4+ weeks of Cycling Fishless and no changes...what am I doing wrong?

[librarygirl]

OK thanks, I may have to wait until Friday to get the CC and mesh. If anything changes in the tank (either test-wise or my putting anything in) I'll post it here.

Thanks all for sticking with me!

 

[librarygirl]

Well nothing new to report but I tested again tonight so I figured I'd post results anyway just to keep track:

Ammonia: looks like it's back to 1 (the last couple of days it seemed like it was about 1.5 but it's hard to read the tubes, any bit of shadow or wrong lighting and they look darker than they really might be, so perhaps it has been 1 all along)

NitrItes: still 0 (I've given up on seeing purple)

NitrAtes: still between 10 and 20, hard to tell the difference

Ph: still dark blue, higher than 7.6

High PH: still 7.4

Should I put more ammonia in or wait until it gets lower? (which could be a while lol)



I'm tempted to go get the crushed coral tonight.....

 

[eco23]

Well nothing new to report but I tested again tonight so I figured I'd post results anyway just to keep track:

Ammonia: looks like it's back to 1 (the last couple of days it seemed like it was about 1.5 but it's hard to read the tubes, any bit of shadow or wrong lighting and they look darker than they really might be, so perhaps it has been 1 all along)

NitrItes: still 0 (I've given up on seeing purple)

NitrAtes: still between 10 and 20, hard to tell the difference

Ph: still dark blue, higher than 7.6

High PH: still 7.4

Should I put more ammonia in or wait until it gets lower? (which could be a while lol)



I'm tempted to go get the crushed coral tonight.....

I'd bump it up to 3-4ppm and let it sit. You already know where I stand on the crushed coral issue

 

[librarygirl]

Well I just went to PetSmart, it's 5 minutes from me by car so I figured why not.

Every time I've gone there they've had ONE bag of CaribSea crushed coral for $12.99. And tonight......it was gone. I asked if they had any more and they said no. They did have a bag of CaribSea Argonite, which looked like little shells too, but I was't sure if it was good or bad so I didn't want to get it (and it was a bit more expensive at $15.99). I know the PetCo near my work doesn't have it because I checked a few weeks ago. I'll have to wait until the weekend now to try to a another PetSmart and PetCo. Hmph

Then I figured I'd try my luck with with the sales person. She saw me looking at the fish and asked if I need help (erm, yes I should say so!). So I told her I was trying to cycle without fish and it's taking a while so I just wanted to take a look at their fish until I could get my own. Then of course she tried to sell me some sort of tetra that was "hardy to cycle with." I explained to her I had tried fish and it didn't work out but that I thought it was a PH issue and not an ammonia issue but that I didn't want to put any more fish through the process. I then asked if she could sell me a cup of gravel from one of their tanks and she said no and then tried to sell me a 5 lb bag of gravel off the shelf.

I was seriously tempted to just buy a live plant or something from one of their tanks to see if that would do anything but the last thing I probably need is to add the complication of a live plant.

So, now I'm back to waiting for the weekend to see if I can hunt down some coral and I may be able to get some seeded gravel from another member on here, just waiting to see for sure.

I swear the universe is against me having this tank.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

hey library im good tonight anytime before 730-745 for that gravel

 

[eco23]

Well I just went to PetSmart, it's 5 minutes from me by car so I figured why not.

Every time I've gone there they've had ONE bag of CaribSea crushed coral for $12.99. And tonight......it was gone. I asked if they had any more and they said no. They did have a bag of CaribSea Argonite, which looked like little shells too, but I was't sure if it was good or bad so I didn't want to get it (and it was a bit more expensive at $15.99). I know the PetCo near my work doesn't have it because I checked a few weeks ago. I'll have to wait until the weekend now to try to a another PetSmart and PetCo. Hmph

Then I figured I'd try my luck with with the sales person. She saw me looking at the fish and asked if I need help (erm, yes I should say so!). So I told her I was trying to cycle without fish and it's taking a while so I just wanted to take a look at their fish until I could get my own. Then of course she tried to sell me some sort of tetra that was "hardy to cycle with." I explained to her I had tried fish and it didn't work out but that I thought it was a PH issue and not an ammonia issue but that I didn't want to put any more fish through the process. I then asked if she could sell me a cup of gravel from one of their tanks and she said no and then tried to sell me a 5 lb bag of gravel off the shelf.

I was seriously tempted to just buy a live plant or something from one of their tanks to see if that would do anything but the last thing I probably need is to add the complication of a live plant.

So, now I'm back to waiting for the weekend to see if I can hunt down some coral and I may be able to get some seeded gravel from another member on here, just waiting to see for sure.

I swear the universe is against me having this tank.

The aragonite is good, if not even better. I usually suggest CC because as you said...it's cheaper.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

eco you think my gravel will help?

 

[eco23]

eco you think my gravel will help?

Absolutely. Anything will help, but I really think something is lacking from the water that is preventing it from colonizing. The addition of the aragonite + seeded media = cycling tank IMO.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

as weird as it is i can always bottle some of my water its got a low ph but its clean ammo trite and trate wise

 

[James_in_MN]

Perhaps this has been answered already, either in this or another thread, but I'll ask anyway.

What type of ammonia are you using to dose your tank? Does it foam or bubble when you shake the bottle?

I have, as others have suggested, purchased and used Ace janitor strength ammonia with zero surfactants in it. I'm sure any Ace Hardware has it.

I only ask because I'm wondering if you may have surfactants in your ammonia, which could be wreaking havoc on your cycling attempt. If your ammonia has surfactants, it would bubble or foam when you shake it.

Prior to my bottle of Ace janitor strength ammonia, I had bought a bottle that didn't say anything about having surfactants, but it bubbled/foamed when shaken. Fortunately, I discovered it before I tried cycling with it.

 

[eco23]

as weird as it is i can always bottle some of my water its got a low ph but its clean ammo trite and trate wise

The water won't really help...nice thought though. There's virtually no bacteria in the actual water column. If you can spare a small piece of filter media though...that would be like a piece of gold

 

[eco23]

Perhaps this has been answered already, either in this or another thread, but I'll ask anyway.

What type of ammonia are you using to dose your tank? Does it foam or bubble when you shake the bottle?

I have, as others have suggested, purchased and used Ace janitor strength ammonia with zero surfactants in it. I'm sure any Ace Hardware has it.

I only ask because I'm wondering if you may have surfactants in your ammonia, which could be wreaking havoc on your cycling attempt. If your ammonia has surfactants, it would bubble or foam when you shake it.

Prior to my bottle of Ace janitor strength ammonia, I had bought a bottle that didn't say anything about having surfactants, but it bubbled/foamed when shaken. Fortunately, I discovered it before I tried cycling with it.

Thanks. It is Ace Janitorial Strength she's using though. That was my first question too.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

The water won't really help...nice thought though. There's virtually no bacteria in the actual water column. If you can spare a small piece of filter media though...that would be like a piece of gold

isn't she having issues with ph crashes because of her tap water? ive been browsing alot of threads so i may be crossing stuff over in my head. i could cut a little square off mine its a standard aqueon filter cartridge iits my last one havnt bothered to buy another because its still holding up well. library im actually free till 830 turns out my.job meeting is tomorrow not today

 

[eco23]

isn't she having issues with ph crashes because of her tap water? ive been browsing alot of threads so i may be crossing stuff over in my head. i could cut a little square off mine its a standard aqueon filter cartridge iits my last one havnt bothered to buy another because its still holding up well. library im actually free till 830 turns out my.job meeting is tomorrow not today

Shes not having crashes...just silly low alkalinity which IMO is keeping her cycle from getting going.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

Shes not having crashes...just silly low alkalinity which IMO is keeping her cycle from getting going.

ok then someone else hade a crash because of low ph. i pmd library im free till 830 then mom wants me to do stuff id really like to give her this gravel soon

 

[librarygirl]

Perhaps this has been answered already, either in this or another thread, but I'll ask anyway.

What type of ammonia are you using to dose your tank? Does it foam or bubble when you shake the bottle?

I have, as others have suggested, purchased and used Ace janitor strength ammonia with zero surfactants in it. I'm sure any Ace Hardware has it.

I only ask because I'm wondering if you may have surfactants in your ammonia, which could be wreaking havoc on your cycling attempt. If your ammonia has surfactants, it would bubble or foam when you shake it.

Prior to my bottle of Ace janitor strength ammonia, I had bought a bottle that didn't say anything about having surfactants, but it bubbled/foamed when shaken. Fortunately, I discovered it before I tried cycling with it.

Thanks, Yes I'm using the ACE brand of ammonia with nothing in it except 10% ammonium hydroxide. I first went to WalMart but theirs listed surfactants and it foamed when I shook it. Not so with the ACE brand.

 

[librarygirl]

The aragonite is good, if not even better. I usually suggest CC because as you said...it's cheaper.

oh geez really? lol I would have bought it if I had known that, it's only a few dollars difference, I'm already in a lot of $$$ for this tank anyway what's another few bucks lol I'll get it as soon as I can.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

oh geez really? lol I would have bought it if I had known that, it's only a few dollars difference, I'm already in a lot of $$$ for this tank anyway what's another few bucks lol I'll get it as soon as I can.

i have that same sand in my sw love the look did you get the sugar sized? or one normal one mine had little to no shells there was also a bag of pure puka shells as well

 

[librarygirl]

i have that same sand in my sw love the look did you get the sugar sized? or one normal one mine had little to no shells there was also a bag of pure puka shells as well

Yes I saw the small back of Puka shells near the hermit crab stuff but it didn't say anything about buffers so I didn't get that either. Would that work too or no?

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

Yes I saw the small back of Puka shells near the hermit crab stuff but it didn't say anything about buffers so I didn't get that either. Would that work too or no?

can't say for sure all ikno is this sand has buffers in it good for sw tanks if you have any left over looks like you got a new project to work on lol