Yet another Fishless Cycle problem thread

[librarygirl]

You should give it a few days. Is it a good filter or did you cut off the sponge?

HI, sorry, not sure what you're asking? I ordered a seeded filter from here: Sponge Filters for aquariums It looks like it's a filter sponge cube, not a piece of one. I should be getting it today, according to the shipping tracking info. I'lll be keeping my current filter in there as well (the filter that came with the tank, a Marineland, it's a carbon filter pad. I did slit the filter pad and took out most of the carbon and put the pad back in). The sponge filter I get today hooks up to an air pump so that'll be inside the tank itself.

 

[librarygirl]

About 24 hours after adding the active filters to my tank...and no change in any levels at all . Ammo, nitrite, nitrate and pH are all where they have been since my last water change. If there were any bacteria surviving on those filters, I think they should have had at least a small impact right away.

I'll give it more time since it's still early, but this isn't encouraging. If this doesn't work, I'm flat out of ideas. This tank has been sitting here for almost 2 months and still can't process any ammonia.

Any updates on your tank? I'm just curious if the seeded filter helped any. I should be getting mine today and am anxious to see if it will work.

 

[xawen]

Any updates on your tank? I'm just curious if the seeded filter helped any. I should be getting mine today and am anxious to see if it will work.

Well, definitely not an instant cycle. I'm starting to see very slow movement on the ammonia (about .5 ppm/day) though. The nitrates are also rising, but nitrites are not. So maybe the filters had a good colony of nitrite processing bacteria?

Given the amount of filter media I got (2 4" filters) I would have expected a significant impact if they were well colonized, but it does look like it might have worked as a good source of seed material.

 

[librarygirl]

Well, definitely not an instant cycle. I'm starting to see very slow movement on the ammonia (about .5 ppm/day) though. The nitrates are also rising, but nitrites are not. So maybe the filters had a good colony of nitrite processing bacteria?

Given the amount of filter media I got (2 4" filters) I would have expected a significant impact if they were well colonized, but it does look like it might have worked as a good source of seed material.

I got mine yesterday and installed it too. I got one 3" cube which looks very big in my 12 gallon lol Before adding the filter the ammo was still at 3 ppm, no nitrates or nitrites. I tested this morning, about 20 hours after putting the filter in, and ammo dropped to 0.5, no nitrites (like you) but nitrates are between 2.5 and 5 which is more than I've had so far lol So yes I think it's doing something. Given that we both are not seeing nitrites then yes perhaps they are being processed rapidly. I'm hopeful we'll both be able to add fish within a couple of weeks! Keep us posted!

 

[Deckape]

HI, sorry, not sure what you're asking? I ordered a seeded filter from here: Sponge Filters for aquariums It looks like it's a filter sponge cube, not a piece of one. I should be getting it today, according to the shipping tracking info. I'lll be keeping my current filter in there as well (the filter that came with the tank, a Marineland, it's a carbon filter pad. I did slit the filter pad and took out most of the carbon and put the pad back in). The sponge filter I get today hooks up to an air pump so that'll be inside the tank itself.

What I meant was, did you use it as a filter by hooking it up to air or cut the seeded filter sponge up into chunks and place it inside your existing filter...sorry I was vague

 

[xawen]

Quick update.

Ammonia is still being processed at a little under .5 ppm per day, nitrates are rising and no trace of nitrites. Looks like I may have a stable nitrite eating colony and a small ammonia eating colony. Hopefully the ammonia bacteria get a move on in the next couple of weeks...