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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
yeah...used the water conditioner that came with the tank...and bought a bottle of Prime since everyone suggests that.
Problems getting 20gal FW cycled.
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eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
I try my best to help out here, especially with cycling, but 13 weeks of cycling with and without fish is something scientists from NASA or the EPA may need to be called in for, lol.
We do have another member experiencing something similar (just not on this scale), and she is trying something a little different to see if she can get moving by adding aragonite or crushed coral to the tank to hopefully add whatever the water seems to be lacking. I have to say, as I said to her, something has to be either IN the water, or MISSING from the water to prevent the growth of beneficial bacteria.
The best measurement would be to desperately try and get some of the seeded media from your friend. If that doesn't get the ammo going...I think you're going to have to try a different water source and see if we can isolate the issue.
We do have another member experiencing something similar (just not on this scale), and she is trying something a little different to see if she can get moving by adding aragonite or crushed coral to the tank to hopefully add whatever the water seems to be lacking. I have to say, as I said to her, something has to be either IN the water, or MISSING from the water to prevent the growth of beneficial bacteria.
The best measurement would be to desperately try and get some of the seeded media from your friend. If that doesn't get the ammo going...I think you're going to have to try a different water source and see if we can isolate the issue.
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
do you know if purchasing some live plants would help it?
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
jahsublime said:
If they come directly out of an existing tank, they will contain some beneficial bacteria. If you tried that, I'd buy the store out of something cheap and easy to grow like Anacharis. Honestly though, I'm not sure that's gonna be a dramatic help after all this time. The 9 weeks with fish makes me wonder about this even more. I say it has to be something with the water. It might be worth going to Wal-mart and buying a ton of water from the little dispensers there and replace your tank water with it. I think that's the route I'd personally go.
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
yeah...I think at this point it might be worth it..a lfs about 20 minutes from me sells RO water...I may do that.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
jahsublime said:
Sorry man, I wish I had a cut and dry answer for you. At the least we'll kind of have 2 experiments going with Libraygirl adding stuff to hopefully get the cycle moving, and we've got you removing things from the water.
Only thing I'd add is that RO water completely strips the nutrients from the water...so if you go that route, it'd be a good idea to add a pinch of finely ground up fish food to try and restore those things.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
BTW, it's good of you to stick with this. It definitely shows your character.
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
well...its an investment in time and money...so I want to see it through and have a nice aquarium.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
jahsublime said:
And I guess you kinda learned the hard way with the fish :-(. I'll be really interested to see how it progresses.
librarygirl
Look It Up
Just out of curiosity....it your tank a Marineland?
Sorry you're having the same troubles as me (although I've "only" been trying to cycle for 9 weeks total (about 3 with fish, 6 now without). I hope one of us can figure out the issue which might help the other.
Sorry you're having the same troubles as me (although I've "only" been trying to cycle for 9 weeks total (about 3 with fish, 6 now without). I hope one of us can figure out the issue which might help the other.
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
My tank is an Aqueon 20 gal kit.
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
UPDATE
I took eco23s advice...I did a complete water change and started over. That was about a week and a half ago. Nothing...nothing....nothing...then today, BAM! Ammonia has dropped to about 1ppm, nitrites are at about 2ppm and nitrates are about 20ppm.
Happy days!
I took eco23s advice...I did a complete water change and started over. That was about a week and a half ago. Nothing...nothing....nothing...then today, BAM! Ammonia has dropped to about 1ppm, nitrites are at about 2ppm and nitrates are about 20ppm.
Happy days!
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
jahsublime said:UPDATE
I took eco23s advice...I did a complete water change and started over. That was about a week and a half ago. Nothing...nothing....nothing...then today, BAM! Ammonia has dropped to about 1ppm, nitrites are at about 2ppm and nitrates are about 20ppm.
Awesome! Persistence pays off
. Happy to hear it. Be sure to keep us updated. I'm trying to think of a Sublime song to sum this up...but all I can come up with is...nitrAtes, is what I got, lol. Corny I know, sorry , haha.
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
ugh...stick to the fish advice!
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
tlkng1 said:What was it someone said when I reported even the faintest hint of Nitrites...."we've never been so happy to see purple liquid inside a test tube."
Purple is initially very exciting...but in a short time you'll be sick of it and begging it to go back to blue, lol
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I'll take that purple right now! I have been fighting with this tank since the beginning of March.
I have been fighting with this tank since the beginning of March.
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
so, if I am reading your article correctly...I should dose the tank again with ammonia back up to 4ppm at this point?
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
jahsublime said:
Yep
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jahsublime
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
update....after dosing back to 4ppm of ammonia 2 days ago...today ammonia is about .25ppm, nitrites are off the charts and nitrates are >80ppm. So now I am going to do a PWC and dose tank back up to 4ppm of ammonia....everything seems to be going smoothly now.
