cycle just will not start!

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

I have another thread about my cloudy water detailing my struggles with getting my cycle started, I have moved past the cloudy water and my tank is now crystal clear, however my cycle will not start!

it has been 6 1/2 weeks since i added 4 zebra danios to my 29 gallon aquarium , I treat my water with prime in the recommended dose, and for the last 6 1/2 weeks my numbers every time I test my water with the API master test kit have been the same.

.50 - 1 ppm ammonia , 0 nitrites, around 40 ppm nitrates which is only slightly more than comes out of tap.

the fish seem happy and active, I have been doing water changes every few days to keep the numbers low, though my tap water has a fair amount of ammonia and nitrates in it ( around .25 ppm ammonia from the chloramine and around 20 - 25 nitrates.)


at this point, I would like to get some ideas on what could be possibly causing my cycle to not start, I would like to think that after almost 7 weeks there would be some small change at the very least?

I understand it takes patience to start an aquarium and I knew I would need to wait quite a while to finish my cycle, but waiting 7 weeks for it to even start? I wont lie it is getting pretty frustrating.

any help / advice / suggestions would be greatly appreciated,

 

[Convict2161]

Maybe not a big enough bio load, how often are you feeding? whats your filtration like. Another thing worth mentioning, I NEVER saw nitrites when I cycled my tank. Not sure why and just never questioned it.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

I actually put 2 more in about a week ago so now I have 6 because I had the same thought about bioload, as for filtration using a AC70, I feed usually once a day a small amount alternating between flakes and hikari micro pellets, also about a week and a half ago I got a large piece of seeded media from my LFS and added it with the ac sponge and bio beads and haven't seen any change with that either,

I kinda knew it wasn't so odd to not see nitrites, but seeing no drop in ammonia and no rise in Nitrates is odd.

 

[Convict2161]

This is what I'd do, and I'm no expert but... Do a 50% water change and test 24 hours later. See what you come up with.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

Ok, will do, I suspect that the results will be similar, will do the change tomorrow and get back on Thursday.

Though I will say it's been 2 days since last water change and got the numbers listed in my first post

 

[Convict2161]

Ok, will do, I suspect that the results will be similar, will do the change tomorrow and get back on Thursday.

Though I will say it's been 2 days since last water change and got the numbers listed in my first post

Understood but I'd still perform that water change.

 

[Joey P]

Did you seed the tank to begin with? Was any of the cycle fishless? I'm just wondering if you did such a good job seeding it that the cycle was small/short and you didn't notice it. If your tap has such a high nitrate count and you did a really good job seeding the tank to begin with (and only put 4 small fish in it), I could see either a)either not noticing the cycle or b)it not cycling at all.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

no, I did not seed it at all until about a week ago, I did add some jungle start zyme at the beginning which did almost nothing at all, I cant imagine it being cycled with the consistent ammonia readings between .50 up to 1.50 ppm. the ammonia just will not drop.

I even asked at the LFS when I went in to get a piece of seeded filter media and they said I shouldn't be having these problems, so its most likely not something with the tap water or anything like that or I imagine they would have tipped me off to that.

will do that water change this afternoon and post back with the results tomorrow.

 

[Convict2161]

I'm gonna take a guess here. If you do a water change... Say. 50% and maybe even another if needed. Get your parameters leveled out and I'm guessing they will hold.

A wild guess. Maybe the seeded media had gunk or something on it and got I to the tank? Just a guess.

But I think it's an easy fix... Water changes.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

I got about .25 ppm ammonia in my tap water from the chloramine, that shouldn't have an effect should it?

I am doing that water change tonight, will get pre water change test numbers and post water change numbers in 24 hours.

 

[Convict2161]

I got about .25 ppm ammonia in my tap water from the chloramine, that shouldn't have an effect should it?

I am doing that water change tonight, will get pre water change test numbers and post water change numbers in 24 hours.

It could giving you a false high reading. My tap has 0 ammonia but my pH is crazy low.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

You know I have never checked my tap ph, I will test that tonight when I did my previous pwc tests

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

I was talking to a friend and he seems to think maybe the tank is cycled and recommend not feeding the tank for a few days to get a stronger visual on if there is bacteria in the tank as with no ammonia coming in it should in theory drop.

I could also do the water change, dose with prime, wait 24 take my reading then starve the tank and few days.

Thoughts?

 

[Convict2161]

I was talking to a friend and he seems to think maybe the tank is cycled and recommend not feeding the tank for a few days to get a stronger visual on if there is bacteria in the tank as with no ammonia coming in it should in theory drop.

I could also do the water change, dose with prime, wait 24 take my reading then starve the tank and few days.

Thoughts?

My only concern is if its not cycled and you "starve" it the any BB may die off. But I guess there's only one way to find out.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

Yeah I had the same thought, I will make sure and do daily tests and if it drops low ill feed email and assume it's cycled at that point.

After I starve them I will do a water change and vac the gravel and wait 24 and do a water test, regardless of the results of the starving

 

[Convict2161]

Yeah I had the same thought, I will make sure and do daily tests and if it drops low ill feed email and assume it's cycled at that point.

After I starve them I will do a water change and vac the gravel and wait 24 and do a water test, regardless of the results of the starving

Sounds good.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

I have since done several water changes, and added 3 new cory cats, my ammonia is remaining right around 1 ppm, sometimes going slightly higher but not by much, the way it is going, ill do a water change, sometimes 2 back to back, treat with prime, wait 24 hours, test, and ammonia is back to 1 ppm.

I think I am right at 2 months with fish in the tank now.

 

[Sillyfishies]

I cycled my 30 with 6 zebra danios. Tank took 8 months to cycle. It never started to cycle until I upped the bioload. Just a thought.

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

I have upped it a bit, right now I have 6 zebra Danio and 3 Julii cory... Is this enough or should I add some more? I was considering adding 2 to 3 more cory in about a week and a half if everything keeps going good with these and they show no signs of stress

 

[ZombiesAteMyDog]

So far same old same old, ammonia rising to around 1 ppm and no, nitrites and maybe 20 - 40 nitrate, hopefully things get moving here soon.