Help with fishless cycle

[Rachelfiona]

I started my fishless cycle on 2 Dec, adding ammonia to 4ppm. By 11 Dec it had dropped to 1 ppm and I topped up to 4ppm again. Nitrite was now 0.25ppm. Since then I've tested every few days and ammonia has slowly gone down to 2 ppm. Nitrite was constant at 0.25 ppm but today is showing 0. What has gone wrong and what do I do next?

Thanks for any help!
Rachel

 

[threnjen]

Test nitrate

Does back up to 4ppm ammonia

 

[Caliban07]

Stop adding ammonia. You are going to end up with off the chart nitrites and have to do ridiculous amounts of water changes. Just wait till nitrites start to slowly rise the dose 2ppm ammonia then wait till you start to get nitrates

 

[Rachelfiona]

Thanks for the responses.

I added ammonia back up to 4ppm last Thursday since I was about to go away for a week. When I got back today it was still 4ppm with 0 nitrite. That's a month I have been trying to cycle and seem to have made no progress (apart from a brief day or so when there was a very small amount of nitrite showing up). Nitrate is zero.

Do you think there is a problem with my tank setup? What would prevent the cycle from happening?

Any help appreciated, I'm getting fed up of having an empty tank with no prospect of adding fish any time soon!

 

[threnjen]

You should definitely be seeing something right now. This is highly irregular.

Break out your test kit! Let's try and figure this out.
Test parameters on your TAP water - Amm, Nitrates, pH.
If you happen (probably not) to have any of the other tests like kH, gH, Phosphorus do those on the TANK

What size is the tank?
What filter are you using? What kind of media is in the filter (sponge, ceramic rings, etc)
What's the temp of the tank?
Do you use Prime/other water conditioner?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I want to help you figure this out. You should 100% be seeing something right now. Honestly it should be done!

 

[Rachelfiona]

Thanks for the support - much appreciated!

Tap water - ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate just slightly above 0, ph 2.5.
I don't have any of the tests you mention for the tank.

Tank is 60 litre (15 gallon), and measures 2 foot by 1 by 1.
The filter is the one that came with the tank - a Marina slim s15 power filter. I'm using the cartridges that came with it and wonder if that might be the problem and I should replace them with sponges. There are 3 cartridges, 2 described as bio carb and one as bio clear.
The temperature is 26C (78F). I have been using AquaCare water conditioner.

 

[threnjen]

pH 2.5? The API test doesn't go that low, so I am guessing this is a typo. 7.5?

OK. Think back for me as you have been performing this. What was your dosing method?
To be more clear - how were you dosing your ammonia? were you doing the thing where you maintain it at 4.0 at all times?
Did you continue to maintain it at 4.0 after you first detected nitrites, or did you reduce your dosing?

Have you ever performed any water changes on the tank (I'm not suggesting you do so, just asking), if so how often/how much?
What is the pH of the tank right now?
What are the nitrAtes of the tank right now?

No wrong answers here just trying to get a grasp of the whole picture. I mean seriously after this long it should be over and done. We will figure this out.

I'm so sorry you're going through this frustration

 

[Rachelfiona]

Sorry, that should have been 7.2!

I only added more ammonia once when it got down to 1ppm (after 10 days) and then a week ago just before we went away on holiday (it had only gone down to 2ppm by then). The first time coincided with the single positive test for nitrites I have had.

No water changes so far, although I did add more water about a week ago because the level had dropped noticeably through evaporation.

Ph in the tank is now 7.6. Ammonia 4, nitrIte 0, nitrAte 0.

I'm so pleased it should have been done within this time - at least it means once we figure out the problem it shouldn't be too much longer before I can finally get some fish.

 

[flitabout]

When you topped off the tank did you use de-chlorinated water?

 

[Rachelfiona]

Yes, I added the water conditioner before putting the water in the tank.

 

[flitabout]

Do you have any live plants? Also how long were you gone on vacation?

 

[Rachelfiona]

No, just plastic plants. I was away for a week.

 

[Caliban07]

What test kit are you using?

 

[threnjen]

Rachel I haven't forgotten about this just still trying to think it through. Hopefully Caliban will have some ideas too.

 

[threnjen]

Any chance you can take a picture of your setup for me?
What kind of filter is that filter - hang on back, internal, etc
Does the tank have a lid?
Sorry these questions are getting really obscure. We're going to figure it out.

 

[Rachelfiona]

API test kit.
It's a hang on the back filter and the tank does have a lid. I'll take a photo and post it later on today.

Hoping you'll be able to work it out for me - I guess there's nothing obvious so far.

 

[Rachelfiona]

If the ammonia was a little above 4ppm, would that have stopped the bacteria from developing? It was definitely closer to the colour on the chart for 4 than 8 but I can't be sure if it was 4 rather than say 5? But surely just a small difference at that level wouldn't matter. I've been reading around on what might inhibit the cycle and high ammonia is the only thing that came up really. Have also watched youtube video to check my filter setup is right and it seems to be fine - though one of the filters that came with it was described as intended for coldwater fish and she had replaced that with a homemade mesh bag of something or other.

I'm thinking of replacing at least that filter cartridge with a sponge and also doing a partial water change to see if I can get things going. What do you think?

(Photo coming when I've worked out how.)

 

[threnjen]

No, that is an irritating perpetuated myth. Ammonia does not inhibit bacterial growth at the levels that we use in aquaria. To give you a more specific example I am cycling a bucket and I added 18ppm ammonia and it's almost done. But in any case, scientifically based on many studies in labs, no it is not inhibiting your filter. So please don't worry that a smidge over was the culprit.

But, it's good that you're trying to think of things.

Things that can inhibit your cycle include:
* Depleted phosphorous. Add a pinch of fish food to the tank.
* pH crash. If your pH drops under 6.5 you are in trouble (add baking soda to fix)
* Depleted oxygen levels. This is VERY hard in an aquarium where there is a filter constantly running. Especially if it's a hang on back. Try lowering the water level though so it creates more of a waterfall.

Caliban and I are still discussing your problem but we are at a bit of a loss. We've been studying the scientific aspects of the cycle for a few weeks now and are really uncertain of the problem in your situation.

Did the tank ever hold any chemicals etc before you used it? Was it new or used? What about the filter?

I'd like for you to do a 100% water change (unless the tank is really big, then just do 50%). Have you ever done any changes on it before? Generally you shouldn't need the and I don't personally advocate them, just trying to gather all info.
After the water change, dose up to the 4ppm amount.

 

[Caliban07]

Your filter has an adjustable flow rate. Is it at max and is the water moving at the surface?

 

[threnjen]

OH
What is the temperature of your tank? Do you have a heater?