Cycle just isn't doing anything

[Sevencharlie]

I have had my tank set up for going on a month and a half now. It is 25 gallons. I am using a Fluval C3 HOB filter, and I keep the temperature right at 80 degrees F. Also I use Seachem Price to declorinate. I apparently mistakenly trusted Tetra Safestart because I got 3 blue Gourami's and put them in the tank with the whole bottle of safe start like the directions say. Now all this time later, I still do not have a single trace of Nitrite or Nitrate in my water. Ammonia is always about 1ppm, and that's only because I'm doing a 25% water change every other day to keep it from going any higher. Now in that time I have also tried aditional bottles of Safestart, as well as API Stress Zyme, Fluval Biological enhancer, and Seachem stability most recently. All without the slightest glimmer of a change in the water chemistry. I have even replaced the carbon bag in my filter with Fluval Biomax two weeks ago, to give a bit more surface area for the bacteria to colonize. But it still hasn't changed.

I haven't tried the Dr. Tim's One and Only yet. I wondering if I should even bother, or does it actualy work the way that it claims. Also if I do use it should i remove the mechanical section of my filter for a day so that the bio media has first crack at absorbing the bacteria.

Any advice is greatly apreciated

 

[dalto]

I haven't tried the Dr. Tim's One and Only yet. I wondering if I should even bother, or does it actualy work the way that it claims. Also if I do use it should i remove the mechanical section of my filter for a day so that the bio media has first crack at absorbing the bacteria.

The last thing you want to do is mess with your filter or filter media during a cycle. Just leave it alone.

Dr Tim's does work if you can guarantee that it was handled properly over it's life. The problem is, how do you do that? Most of the bacteria in a bottle products require them to be kept within a certain temp range. This may be the issue with your safestart as well.

What is your pH?

 

[Sevencharlie]

Ph has been at 7.6-7.8. If I order it directly from their website, that should give me the best chance of it being fresh when it gets here, right? It's a bit worrisome since it would be getting shipped coast to coast

 

[Gibberwatt]

Are your fish still alive? If they are, you should have some natural ammonia reading. If, not, you should either get some fish, and do 25% changes a day, and you should get a go signal in a few days. And relax. My tank that I just cycled took three months to start, and was cycled within two weeks of that.