Fishless cycle. Ammonia stopped dropping and my nitrites disappeared.

[painthead]

On July 10 I started a fishless cycle of a 10 gallon tank from scratch. I'm doing everything by the book. Using 2 drops of Prime per gallon of water.

I started off by adding ammonia to 4ppm. Once I saw it dip to 1ppm a few days later I brought it back up to 3-4 ppm. By end of July I was seeing nitrites and nitrates.

Mid August, and the ammonia is still dropping, but not going down to 0ppm in 24 hours. But, the nitrates and nitrates are maxing out the test kit, so I did a 60% water change.

I notice that the ammonia is not dropping so fast anymore. It was 2 ppm a week ago, and maybe 1.5 ppm now. I tested the nitrites and I'm sitting at zero. PH is 6.4.

Where did I go wrong? What should I do?

My LFS sells sponge/filter material from established tanks. Should I start anew? My daughter has been eager to get fish and this process is truly testing her patience lol.

[charliebankston]

Your getting there. Any established filter material you can get will definitely help jump start your tank. I don't know the dynamics of why, but smaller tanks are more difficult to cycle than big ones. Either way, your doing correct, it is a 6-8 week process tho. The used sponge will help speed it up.

[painthead]

Originally Posted by charliebankston

Your getting there. Any established filter material you can get will definitely help jump start your tank. I don't know the dynamics of why, but smaller tanks are more difficult to cycle than big ones. Either way, your doing correct, it is a 6-8 week process tho. The used sponge will help speed it up.

Thank you. So just keep on trucking? The ammonia staying static at 2ppm for many days isn't worrisome?

I have HOB filter and stupidly put in the mesh bag of charcoal. When I grab some used sponge from the store I'll take that mesh bag out and replace it with an equal amount of sponge form the store.

Once I do that you think I am good to go? Don't to anything crazy? I'm planning on going to the store tomorrow.

[charliebankston]

Just keep checking the levels after you add the sponge. You were doing right, sometimes it's frustrating. Esp for little kids. It'll get there, and much faster after you seed it

[charliebankston]

The charcoal won't hurt the bacteria, btw, it's mainly for removing chemical impurities from the water. The good bacteria will also grow on that mesh bag, haha!

[painthead]

Originally Posted by charliebankston

The charcoal won't hurt the bacteria, btw, it's mainly for removing chemical impurities from the water. The good bacteria will also grow on that mesh bag, haha!

Thanks! I have a great freshwater store near me and they gave me two large sponges from their tanks. I removed the biomax and charcoal from the HOB and replaced that with the sponge from the store, no now my filter is half my original sponge, and half the store sponge.

I checked my levels after adding the filter media. 2 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites, and 5 ppm nitrates.

I'll check it in 24 hours and see if there's any movement.

[charliebankston]

OK, great! Might still take a week or 2 to finish cycling this way also, but keep checking for nitrates to begin climbing and ammonia and nitrites to zero