introduce fish in the tank, and my kids even stopped asking for it :(

max
 
You couldn't have followed the directions for any of the instant cycle products because they all say add fish with their stuff!
Your readings I have no explanation for [there are science nerds here], but you have not added a source of ammonia to start the cycle?You put the bacteria in the tank and never fed it???
Just read first sentence of direstions here,
Tetra SafeStart - 100 mL | That Fish Place


And this is the last sentence for microbe lift;
Their performance and rate growth is impacted by the environmental parameters required for nitrification.
The bacteria require ammonia...
I would use any of those products with a fishless cycle myself ,but I know keepers who went with fish on day one and it worked...
 
Yeah that's weird... have you tested your tap water? That would help. And like mentioned are you continuously feeding the bacteria with ammonia or at least food or something? Your 10ppm nitrates are probably from the tap and if you have .5ppm ammonia, it should be broken down into a measurable amount of nitrite, and then of course higher nitrates. The bacteria products aren't the issue, although they help jumpstart the cycle, they aren't necessarily needed. Third question..what test kit are you using and have you gotten a second opinion? It might help to have a pet place test your water to compare with your own readings. Also look up your municipal water supply info.

In short, we need a lot more information in order to trouble shoot better.

Also how many plants do you have? Is it a heavily planted tank? What kind of substrate, filter, etc. do you have. Have you been dosing anything in this tank?
 
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