Hi,
I bought a 33 gallon tank. I'm trying to do a fishless cycle. I read as much as I could on the web and a bit in the forums here. Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times before, but.. I'm stuck in my cycle!
5-Apr:
PH 7.7
ammonia 0 ppm
nitrite 0 ppm
nitrate 0 ppm
I don't have shrimp so I put a piece of raw fish.
10-Apr:
ammonia 0.5
11-Apr
ammonia 1
14-Apr
ammonia 2
At this point I realise I made a stupid mistake: I left the coal activated filter and it must be slowing the cycle down. I remove it, but leave the bio filter in place.
17-Apr
ammonia 2
21-Apr
ammonia 4
I remove the piece of smelly, disgusting, rotting fish.
24-Apr
ammonia 4
nitrite 0
Here I decide to turn on the heater, hoping to promote bacteria growth. Water was at 68F/20C.
30-Apr
ammonia 4
nitrite 0
Water temp is 75F/24C.
Substrate is about 2.5 inches of gravel. Oxygen is coming from the water falling from the filter into the tank and I see bubbles in the water.
I don't have access to a source of bacteria (another tank). I don't want to use anything from the lfs..
Why am I stuck at 4 ppm of ammonia and 0 ppm of nitrite? I would think that by now the bacteria would've started growing and converting the ammonia to nitrite. Should I do a water change? Add more ammonia using a chemical?
Thanks!
I bought a 33 gallon tank. I'm trying to do a fishless cycle. I read as much as I could on the web and a bit in the forums here. Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times before, but.. I'm stuck in my cycle!
5-Apr:
PH 7.7
ammonia 0 ppm
nitrite 0 ppm
nitrate 0 ppm
I don't have shrimp so I put a piece of raw fish.
10-Apr:
ammonia 0.5
11-Apr
ammonia 1
14-Apr
ammonia 2
At this point I realise I made a stupid mistake: I left the coal activated filter and it must be slowing the cycle down. I remove it, but leave the bio filter in place.
17-Apr
ammonia 2
21-Apr
ammonia 4
I remove the piece of smelly, disgusting, rotting fish.
24-Apr
ammonia 4
nitrite 0
Here I decide to turn on the heater, hoping to promote bacteria growth. Water was at 68F/20C.
30-Apr
ammonia 4
nitrite 0
Water temp is 75F/24C.
Substrate is about 2.5 inches of gravel. Oxygen is coming from the water falling from the filter into the tank and I see bubbles in the water.
I don't have access to a source of bacteria (another tank). I don't want to use anything from the lfs..
Why am I stuck at 4 ppm of ammonia and 0 ppm of nitrite? I would think that by now the bacteria would've started growing and converting the ammonia to nitrite. Should I do a water change? Add more ammonia using a chemical?
Thanks!