Fishless Cycling Problem

[Mr.Fish]

Here is the other problem I have been suffering for about a week now .I went to the local drug store to get some ammonium chloride(powder) to cycle my tank and I have been testing for ammonia sice day 1 and its 0 ppm.How come?I added aout 7 table/spoon with no ammonia in the tank?
I tryed diffrent test kits with same result.What am I doing wrong?

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya Mr.Fish and welcome to Aquariumadvice

Interesting.

Ammonium chloride SHOULD work. Since its not, try picking up a bottle of ammonia from the supermarket (make sure its PLAIN ammonia, not sudsy or one with any sort of additives); add around 3-5 drops per 10g. Maybe that will make a difference.

More questions:

What else are you adding to the tank? What are you using to treat the water, or are you adding anything at all?

Are you using any bacterial starter (Bio-Spira, Cycle, squeezings/gravel from a mature tank, etc).

Have you tested for nitrites, nitrates yet? If so, are there any readings?

And even tho you've tried a coupla diff tests, bring a sample to a lfs and have them check too. They may give you some flack for doing a fishless cycle (many lfs have a prob with it; means they aren't selling fish yet I guess *grin*), but don't let it bug you.

 

[LondonGman]

I previously posted the below reply at http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=10474&highlight=

Alternatively, use starter fishes to cycle your tank. Starter fishes are basically hardy cheap beginner fishes like the zebra Danio and mollies. Throw a few of these fishes into your tank and let nature take over.

The fishes waste will cause bacteria that feeds on the waste to flourish in your tank in time. To prevent your fishes being stressed out by excess ammonia caused by its own waste, do daily 20% water changes.

In time the natural balance between the waste produced by your fishes and the bacteria in your tank will be established. This will take about 3 weeks. After this time, you may add a few more fishes.

 

[Mr.Fish]

I have plants in there and I did not treat the water.Am using Fluval with carbon and bio media(I will replace the fluval with power filter cause its realy hard to work with).Am very worry cause I have been dosing ammonium chloride in large quantity with no effect at all ???Where did it go?would the fish be ok?
Nitrite is 0

 

[Madame_X]

If you have a lot of plants in the tank (particularly if you have fast growing plants like hornwort), that's why you are detecting no ammonia--the plants are consuming it.

If you want to do a fishless cycle, you should do it with no plants in the tank. However, since you've got the plants in there already, I'd suggest doing a 50% water change and add a few starter fish.

Plants really slow down the cycling process (I've yet to have a trace of measurable ammonia in my 30 gallon planted tank, and its been up for about 3 1/2 months). This isn't a bad thing as its safer for the fish. However, you have to monitor your water parameters for a very long time while the tank gets established.

 

[Mr.Fish]

8O I have about 12 pieces
,and am going to move them to day and add some ammonium chloride to see how it goes?

 

[Mr.Fish]

After I placed the plants into the other tank and add MORE ammonium chloride still 0. I think I will go to the pet store and get some mollies.How many?Is it ok if I raise the temp to 86F to kill the white spot that am sure they already have it?Would that effect the bacteria?

 

[sweetsuvvyb]

Before you add fish...you might want to do a great big water change, and use a dechlorinator.

Not sure where the ammonia is going if the plants are gone, but even if you had healthy bacterial colonies, you'd still have the chlorine in the tank from the ammonium chloride, which can make your fish pretty sick.

 

[Allivymar]

Do not buy fish that you know are sick. They would be stressed enough being moved around from tank to tank; you are taking a big chance by buying fish that are not obviously healthy and its likely they wouldn't survive.

And I would suggest, if you can find it, purchasing some Bio-Spira, doing a BIG water change (at least 50%), adding treated conditioned water and adding fish. I have no idea why the ammoniun chloride isn't working, is why I suggested, if you were going to continue a fishless cycle, picking up some pure ammonia from the market and going with that. It sounds to me tho, that you're not willing to wait, hence the Bio-Spira suggestion.

Oh, and raising temps will not affect the nitrifying bacterial colonies.

 

[Mr.Fish]

Here is what I have done :
Clean every thing tank,gravel,etc and I got 15gal as QT .I will start all over(I think its much better)and I WILL wait as long as it takes I will try using ammonia as you suggest but I will try it first in my QT to make sure its working.Wich me luck

 

[Allivymar]

*grin*

Good luck and do keep us posted!

 

[Mr.Fish]

Hey guys.Would this ammonia souliotion effect the ph????the ph is way too high more then 9.0?