Have i started my fishless Cycle?

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hplowe

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
5
Today (4/21/14) is my 8th day of fishless cycle and my ammonia still hasn't gone down! This is my first cycle.

I have a 60g Marineland freshwater setup. My tank has 80 lbs of Eco-Complete Black, and stock bulbs, running 12/12 (I know i need better lights). I have had 2 Aqueon TA200's go out on me in 6 days, so right now the tank is at 72f at best. it has been up to 78 until the 2nd heater quit.

My pH from the tap is at 7.6. I used Prime as my dechlorinating agent. When i filled my tank initially I turned the filter on, waited 24 hours for the water to clear, and did a water test using the API Master Freshwater test kit.

pH was 7.6 (as it has been every other day)
Ammonia was 0, Nitrite was 0ppm, nitrate was 0ppm.

Using Ace janitorial Ammonia (unscented, no color or sudsing agent) i dosed the tank to about 4ppm.

I tested every day and got the exact same readings.
Ammonia was 4, Nitrite was 0ppm, nitrate was 0ppm.

On day 7 (yesterday), I did a 25% pwc. even though I had unplugged my heater for the pwc, this is when the 2nd heater decided it was going to stop working.

I put prime in (full tank dosage), refilled with tapwater, waited 2 hours, and tested my water again.

Ammonia was 4, Nitrite was 0ppm, nitrate was 0ppm

I only dosed my tank with Ammonia that one time, should I have not seen a decrease because of the pwc?

I have no seeding material
No live plants

Is this where I just have to be patient? or do I need to do anything else?
 
Sit and wait time. Try to get the temp up to 82-85 to help. Im in the sixth week of my cycle and seem to be getting closer. If u think the ammonia takes a long time, wait until ur trying to see nitrites dissappear... It seems to take forever.
 
I was, until my second heater died in a week, anyone have any sugestions on good heaters?

Also, do I need to remove the carbon from my filter? and do I need to run any airstones? Fi
 
I bought an eheim filter off Amazon and have been pleased with it so far

Sent from my XT907 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
Mine was going very slowly till I used a plain dechlorinator without anything else (nothing to detox ammonia or nitrites, nothing for slime coat), got the temp up to the mid 80s, pH up to 8.2, and added a touch of phosphate. I don't know which was the secret but it really took off.

Baking soda gets the pH up without going too far. Threnjen can tell you more or you can look back at the first thread I ever put up.

Since the prime affects ammonia and nitrite I wouldn't use it for cycling but I'm sure many do. I just don't like using things when I don't fully understand how they work.
 
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