Update on my 55

[bbryant573]

I think I am finally on the home stretch with my 55 gallon tank.
This was the tank that I set up at the end of June and it still isn't cycled.
I was having trouble with the water parameters not moving, and a pH of 6.0. We had a few plants, lava rocks and sand... I really had lost all hope in getting this tank cycled.

Well after some research and some help from a friend, I decided to do an experiment with the lava rocks. I put one lava rock in a bucket of water, tested the pH level on day 1 it tested 7.6 - on day 4 it was 6.6.

So I took the lava rocks out and since then I have gotten some used filter media and some guppies from a friend to help with this tank. I have done 2 50% water changes, and my tank is back to cycling...I am going to do another water change tonight... I am starting to see some nitrites again as before I was not seeing any... my nitrates are around 20.. and my pH went back up.

 

[Colin_T]

Check the tap water for nitrates.

Don't bother testing the aquarium for nitrates until the ammonia and nitrite have both gone up and come back down to 0ppm. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading.

If you have fish in the tank, you are doing a fish in cycle.
I assume you aren't adding a source of ammonia while doing the fish in cycle?
The fish food and waste will provide the ammonia for the filter bacteria.

 

[bbryant573]

No, I am not adding an ammonia source. The ammonia was extremely high 8.0 and so I started doing water changes to bring the ammonia down.