Tank won't cycle

[BettaGal]

I just did 2 50% water changes today and my tests read

Ammonia: .5
Nitrite: <.3
Nitrate: 10

I have had this thing up for two months, and that filter in for probably 6 weeks. There are 4 aquatic plants and a lava rock. It's a 10 gal home to a dwarf gourami, 3 albino Cory cats, a gold inca snail, and currently 2 nerite snails. I have a 3rd nerite in a separate tank after it appeared to get so freaked out it locked itself up for now going on 3 days. I tested to see if it was dead yesterday and it didn't come out of it's shell, but it won't move either. I have been adding bacteria at every water change and use Seachem Prime. I have an ammonia removing media in the filter. Why won't this thing move on from high ammonia already? Why won't it finish cycling?

 

[Morrowboarder]

My 20 gallon took nearly 2 months, but that's because I added too many fish and added ammonia removing chems and medication for ich. The tank started cycling once I flushed all those mess out. Best to cycle with two small fish and gradually introduce more one at a time. A 10 gallon is actually tough to get started because of the low water volume and the toxins build up fast. Just keep at it with the water changes. Also, crank the water temp up as far as the fish can handle. Good luck.

 

[BettaGal]

Looks like my water is about 80-82 right now. It's beyond frustrating that it won't move on. I do daily if not twice a day water changes even.

 

[Morrowboarder]

Come to think of it, I became real frustrated with the levels not declining and didn't do a water change for two days and then when I went to test the water before changing it, it cycled. I only had two Mollies in the tank at the time, but they lived throughout the whole process.

 

[jlk]

Do you have ammonia and/or nitrite in your tap? How are you dosing prime (ie, just treating the new water or dosing to the tank size)? Do you have public or well water?

 

[BettaGal]

Do you have ammonia and/or nitrite in your tap? How are you dosing prime (ie, just treating the new water or dosing to the tank size)? Do you have public or well water?

There is no ammonia or nitrite in my tap water. I dose to the tank size at each water change. I have public water. I'm seriously about to just let this thing run its course. This is beyond ridiculous.

 

[CoryFan]

I had read that adding bacteria products can make a cycling process much longer. Could this be the issue?

 

[BettaGal]

I had read that adding bacteria products can make a cycling process much longer. Could this be the issue?

How can they make it longer when you're putting in what you're trying to build up? That sounds backwards. But it's science, so who knows? I just need this thing to be done like now. 6 weeks is plenty long to be done, not still getting through the first third of it.

 

[Morrowboarder]

I would say you're past 1/3 of the way done. It took the longest to get a trace of nitrite for me. Are you using strips or liquid tests?

 

[BettaGal]

I would say you're past 1/3 of the way done. It took the longest to get a trace of nitrite for me. Are you using strips or liquid tests?

Liquid. API pH, ammonia, and nitrate, and Tetra nitrite. I was trying to be cheap when I got my tests and ended up wasting money on ammonia test strips at the advice of - you guessed it - fish store people. And they told me I didn't need a nitrate test kit, so that's new.

 

[tamtam]

Unfortunately this is pretty normal. Usually a cycle takes between 6-8 weeks but it's not uncommon for that to take longer, especially fish in, fish in can take far longer in some cases than fish less.. Where this filter is only 6 weeks old that will probably also have an effect on the progression of your cycle.

Did you start with the cories and the gourami all at the same time? This will make the cycle a bit tougher. Typically you want to slowly build up the bioload and allow the cycle to slowly adjust over the course of it when you are doing fish in.

How long have you had nitrites for? It's a good sign, things are progressing, sadly they are going to move slowly. That's just the way it is with fish in cycles sadly. It takes work and patience and a lot of water changes to keep your fish happy. The nitrite conversion takes a lot longer than the ammonia conversion so you will probably have a while yet sadly.

 

[squirrilah fish]

When I started my 10 g I also had ich, I did daily 50% water changes for 3 weeks. Just keep on it, keep the ammonia/nitrite levels down and it will establish. You could do a round with seachem's stability to help kick start beneficial bacteria also.

 

[BettaGal]

The nitrites showed up shortly after I was told I should add a bottle of nitrifying bacteria to the tank. I did not dump the bottle in; I measure it out each time. My mind is going round and round atm so if I say really weird things its not intentional. Student loan problems. I did add the gourami and Cory cats at the same time, and one Cory cat has been replaced. That is all I've lost. Compared to what some people have said, I'm taking that as good. In all honesty, I recently heard about cycling even though I've been having fish for over a year now, and the fish store employee that told me about it said fish in would be done in 3 days. I never had anyone that really knew about fish to ask questions when I started and only recently found this forum so I ask way too many questions. The longest cycle I've read was 6 weeks, and I'm there and it's still at ammonia.

 

[BettaGal]

When I started my 10 g I also had ich, I did daily 50% water changes for 3 weeks. Just keep on it, keep the ammonia/nitrite levels down and it will establish. You could do a round with seachem's stability to help kick start beneficial bacteria also.

What is Seachem stability? I've never heard of it or seen it. I have API quick start that I add. It said nitrifying bacteria which is what I was told to make sure it said, so if people on this thread don't like that kind, I'm sorry. I just did what I was told. It's a good thing I got only one exam left. I need a vacation badly.

 

[squirrilah fish]

If your ammonia levels are constantly high the bacteria won't survive, it's harmful to the fish at .5 but it's harmful to your bacterium at .3-.4

 

[BettaGal]

If your ammonia levels are constantly high the bacteria won't survive, it's harmful to the fish at .5 but it's harmful to your bacterium at .3-.4

So I've gone nowhere this whole time?

 

[jlk]

I have to agree with Tamtam and say that things seem pretty normal for a fish-in cycle. They can take a bit longer than a fishless cycle but you are doing great job! One thing worth noting is if your water is from a public water supply. If you have higher than average amounts of disinfectant in your water, you basically are disinfecting your tank every time you do a water change. I learned this one the hard way when I couldnt figure out why my tank wouldnt cycle fish-in after 3-4months. After some detective work, I started dosing water conditioner 2x the recommended dose and it cycled (still took awhile!). It just may be something you want to look into for your situation- most public water suppliers have their annual water quality reports available online.

 

[BettaGal]

So try double the water conditioner? Would that be the Prime AND regular water conditioner, or just double Prime?

 

[jlk]

So try double the water conditioner? Would that be the Prime AND regular water conditioner, or just double Prime?

Whatever your using as your regular water conditioner. If its prime, then double dose for your tank size (example, for a 50g add 10mls instead of normal 5mls dose). If its another brand, just double the recommended dose.

 

[BettaGal]

Whatever your using as your regular water conditioner. If its prime, then double dose for your tank size (example, for a 50g add 10mls instead of normal 5mls dose). If its another brand, just double the recommended dose.

I recently switched to using Prime. It's ok by itself? I thought it was, but if I'm screwing everything up, I need to know. It smells awful when I first add it to the new water, but it quickly goes away.