About to give up

[h8z2luze]

Ok my 10G has been cycling for 34 days and still has

Amm = 0

Nitrites = 1

Nitrates = 5-10

Now I have gone many different directions with this.


Added a shrimp took it out to add food daily instead then people said adding fish would speed it up then told it does not so I took them back out now adding food daily again. my ammonia went to zreo like 2 weeks ago. Nitrites just sit at 1ppm. Got some info to do a couple big water changes. So I did they went to .25 now back to 1 again I dont get it. Im about to just go get some tetras and put em in and hope they make it.

 

[exodon king]

what kind of filter do you have on the tank
what is your temp & PH?
are you using a liquid test kit or paper tabs?

 

[Satrix]

Im about to just go get some tetras and put em in and hope they make it.

Please don't. Before you resort to that... Might I recommend that instead you consider trying a little bottle of Nutrafin "cycle" 120 mL (4 fl oz). It might give your system a jump start. It's worth a shot and it doesn't require tetras breathing ammonia for weeks on end. You don't even have to buy this particular brand, look up things like Superbac, Stress Zyme...

 

[SHARPiE]

Please don't. Before you resort to that... Might I recommend that instead you consider trying a little bottle of Nutrafin "cycle" 120 mL (4 fl oz). It might give your system a jump start. It's worth a shot and it doesn't require tetras breathing ammonia for weeks on end. You don't even have to buy this particular brand, look up things like Superbac, Stress Zyme...

+1

Don't put the fish through the stress of the cycle, they will never be as healthy and will be prone to illness - even after the cycle is complete.

Stress Zyme has ALWAYS helped me cycle new tanks.

Stress Zyme + Raw Shrimp = Winning combination (IME/IMO)

 

[BigJim]

Are you sure your test kit is good? Most LFS, especially the big box stores, will test water for free. Might be a good idea as a sanity check.

 

[cabezon]

Fish keeping takes a lot of patience. those tetras might survive, but why put them through it just so you have something to look at. I remember my first tank in my waiting room. People would have there faces pressed against the glass looking for fish. Then I would sprinkle food in and say watch for them.

Nothing good ever happens quickly in an aquarium.

 

[thesixis]

I agree with BigJim.

 

[h8z2luze]

Test kit works fine its a api liquid kit. I tested the water in a friends tank and it showed 0. I have stress zyme but again with all the opinions people told me not to use it. I have ZERO ammonia and have for a couple weeks. I guess add the stress zyme and wait.

 

[spoonman]

If your ammonia is going to zero, I think there is something wrong with your nitrite test. You cant have nitrates unless your nitrites are being converted. I think the test is wrong and the cycle is complete. I also agree to take water to the LFS and have them test it.

 

[h8z2luze]

ok I will do that. I tested my tap water with it and it showed 0 nitrites and my friends tank showed 0 nitrites as well...

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

What are you stressing about? It just takes time to cycle the tank, and it looks to me like you're at the tail end. If you ammonia is zero, that's good. If your Nitrites are high, that's good too. They will drop off!

Have you tested your tap water for Nitrates? Mine have at least 5 ppm all the time. You will start to get Nitrates before Nitrites start to rise in some cases. Just wait, keep adding food for the Ammonia eating bacteria, or just add straight Ammonia until Nitrites drop to 0.

The best way to find out if your Ammonia portion of the cycle is complete is to add ammonia directly, test the water after a few minutes of circulation (which should show ammonia present), then test it the next day and it should be gone. If it is, then your cycle is working!

 

[h8z2luze]

I realize it takes time but why would the levels stay exactly the same

amm= 0

Nitrite= 1

Nitrate 5-10

I would think they should vary over a 2 week period...

 

[Colt17]

My cycle did the same thing and took 8 weeks to complete. My nitrites spiked at around 5 ppm for a couple days and then dropped to 1ppm for a week and down to .5 and .25 for another week or so. Check your pH and see if it has dropped since the start of your cycle. My water has a low Kh and my pH dropped from 7.6 to 6.0 due to a piece of driftwood and not chaning any water during the cycle time. When I removed the driftwood and performed a pwc to bring my pH back up, my nitrites dissappeared like magic. Good luck!

 

[h8z2luze]

So do or dont add stresszyme?

 

[cwt]

you could add some java moss instead. That'll help keep the nitrites in control, to some extent.

 

[mfdrookie516]

So do or dont add stresszyme?

i would... i always do... i am a firm believer in it....

 

[h8z2luze]

K Nitrites were still at 1 today so I added the stresszyme. We will see what happens.