HELP! Fishless tank with nitrates and ammonia not changing after a week.

[Sar177]

I recently started fishless cycling a 29 gallon tank with ammonia about a month ago. I just checked the water with the API kit and the ammonia is a between 4-8 ppm, nitrite 0 and nitrates 10. It's been that way for a week now roughly with no changes. I have not added any ammonia for a few days since I heard that nigh levels can actually kill the beneficial bacteria.
I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. Before this about 2 weeks ago it had read 8 ammonia with high nitrites and low nitrates. Over the next few days the ammonia decreased and nitrites decreased and the nitrates increased to 80. I was told that it is supposed to go down in it's own so I did not change the water and added some ammonia to feed the bacteria. But now it is reading the current number and now changing. I also have some brown algae forming that I want to get rid of before it get bad. I read that it's due to high nitrates so I'm wondering if changing the water would harm the cycling at this point but help with the algea control or help both? Any one have any advice, I'm very interested. I don't know what to do.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Fishless cycle typically takes 3 to 8 weeks, so a month isnt time to worry yet.

Do water changes to get your ammonia to around 2ppm. Ammonia at your level can stall your cycle.

Whenever ammonia drops below 1ppm, redose it back upto 2ppm. I personally like to keep my parameters within readable levels, so i do water changes if nitrite or nitrate goes off the chart, but this isnt really necessary. When you are seeing 0ppm ammonia and nitrite 24h after dosing, you are cycled.

Are you doing anything to help out your cycle? A higher temp will help 25c/85f. Bottled bacteria might speed things up, but are hit and miss. The best way to speed it up is to introduce some filter media from an established tank. Perhaps you have a friend who keeps fish?

Brown algae (its a bacteria, not an algae) is caused by an imbalance in nutrients and is common during a cycle. It will clear up on its own as your system balances out. Water changes might help, but you shouldnt be changing water too much during your cycle as it will also remove what is establishing your cycle. Turning up the lights might help, as green algae will then out compete the brown algae (green algae is easier to deal with). The best way to deal with brown algae is to get your tank cycled and wait it out. The last time i did a fishless cycle i had brown algae from about week 3 of the cycle and cleared up about a month after the tank was cycled.

 

[Sar177]

I have a tank that is cycled already but has green algae. Would it be ok to add some of the filter media to the one being cycled right now? It wouldn't cause a break out of green algae in my new tank? Thanks happened in my old tank before.

So if I'm going to change the water to get to ammonia down to a 2-3 from a 4, I should do a a 50 percent change?

 

[Aiken Drum]

I have a tank that is cycled already but has green algae. Would it be ok to add some of the filter media to the one being cycled right now? It wouldn't cause a break out of green algae in my new tank? Thanks happened in my old tank before.

So if I'm going to change the water to get to ammonia down to a 2-3 from a 4, I should do a a 50 percent change?

Putting some filter media from an established filter into your new filter or squeezing out a sponge from your filter into your water will help your cycle and wont cause algae to transfer over. If algae is going to grow in your new tank, it will do so, regardless of whether you transfer some filter media or squeeze out a sponge. Dont move more than 20% of your filter media or you risk a cycle crash on your cycled tank, and remember to replace any filter media you remove in the old filter. Even a small amount of media moved will seed your new filter and speed things up no end.

I move filter media between tanks often. Its a great way to instantly cycle small tanks.

A 50% water change will remove 50% of your ammonia, presuming the water you add in is ammonia free.

 

[Mother of fish]

Yep, yep, yep!!!