Fishless Cycling question

[nejohnrob]

Hello,
So, I have been doing a fishless cycle and I posted back in August. I have a 10 gallon tank. My nitrites are dropping to 0 in 24 hours and I am getting nitrates but for the life of me I cannot get my ammonia to drop in 24 hours to 0. It drops after I do water changes but should drop on its own, correct?

I've been doing this since August and I am at a loss. Part of me is tempted to buy one fish and see how it goes.

I would love suggestions! Also. I want to put more plants in the tank as well and I would love to hear suggestions for beginner friendly plants. Thank you!

 

[Aiken Drum]

How much ammonia are you dosing? What is your ammonia dropping to?

A possibility is your filter isnt big enough or doesnt hold enough filter media to be able to consume all the ammonia.

If your fishless cycle isnt progressing i would absolutely go ahead and get a fish. Big water change, get your fish, continue to monitor water parameters, water change if needed.

 

[nejohnrob]

Thank you for your reply! I am dosing up to 2 ppm. It will gradually drop to 0 but it takes a few days. Now, after I posted yesterday I tested my tap water for ammonia and it came back at 1.0. I read that the presence of chlorine/chloramine could read as ammonia. But chlorine/chloramine disappears at 24 hours, correct? Could that be the problem? I bought some dechlorinator/water conditioner (API) for my next water change.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Chlorine wont read as ammonia. Chloramine is chemically bonded chlorine and ammonia so that will be an ammonia source. Water conditioner will break the bond in the chloramine and release the chlorine and ammonia into the water, your water conditioner will then treat the chlorine leaving the ammonia which will cycle out in a cycled tank.

Chloramine won't degas in the same way that chlorine will. You always need to treat water going into your tank with water conditioner if your water is treated with either chlorine or chloramine. You havent been doing that? I would recommend seachem prime as a water conditioner if your water is chloramine treated as this will also detoxify the ammonia released for a short period of time until your cycle removes it.

Back to my first post. Is your filter sufficiently sized for your aquarium size?

Really, if you have been going since August with a fishless cycle, 100% water change, let the tank run for a day or so, get a couple of small fish, monitor water conditions, see where you are.