What am I doing wrong with my cycling?

[AmberW]

Hi All,

OK< I am doing a cycle with the fish in. I have a 15 gallon with two 1 inch cichlids. It has been 5 weeks now. My ammonia levels are staying at 0 and my nitirites keep rising. I check them daily and do almost daily water changes to keep them down. I let them get pretty high on Sunday since I was having a Super Bowl party and couldn't do a change. In turn, I changed the water three times on Monday. Now, even though I hae the nitirites down to zero my fish are still showing signs of stress. I can't figure out why. I have tested ph, ammonia, nitirites and nitrates. All are where they should be. What am I doing wrong? Is there anything tricky about the filter that I should know about?

One thing I wonder about, (forgive me, I am a novice at this) is the rocks I have in the tank. I got some flag stone at Lowes and some rocks for the woods to make caves for them. I scrubbed them down really well with water before I put them in the tank. Can they be causing a problem? What kind? If so, what is a better rock to choose?

Thank you for your help

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Cycling

Hi All,

OK< I am doing a cycle with the fish in. I have a 15 gallon with two 1 inch cichlids. It has been 5 weeks now. My ammonia levels are staying at 0 and my nitirites keep rising. I check them daily and do almost daily water changes to keep them down. I let them get pretty high on Sunday since I was having a Super Bowl party and couldn't do a change. In turn, I changed the water three times on Monday. Now, even though I hae the nitirites down to zero my fish are still showing signs of stress. I can't figure out why. I have tested ph, ammonia, nitirites and nitrates. All are where they should be. What am I doing wrong? Is there anything tricky about the filter that I should know about?

One thing I wonder about, (forgive me, I am a novice at this) is the rocks I have in the tank. I got some flag stone at Lowes and some rocks for the woods to make caves for them. I scrubbed them down really well with water before I put them in the tank. Can they be causing a problem? What kind? If so, what is a better rock to choose?

Thank you for your help

Hello Amber...

Your 15 gallon tank is pretty small and would present a challenge to even an experienced tank keeper. A "fish in" cycle is really pretty simple. You test daily for ammonia and nitrites. When your tests show a trace of either of these pollutants, you remove and replace a quarter of the water. When you have several daily tests showing 0 ammonia and nitrites, it's safe to add a few more small fish. When you add the fish, keep testing the water daily and doing the 25 percent water changes. Follow the above steps until the tank is fully stocked.

The cycling process can take six weeks or longer.

Wish I could help you with the stone question. I've never used anything in my tanks but the standard pea gravel and some driftwood. I would say to just follow the instructions above to keep the water conditions stable.

B

 

[Cynic]

The fish will likely be stressed because of what they are enduring/have endured.

Are you adding water dechlorinator when you are doing water changes? I assume so by the presence of nitrite but thought I'd ask.

It seems unlikely that rock from a hardware store would be treated with any chemicals so you're probably right there, but like you I'm no expert on that side of things.

 

[jlk]

It sounds like your right on track! Keep up the good work with your daily water tests & water changes as needed to keep your nitrite levels under .25ppm. I believe flagstone is safe for aquarium use but I would do a bit of google searching just to find out some more information about it. In respect to your filter, do not touch it unless water is not flowing through it due to debris. If there is large amount of debris, gently swish it in some used tank water-thats it. Good luck & do not hesitate to ask if you have more questions!

 

[AmberW]

Thank you both. I am adding the dechlorinator each time. I guess they could be getting damaged in this process. Hope they make it a few more weeks until it settles out.

Thank for your help.

 

[AmberW]

OK, one more question. I understand that the "good" bacteria will live in the filter but don't you need to change that out eventually. Do I wait until long after the cycling is done? Or do I just never change it and wash it out like you mention, jlk?

 

[librarygirl]

OK, one more question. I understand that the "good" bacteria will live in the filter but don't you need to change that out eventually. Do I wait until long after the cycling is done? Or do I just never change it and wash it out like you mention, jlk?

You're doing well. Unfortunately the cycling process can be hard on fish even when we try to keep toxins low.

Filter media is pretty resilient and can last a long time. Typically there's no need to change it unless it's literally falling apart. Swishing it around in old tank water every couple of weeks during a water change can help loosen some of the gunk and debris and that's good enough. If you do ever need to change some out for whatever reason only change out a small portion at a time but as I said this usually isn't necessary or at least not for a long time.

 

[jlk]

You want to keep your filters as long as possible because they house most of your beneficial bacteria. Once your tank is cycled, an occasional swishing in some used tank water is all they need. If your filter is actually falling apart, stuff another new filter in with it so the new filter can be seeded with bacteria (takes a few wks) or cut the old filter up into pieces & stick it in with the new filter.

 

[AmberW]

Ugh, thank you all so much. I just wish I found this forum before a week ago. The guy at Petco told me I really needed change out my filter. I questioned him but he said I really needed to do it. My cycle was only 4 weeks in at that point so I am afraid the cycling of my tank has just about started over. I am so frustrated. Now I am a week into the new filter and will take your advise and never touch that thing again for a long long time! I am so glad I found this sight and for all of your help.