Newbie - Possible Stalled cycle????

[rollasoc]

Recap.

Have a small 26L tank. This has been cycling for seven weeks now. It is planted. (half the plants died, or started dying before I replaced the bulb with a plant friendly on).

Cycling using Ammonia. (9% from homebase).

After a couple of weeks, I oversdosed on the ammonia. The value never dropped below 8ppm for like a week. I was starting to see nitrites. So I did a 75% water change to bring the ammonia level down to something I could measure.

For the next few weeks, this was going between 2 and 4 ppm. Then I noticed I had a snail in the tank.

For the last two and a half weeks, I haven't added any ammonia. The level is ping-ponging between 2 and 4 ppm. I'm not seeing any nitrites registering at all.

I am removing about 5 or 6 little snails each day.

I spoke to my LFS and they said I have pond snails and to get an assassin snail to sort the pond snails out.

I might get an assassin snail at the weekend.

So I'm worried that I haven't had to add ammonia for over two weeks and my ammonia level is high. Has my cycle stalled or are the snails just producing a lot of poo?

Any suggestions?

 

[ejaramillo01]

Are you measuring with liquid test or strps?

Remember strips are not accurate.

My opinion if your reading are right to make a massive water change, like 75%, to put the ammonia down to 1 ppm, and re start to add ammonia up to 3 ppm.

 

[rollasoc]

I'm using API liquid / test tube test. (Sorry should have stated that above)

 

[itsgracia]

I agree with Edgar. You need to lower that ammonia level down. Massive water changes will help. Levels that high is stalling your cycle.

 

[BigJim]

The fluctuating ammonia levels concern me. I question the accuracy of your test kit. If your plants are rotting, that may have something to do with it.

When you did your PWC, did you use dechlorinator? If not, you put your tank back to square one.

Don't add an assassin snail until the tank is cycled.

 

[rollasoc]

When I did the partial water change I used Nutrafin Aqua plus on the new water before it went into the tank.

I did the big WC on the 6th of Feb.

I'm removing the snails as I find them.

 

[BigJim]

Have you cleaned the filter or changed the media recently?

 

[rollasoc]

I cleaned the media in the tank water, when I did the big WC at the start of Feb. I haven't cleaned the tank since. Just topped it up, once a week with clean water (with aqua plus in).

 

[andreahp]

I cleaned the media in the tank water, when I did the big WC at the start of Feb. I haven't cleaned the tank since. Just topped it up, once a week with clean water (with aqua plus in).

I'm new at this stuff too and I didn't cycle with ammonia but it's my understanding that you shouldn't touch the media at all while you're cycling because you're trying to build up beneficial bacteria so there's no point to even rinsing it in tank water. Doing water changes will help bring the ammonia level down - I have a small quarantine tank with fish in it and the ammonia was at .5 last night - with a water change last night and one this morning (50%) I got it down to 0, so just think what you can accomplish to get your cycle going again!

 

[rollasoc]

Quick update: So two days ago I did a 25% water change and cleaned out about twenty snails and the totally dead plants.

Tested last night. Ammonia was still at 2, but I am now registering nitrites.

 

[rollasoc]

Quick update. Ammonia down to 1 tonight. Nitrites up to 0.5

So things are heading in the right direction finally!

 

[OhNeil1969]

It sounds like your plants were the cause of your ammonia readings. I had the same problem when I cycled my 60 gallon tank. That is to say that my anacharis died while cycling. I had been advised that it was OK to cycle with plants. I don't know if I believe that anymore. I've read several posts on this site where people have lost their plants while cycling their tanks with ammonia. It may have to do with adding too much ammonia but I also believe the lack of nitrAtes in an uncycled tank plays a part also.

 

[rollasoc]

I'll start testing for Nitrates over the weekend.

 

[rollasoc]

Saturday update:

Ammonia still 1.
Nitrites up to 1
Nitrates up to 10.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Saturday update:

Ammonia still 1.
Nitrites up to 1
Nitrates up to 10.

Sounds like you're pretty much cycled ! I watch the water for another day just to see if the ammonia and nitrItes go to zero and the nitrAtes go up. If that happens I'd perform a water change and start adding your fish.

 

[James_in_MN]

It sounds like your plants were the cause of your ammonia readings. I had the same problem when I cycled my 60 gallon tank. That is to say that my anacharis died while cycling. I had been advised that it was OK to cycle with plants. I don't know if I believe that anymore. I've read several posts on this site where people have lost their plants while cycling their tanks with ammonia. It may have to do with adding too much ammonia but I also believe the lack of nitrAtes in an uncycled tank plays a part also.

I've also lost anacharis plants during cycling. Unfortunately, the first round of anacharis I lost was due to a lack of lighting (15w over a 20g high), and the melt was so extreme that the stems would disintegrate when I tried to grab the plants to get them out of the water. Well, figuring it was the lighting, I bought a second round of anacharis, and had to weed some of them out because they started to fade out. Fortunately, I got them out before a total melt down (stems were still intact), but there were some new offshoots that I was able to save.

I should also mention that I dosed the tank with Seachem Excel after putting the second round of anacharis in, and have read since that Excel is bad for anacharis and vals.

 

[rollasoc]

Quick update:

Sunday Ammonia was below 1, NitrItes were up to 2. Nitrates still 10+

So added a little ammonia.

Mondays readings....

Ammonia 0, NitrItes 0, Nitrates 10+

So think, I just need a PWC and I'm ready to get the LFS to test my water and get a fish or two.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Quick update:

Sunday Ammonia was below 1, NitrItes were up to 2. Nitrates still 10+

So added a little ammonia.

Mondays readings....

Ammonia 0, NitrItes 0, Nitrates 10+

So think, I just need a PWC and I'm ready to get the LFS to test my water and get a fish or two.

Yep! Congratulations! Sounds like you have a cycled tank!

 

[momo]

Good job!

i am awaiting my tank to be cycled and reading stories of other peoples succsess keeps me happy congrats!

 

[rollasoc]

Quick (and probably final post for this thread) update.

Tested this morning. NitrItes and Ammonia 0 and NitrAtes still 10. Took a sample to the LFS. All good.

Finally, after 6+ weeks of fishless cycling, I have my first fish in the tank.

I have a few white cloud minnows. I followed proper procedure before releasing them, but needed the light on to see what I was doing. The fish went and hid.

I turned the light off and within a minute they were put and about.

So very happy bunny!!!

Thanks to all that gave advice, I really do appreciate it.

Now the fun and hard work begins...