Trouble with fishless cycle! Help please! :)

[DejaloLove]

So I thought my fishless cycle was going well until the other day. I had been adding the ammonia and saw the levels of nitrites rising. The ammonia had started dropping quickly, down to less than 1 ppm in 24 hours. I thought that the nitrates were really low still because I never noticed a spike, but after a few days of the levels remaining the same, I did some research and figured out that the amber color that the test had been turning may mean that my nitrates may be off the charts. The ammonia stopped dropping and it seemed that my cycle was stalled. The levels stayed the same for the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates for a few days. So I did 2 pretty big water changes (about 50% each time) and the nitrites dropped slightly (seems that they are still above 5 ppm, as the color purple it turns is much brighter than the highest reading the chart provides) and the nitrates are still showing up that amber color. The ammonia dropped from the water changes to nothing though. So at this point I'm not sure if I should be adding additional ammonia or still trying to get the levels of the nitrates to actually be readable. Any helps or tips would be very much appreciated!! I really want to get this tank finished as my daughter is getting anxious to see the fish swimming around in there!

 

[sinibotia]

Definitely get all your values within readable levels as that can stall your cycle. Once they're readable add some more ammonia and continue from there.

It sounds like your nitrates are still low, and that the nitrite-to-nitrate bacteria haven't grown yet (hence the high nitrite).

 

[DejaloLove]

Okay. Thank you so much! I will keep doing water changes and see what happens.

 

[coralbandit]

The bacteria to convert nitrites take longer to grow then the bacteria for ammonia.
I'm not convinced you need to be able to read your nitrites?
They are there and with a food source(ammonia) they will continue to grow.
Once you detect nitrites you should only need to add ammonia once every four days at half the amount it would have taken to get you a 4ppm reading.
If you are showing nitrAte then you are close IMO.
How long have you been cycling for?
There are many methods and I have seen a cycle done in 7 days or over 30 by the same method????
Everyones water is different and that is the big variable.
What pH is your water source?

 

[Ulmina]

I cycle with cheap fish foods that I wouldn't actually give to my fish, lol (instead of pure ammonia, which i have never tried to find), and use a supplemental bacteria booster (liquid colonies).

Make sure you have a lot of good surfaces for the bacteria to cling to. For myself, I avoid coated gravels, large overly smooth gravels, and i run a sponge filter as a secondary. I also put one of those Fluval intake-tube 'socks' (the foam things that are for preventing any fry or shrimplets from being sucked into filters) for yet one more colonization surface.

Good luck!

 

[DejaloLove]

So I have done multiple water changes over the past few days, about 50 percent each time. I still have about the same level of nitrites (it dropped slightly) and the test results for the nitrates are still looking like they are unreadable. I haven't added any additional ammonia since my original post.

My pH level in my source water is around 7.4 or 7.6. And I have been cycling for almost 2 months now. A little over 6 weeks I believe.

Should I keep doing water changes? Should I add more ammonia at this point? I'm starting to feel like I hit a brick wall. :/

 

[fish wrangler]

How are you testing liquid or strip?

If you are using an API liquid test nitrates off the charts would be blood red and not amber.

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[coralbandit]

Tank size??
If it is within reason empty all water,do nothing,and add new treated water.
The water holds no important BB.
This on that;
Have you tested your water source???
a month??
months?
something is not right,
be it readings ,
method ,
or source?

 

[DejaloLove]

I am using the API Master Test Kit. When I Googled about the issue I was having, I saw other people say that their test turned the amber color when their nitrates were off the charts, so I thought that was the issue. Now I'm thinking that was just misinformation.

The tank is 20 gallons. When you say test the water source, do you mean for all levels (nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, etc.)? I have tested it for nitrates just as a comparison to the test to see if I had any nitrates in the tank at all, but otherwise no. I haven't tested the water source for anything else.

 

[fish wrangler]

When you did the water changes did you add any dechlorinator?

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[DejaloLove]

Yes, I've been using Seachem Prime each time

 

[DejaloLove]

Should I dose the tank with ammonia now that my nirtite levels are readable and check the levels again in the morning?

 

[fish wrangler]

I'd dose now and read tomorrow night to give the bacteria some time to do its thing.

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[DejaloLove]

Okay, thank you so much. Guess that will be the last time I trust other sites about the test results. Definitely appreciate your help and knowledge!

 

[fish wrangler]

No problem. It wouldn't make alot of sense for amber color which is 40ppm top mean of the chart levels when the test can read 160ppm.
Keep us updated on the tests tomorrow!

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[DejaloLove]

I thought the same thing, but figured as a newbie, maybe other people were right and my logic was wrong. Haha. Here's to hoping I can get the cycle back on track and have some fish happily swimming in there shortly!

 

[Ulmina]

Good luck!

 

[DejaloLove]

Okay, so my levels about 24 hours later are:

Ammonia - between 1 and 2 ppm
nitrite - above 5 ppm
nitrate - appears close to 5 ppm Maybe a little higher

Would you add more ammonia now or see where it is in the morning? I feel a little more positive now that I see things moving in the right direction again!

 

[fish wrangler]

Hold off on adding ammonia. If you do add it only add it every other day. It will take longer for your trites to go down than your ammonia.

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[DejaloLove]

Okay, so I followed all the advice given and I feel like I ended up back in the same place. I was dosing the ammonia every other day (as this was when it had dripped to almost 0ppm) and things had seemed to be moving in the right direction again. Then a few days ago I dosed the ammonia again and now my levels have been around 1 ppm ammonia, nitrites off the charts, and nitrates haven't gone above 5 ppm or so at all. Is there any hope that my tank will cycle any time soon? I'm trying to remain hopeful, but I feel like no matter how closely I follow instructions, I end up back here. Should I just wait to see if the ammonia keeps dropping? It's going down, but it's going down incredibly slow the past few days. I appreciate the help!