Trouble getting started

[Liberty2k4]

Hello all! I recently got a 58 gallon aquarium that I am trying to cycle. After 7 days, absolutely no change. Should I just wait it out or have I missed something?
Used Prime to dechlorinate
Added TSS as I have no access to seeded material and figured even if it didn't help, it probably wouldn't hurt.
pH 8.2
Temp 84
14" bubble wand
Canister filter
Ammonia 4ppm (Ace Janitorial strength)
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5ppm Im assuming from tap?
Artificial plants and rocks

 

[librarygirl]

Hi and welcome! I'd wait a bit longer.....it can take up to 2 weeks on average before ammonia starts dropping. It's a process and unfortunately not a very fast one.

 

[Rivercats]

When you have time you should test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates so you know if there are any and if so what levels. This info is good to know. You can also test your tap water's ph by putting some tap water in a cup and either aerating it or stirring it off and on for 24 hours to let the water gas off. Then test the ph and this is your tap waters true ph.

 

[Liberty2k4]

I did test my tap at the beginning. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate were all 0. pH was 7.6 and then rose to 8.0 overnight. My tank is reading 5 ppm nitrate now so I may have misread the test on tap initially- this test seems like the easiest to screw up with all the shaking! Lol

 

[Liberty2k4]

Okay so now I'm really confused. Day 9 and still no nitrites but my nitrAtes are going up. Ammo test today showed the slightest change from 4 to maybe 3-4 (could be wishful thinking lol). NitrAtes have definitely risen though from 5 to 10-20 but NitrItes still 0...how is this possible?

 

[jwh0818]

Okay so now I'm really confused. Day 9 and still no nitrites but my nitrAtes are going up. Ammo test today showed the slightest change from 4 to maybe 3-4 (could be wishful thinking lol). NitrAtes have definitely risen though from 5 to 10-20 but NitrItes still 0...how is this possible?

Are ypu doing the nitrate test correctly?

Add 5mL of tank water
Add 10 drops from nitrate bottle #1
Cap and invert a few times
Shake nitrate bottle 2 for 30 seconds
Add 10 drops of nitrate bottle #2
Cap and shake for 1 minute
Wait 5 minutes for test result

 

[Liberty2k4]

Retested for nitrAtes in my tap to be sure I didn't screw up. 0 from tap!

 

[Liberty2k4]

Definitely doing test correctly. Could the TSS have something to do with it?

 

[jwh0818]

Definitely doing test correctly. Could the TSS have something to do with it?

Yes it could but you should still see nitrites first. I believe TSS makes nitrates show first. Id give it a week because it is a new tank and they seem to take a bit longer

 

[Liberty2k4]

Okay thanks! This cycling business is kinda stressful for a first-timer!

 

[jwh0818]

Okay thanks! This cycling business is kinda stressful for a first-timer!

Yeah it really is. Im impatient and decided to try the seachem stability and so far have great results with it

 

[FishSim]

Yeah it really is. Im impatient and decided to try the seachem stability and so far have great results with it

Did you do any pwc when you used this? I have high ammonia, 0 nit, 0 nitrates and have been doing pwc to get the ammonia down to 1ppm. I do have fish in my tank. I bought the Seachem stability and dosed my tank yesterday evening. I'm wondering if I should do pwc if my ammonia readings are still at 1ppm or higher when I get home today.

 

[jwh0818]

Did you do any pwc when you used this? I have high ammonia, 0 nit, 0 nitrates and have been doing pwc to get the ammonia down to 1ppm. I do have fish in my tank. I bought the Seachem stability and dosed my tank yesterday evening. I'm wondering if I should do pwc if my ammonia readings are still at 1ppm or higher when I get home today.

Nope no water changes

 

[Liberty2k4]

Okay another question(s). My ammonia finally seems to be dropping- albeit slowly. Today is day 11 of cycle and ammonia is hovering around 2 ppm for the last two days (after a week and a half of steady 4). I have yet to see any trace of nitrItes though. Sooo, how many days does it usually take for initial ammonia levels to drop below 1 and how long before I see nitrItes? I already have nitrAtes present around 10-20 ppm and Im chalking that up to TSS. Ahhh so impatient!

 

[jwh0818]

Okay another question(s). My ammonia finally seems to be dropping- albeit slowly. Today is day 11 of cycle and ammonia is hovering around 2 ppm for the last two days (after a week and a half of steady 4). I have yet to see any trace of nitrItes though. Sooo, how many days does it usually take for initial ammonia levels to drop below 1 and how long before I see nitrItes? I already have nitrAtes present around 10-20 ppm and Im chalking that up to TSS. Ahhh so impatient!

Everyones cycle is different and so is every tank. We have no way of knowing for sure to answer your question. Just dose the TSS like the bottle says too and stop when it says stop. Thats the only way it's gonna work properly

 

[Rivercats]

Everyones cycle is different and so is every tank. We have no way of knowing for sure to answer your question. Just dose the TSS like the bottle says too and stop when it says stop. Thats the only way it's gonna work properly

This is very true and when you use a product like the TSS you have to follow the directions. I honestly feel a tank is going to cycle often at about the same rate whether you use a product to help it or not.

 

[jwh0818]

This is very true and when you use a product like the TSS you have to follow the directions. I honestly feel a tank is going to cycle often at about the same rate whether you use a product to help it or not.

I dono! I decided to use seachem stability and next day I saw nitrites and yesterday I saw decreased ammo along with nitrites off the chart and some nitrates! Im very pleased with seachem stability!

 

[Liberty2k4]

Well the only reason I used the TSS was because I have no access to seeded material. The directions on the bottle are specifically for fish-in cycling and I'm doing fishless but I just figured it probably wouldn't hurt, even if it doesn't help speed things up. Also, I realize every cycle is different I was just hoping for some average ranges to give me some peace of mind.

 

[Rivercats]

I dono! I decided to use seachem stability and next day I saw nitrites and yesterday I saw decreased ammo along with nitrites off the chart and some nitrates! Im very pleased with seachem stability!

That's the thing you can talk to a hundred different people and some will say a product worked and the others will say it didn't. There just doesn't seem to be a consistency on a product working. Works for some, not for others.

 

[jwh0818]

That's the thing you can talk to a hundred different people and some will say a product worked and the others will say it didn't. There just doesn't seem to be a consistency on a product working. Works for some, not for others.

Yeah thats definitely true. Ive used it before with no luck