help! cycling tank gone wrong

[mariacachucha]

hey! I fell in love with a blood parrot almost a year ago, and a couple of weeks ago i saw he's still there (no one wants him because hes super aggressive and kills any fish they try to put him with, he even killed a female bp because the eggs wouldnt fertilize lol) and decided i just had to bring him home.
so.. two weeks ago today i set it all up, the man at the LFS told me to just fill it up, put the bacteria in (sera bio nitrivec) and wait two weeks to put the fish in. lol that sounded way too simple to me, so i looked it up and read that if i dont put ammonia in, the bacteria would die in those two weeks (am i even right about that?) and since i couldnt find pure ammonia, i started putting a little fish food in every 12 hours. Everything was going great so i thought, but last week (friday 27th) my stepfather died and my life has been so confusing and i think i forgot to put fish food once, and also about four days ago i was so exhausted i fell asleep with clothes on and everything and therefore i forgot to turn off the tanks light for a night! I really think it was after that that something has started growing in my substrates surface.. it looks dirty as hell, in patches... i think i really messed this up can someone help me?
I know i must sound ridiculous but according to the man at the LFS i should be getting the fish this week and i KNOW i cant put him in this dodgy looking tank lol also, in the sera bio nitrivec bottle says to put a capfull of it every week in new tanks, and i put some last sunday, was expecting to put some in today but i get the feeling i should do a water change? or clean the substrate, but i also read i shouldnt mess with the surfaces while its cycling... im sorry for the confusing text, but its also a confusing situation..lol also, by my math, its a 22 gallon tank

thank you everyone in advance, im sorry for the confusing text, english is not my native language

 

[Mebbid]

Do a large water change making sure to suck out any gunk from the substrate

After that you can treat it like a fish in cycle. Just do a 50% water change any time you get an ammonia or nitrite reading of .5ppm and you will be fine.

You can also take some of the media from your existing tank and move it into the filter of your new tank.

Lastly, I would stop relying on bottled bacteria. It's not nearly reliable enough to justify wasting money on it.

 

[Gibberwatt]

You say that this parrot has been at the store for a year now? I think he will hang on a little longer, so here is what to do:

empty your tank out. kill everything in it. I know this sounds wrong, but it will get rid of all your goop. clean everything (not in bleach), and put it back in. Then fill your tank, and filter the water for a few days. Then go and get your fish. This sounds like I want you to kill your fish, I know, but it will work. do daily water changes, to keep the ammonia levels low. If you feel like it, put that bacteria back in, and let it do it's stuff. The fish will poop regularily, and will feed the bacteria. DO NOT forget the water changes, or you will have to get a new fish.


Alternatively, if you think you can stay unatached for a while, get a pair of smaller fish instead of Sir Grumpy, let them cycle the tank, and then return them and bring your fish back home.

Good luck!

 

[Reedy]

OMG nooooooo, don't empty the tank, that sounds a bit radical to me ! When you say 'dirty' do you mean 'brown patches' on substrate and glass?

 

[Brookster123]

You say that this parrot has been at the store for a year now? I think he will hang on a little longer, so here is what to do:

empty your tank out. kill everything in it. I know this sounds wrong, but it will get rid of all your goop. clean everything (not in bleach), and put it back in. Then fill your tank, and filter the water for a few days. Then go and get your fish. This sounds like I want you to kill your fish, I know, but it will work. do daily water changes, to keep the ammonia levels low. If you feel like it, put that bacteria back in, and let it do it's stuff. The fish will poop regularily, and will feed the bacteria. DO NOT forget the water changes, or you will have to get a new fish.


Alternatively, if you think you can stay unatached for a while, get a pair of smaller fish instead of Sir Grumpy, let them cycle the tank, and then return them and bring your fish back home.

Good luck!

Drain a tank for diatoms??!?! Chill..... you're doing fine op, as mebbid said... all will be fine and dandy..I'm guessing that fish is as reached chuck Norris status. There for survival is second nature don't feed him hot dogs.. ever!# it may seem like all he wants is a hot dog but I can assure you its a ploy, oreos once In a while won't kill em though..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Gibberwatt]

oreos are not good fish food

 

[Mebbid]

You say that this parrot has been at the store for a year now? I think he will hang on a little longer, so here is what to do:

empty your tank out. kill everything in it. I know this sounds wrong, but it will get rid of all your goop. clean everything (not in bleach), and put it back in. Then fill your tank, and filter the water for a few days. Then go and get your fish. This sounds like I want you to kill your fish, I know, but it will work. do daily water changes, to keep the ammonia levels low. If you feel like it, put that bacteria back in, and let it do it's stuff. The fish will poop regularily, and will feed the bacteria. DO NOT forget the water changes, or you will have to get a new fish.


Alternatively, if you think you can stay unatached for a while, get a pair of smaller fish instead of Sir Grumpy, let them cycle the tank, and then return them and bring your fish back home.

Good luck!

The tank is supporting fish life right now so it's obviously not diseases. Since it's just dirty why on earth would a person need to restart the cycle? Tanks are simple to clean.

 

[Brookster123]

oreos are not good fish food

Or are they..??

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