Tank Cycling Problems?

[clint252010]

Ok, I recently got a new 10 gallon tank for xmas. For filtration it has one of those Aqua-Tech power filters with a changeable cartridge and a bio-cartridge. I got no real plants (although I do have a couple aponogeton bulbs in there and one appears to be sprouting), a small cave, and I use an air pump to bubble air into the cave out through the top whole (mainly for effect hehe).

Anyways, for the first month or so I had the tank, everything appeared to be fine. New tank syndrome occured, then cleared up after the first week. After that it seemed to cycle properly and water was clear and everything fine.

Well one day I decided to do some tank maintenance so I rinsed the plants off, changed out some water and filter. Then I did something stupid.

It said to rinse the bio cartridge every once in a while but it didnt say how. So I rinsed it in a heavy flow of tap water. This was stupid, not only did most of my bacteria rinse off but it was killed off by chlorine in tap water (duh!). I was thinking about that to when I rinsed it but I did it anyway. It wasnt till later I found out that was wrong.

So basically my tank had to recycle. Now here is where the problems began. After that my tank began to get extremely cloudy. Like way more cloudy than new tank syndrome. I have been doing water exchanges (30-40%) every week. I havent done anything else because I figured it was a cycling problem and it would clear on its own.

Well its been about 2 months now and no change. The tank still gets extremely cloudy (to where you cant see the other side from end to end) a few days after an exchange. The test strips say the pH is about 6.2, and alkalinity is pretty much 0. The water is soft (about 75 GH) and nitrates are safe (about 25ppm).

However the tank still tests high for ammonia (about .3-.5ppm), and so is nitrites (around .7-1ppm).

Whats going on? Why wont the tank clear up? It seems as its cycling some do to the presence of nitrites and nitrates, but ammonia levels are still high and nothing seems to change. Whats going on with my tank? I havent really cleaned anything in it or even touched the filter (cept to replace the cartridge once but added peices of old filter to help "seed" it), bio cartridge has not been messed with.

Somebody help!

[Ilikefishes]

Are you using any water conditioners. Tetra's water conditioner with bioextract works well for me. The bioextract keeps your water crystal clear. Never rinse the Bio cartridge. And changing the filter cartridge is a scam in my opinion. They want you to use the activated carbon in the filter cartridge which wears out after about three weeks, then replace. Activated carbon is only good for removing medications and other impurities out of the water. I don't use it. Once it wears off I would just stick with the same filter cartridge and rinse it in a bucket of aquarium water during water changes when needed.

[neilanh]

The cloudiness is likely a bacterial bloom that keeps continuing since your cycle is still going.

How many fish are in the tank? As above said, what kind of water conditioner are you using when you do water changes?

[clint252010]

I have some start right dechlorinator that I always use to remove chlorine and heavy metals. I was wondering if maybe the conditioner wasnt working properly I always use the recommended dose sometimes a little more and always let the water sit for at least a few hours. But I was wondering cause a couple exchanges ago the water got real clear for a few days after I put in the fresh water then went back cloudy, I was wondering if there was still chlorine and it killed off the bloom. It didnt do it the last time I did an exchange though. Also I just did one today cause its been a little over a week and NH3/NH4+ and NO2 levels were high. I see what happens over the next couple days, as of right now it still appears just as cloudy as it was before.

Oh yeah I only have one guppy and one pictus catfish.

[clint252010]

So nobody has any answers? Everywhere I go its the same song and dance. Yes I know its a bacterial bloom, yes I know its still cycling.

But for over two months with no improvement? Something isnt right and I need to find the root of the problem. I am getting frustrated. Anybody else have any ideas?

[mfdrookie516]

The root of the problem is that you didnt cycle the tank before you got fish. That aside, cycling with fish takes quite a long time, especially considering you have to do lots of water changes to get the ammonia and nitrite to a "safe" level for the fish. To be able to get an accurate reading, you need a good liquid test kit. Until you have that, we can only assume the test strips are close. There is nothing you can do but keep doing water changes and monitoring the ammonia and nitrite levels until both hit 0ppm. Your best bet would be to take the fish back to the store and do a fishless cycle, the pictus cat needs more than a 10g tank anyways. And buy some Prime, that is, imo, the best water conditioner you can get

[clint252010]

Oh yeah I also forgot to mention the tank had been getting a lot of blackish/brown/greenish algae splocthes. I wiped most of them out when I changed the water yesterday but left a little cause my guppy like to munch on it for some reason. I dont know if that makes any difference.

[clint252010]

I cant take the fish back I have had my guppy over a year (I didnt buy him he was born in the tank) and my pictus for over 6 months.

Besides from what I have read pratically everywhere that cycling with only one or two fish is the way to do it, and it should only take a month or two. The tank has been set up for 3 months now.

So Im sorry but I still need some answers cause I really dont think thats the problem. Besides like I said the tank was doing just fine and cycling properly until I rinsed that filter thats when all the problems started.

So why is it taking so long? I never had these problems with my old tank even if that tank never cycled properly it never got cloudy like this one is, and it was a smaller tank to.

[clint252010]

Guess Im just gonna have to try a different website.

I know cycling can take up to 60 days sometimes but by this time in the cycling there should be no ammonia left only nitrites. It should be well into the second stage by now and it isnt.

So something else is wrong.

[Dekz]

Originally Posted by clint252010

Guess Im just gonna have to try a different website.

I know cycling can take up to 60 days sometimes but by this time in the cycling there should be no ammonia left only nitrites. It should be well into the second stage by now and it isnt.

So something else is wrong.

Fishless cycling takes ~a month because we bring the ammonia to VERY high levels (5 ppm).

Obviously you can't do this because you have fish in the tank. The cycle is taking longer because you are doing weekly 40% water changes to keep your ammonia at low levels.

This is almost certainly what your problem is, and rinsing your filter media with chlorinated tap water is a perfect explanation for what caused it.

Do you think some other website is going to tell you about some magic trick that will solve your problem?