My tank won't cycle!

[NickyPants]

I have a 55 gal tank, currently there are 14 fish in it (They were added in two groups about 2 weeks apart). It's been about 5 weeks since I've started everything, and I just can't seem to get the Nitrate levels up and the ammonia down. I'm still having to do about a quarter to a third tank change every week. Is this normal? Is there something that I can do to help things along? I've received all sorts of conflicting information from the different fish people at the local Petco. My fish seem healthy and happy however, no one hanging out on the bottom of the tank with "clamped" fins...everybody eats well and is active....so that's good. Still...I'd like to get some more fish but don't want to until things settle down.

Any advice for a discouraged newbie?

Thanks!

 

[patryuji]

Are all the fish alive? How is the nitrite level? Are the fish really small?

Maybe try some bio-spira (which should take about an additional 4-6 days to finish cycling your tank). Fish Gallery & Pets in Renton (601 Grady way) carries it. I don't know of any others in the area that carry it...(Midway pets doesn't and the fish store down in sumner didn't either).

 

[Menagerie]

[center:1b0b5044ec]First, Welcome to AA, NickyPants!! [/center:1b0b5044ec]

Read the article on cycling--link from the home page. That may help. From what I understand, cycling a tank can take many weeks and I do not believe your tank was fully cycled when you added in the first batch of fish.
Keep a close eye on your fish! You should be doing weekly changes (25% is good). Definitely do not add more fish
What types of fish are in there? How warm is the tank? How much/how often are you feeding? Are you vacuuming the gravel?

Once these Qs are answered, we will be better able to help.

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya NickyPants (love the nick LOL) and welcome to Aquariumadvice.

Lets start by getting all your levels; ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temps.

What kinda fish/what size are they?

 

[NickyPants]

Currently Ammonia is at abou 2ppm...but was at around 5-6 when I changed it last Saturday. PH is neutral, I can't remember the exact numbers...but nitrites are practically nil and Nitrates are just barely registering on my test stick. In the tank I have:

1 Clown Loach
3 Raspboras
2 Dwarf Flame Gouramis
3 bala sharks
3 Blue platys
2 red eye tetras.

I feed once a day... a pinch of flakes and two variety discs. They seem to eat it all in about 5 -10 minutes...and I do vacuum the gravel when I do the weekly water change. As I mentioned all the fish are alive and accounted for and seem to be healthy and happy. The temp is 78-80 degrees F.

 

[AtodaJ]

Keep doing daily water changes (if needed) to keep the ammonia levels below 0.5 at most. Doing 10% water changes daily is better than doing 30% or so at the end of each week imho. Test ammonia every day to ensure you are keeping the levels down. You will see the ammonia drop on its own pretty soon I suspect so be on the look out for Nitrites. Just be patient and keep doing those water changes.

Oh and no new fish until both Ammonia and Nitrites are at 0. Your bio load for cycling is already a little high imho. Keep up the water changes.

 

[Allivymar]

Sounds like your tank IS cycling. If ammonia levels were at 5-6ppm over the weekend, but are registering 2ppm now, things are moving in the right direction

When you say practically nil nitrites, do you mean none at all? A slight color change indicating a minimal amount?

And average time for cycling a tank is 2-6 weeks. The time its taking your tank isn't really unusual.

 

[Endgame319]

Have you recently medicated the tank? Some medications are known to wipe out your bacteria colonies? Or did you change filter media? That can wreck your bacteria too.

 

[NickyPants]

Yay!

So I think I'm finally cycled now! I will jump on the "Bio-Spira is the cheese" bandwagon with everyone else now! Ammonia is zero, nitrites are zero and nitrates are in not in the "stress" or "danger" zone yet!!!

Now...I just have to deal with two clown loaches with ich. sheesh.

 

[peterp]

:? Figures dosen't it :?
Are you going to try using meds or the high temp method to rid the tank of the ickey pest ?

 

[ChileRelleno]

Read the article on Ich, its plenty helpful!

 

[NickyPants]

I have a 5 gal hospital tank that I put the two loaches in.....I'm going to try just heat for a week and see if things improve....if that doesn't work - I think I'll try using half doses of a copper sulfate med. Is that better or worse than a Malachite green med? Does it matter? I understand that both are particularly toxic for scale-less fish....but they're eaten up pretty bad with it.

 

[Menagerie]

I think I'll try using half doses of a copper sulfate med. Is that better or worse than a Malachite green med? Does it matter?

I would do some research, or PM Christmasfish--she deals with loaches and would probably have some advice for you.