Please Help!

[Liberty2k4]

I hadn't even considered that your filter might have been the problem. You did see nitrites early on so maybe the filter stopped working after that? I've heard excellent things about the Fluval filters. As for emptying my tank, I used a hose and had it as close to the sand as possible and siphoned as much water out as I could. Then I scooped all the sand out with a dustpan. The tank was then light enough to carry outside where I turned it on its side and sprayed out the rest and washed it with vinegar and water. I also took apart my canister filter in the bathtub and rinsed it out thoroughly.

 

[Dlee13]

I hadn't even considered that your filter might have been the problem. You did see nitrites early on so maybe the filter stopped working after that? I've heard excellent things about the Fluval filters. As for emptying my tank, I used a hose and had it as close to the sand as possible and siphoned as much water out as I could. Then I scooped all the sand out with a dustpan. The tank was then light enough to carry outside where I turned it on its side and sprayed out the rest and washed it with vinegar and water. I also took apart my canister filter in the bathtub and rinsed it out thoroughly.

Yeah I am just thinking of it now that it died. It did have a pretty weak flow, I also think my dechlorinator might not work as well, I gotta go buy some Seachem prime instead! Yeah I did have a small amount of nitrites from day 5-8 then it stopped, luckily my filer can easily be removed from my all in one. Yeah I've read lots of good things about the Fluval too, it should keep my water much more clear than this one has. Ok well I got maybe 1/6th of the water left so I'll try find a bucket to empty it into, I may wait till get the weekend though when I have more time.

How much Ammonia have you been adding? Hopefully you have better luck this time!

 

[Liberty2k4]

Sounds good. I dosed up to around 3ppm and haven't seen much of a drop yet. It's kind of hard for me to see differences with the darker shades of green. It's not quite as dark as 4 but looks darker than 2. If the tank really is starting to show nitrites (and not just my wishful thinking) it shouldn't be long before I see it start dropping. When it gets down to almost 0 I will add more.

 

[Dlee13]

Sounds good. I dosed up to around 3ppm and haven't seen much of a drop yet. It's kind of hard for me to see differences with the darker shades of green. It's not quite as dark as 4 but looks darker than 2. If the tank really is starting to show nitrites (and not just my wishful thinking) it shouldn't be long before I see it start dropping. When it gets down to almost 0 I will add more.

I know me too, It's really hard for me to differentiate the colors too! Yeah definitely wait till it's like 0.5 or less, don't make the same mistake as me and top it up too early! Does your water always stay clear? I find my water would look great for a few days then have a weird tint to it after maybe 4 days. When I cleaned the tank yesterday the water had a quite strong green tint to it which makes me believe even more the filter was useless after that first time it broke =/ I see more positive than negative reviews for the U2 but I have to get it since a HOB filter isn't an option for me.

 

[Liberty2k4]

Always clear. My filter does put some micro bubbles into the tank which is annoying but other than that my water looks great.

 

[Dlee13]

My filter must definitely under perform. The water only stayed relitviely clear when I added my Air Stone so with the U2 and the air stone I should never have a problem. Maybe my water was bad which is what made the tank not cycle.

 

[Liberty2k4]

I definitely think starting fresh with new filter will help!
I tested again this morning and my ammonia dropped from 3 to 2 and..... I definitely have nitrites!!! 0.5ppm!!! Doing happy dance

 

[Dlee13]

I definitely think starting fresh with new filter will help!
I tested again this morning and my ammonia dropped from 3 to 2 and..... I definitely have nitrites!!! 0.5ppm!!! Doing happy dance

Yeah I decided to get the U3 since it's only $10 difference and will be even better than the U2!

Oh wow congrats. I'm sure you're ecstatic! Is there any change today? It's a new day for me (currently 9:10am Thursday) but might still be Wednesday for you so too soon to test LOL.

 

[Dlee13]

I've now ordered the Fluval U3 so I gotta wait 1-2 weeks for it to arrive, only then can I get this cycle started again

 

[Liberty2k4]

I've now ordered the Fluval U3 so I gotta wait 1-2 weeks for it to arrive, only then can I get this cycle started again

Well that should give you plenty of time to get your tank cleaned out!
I haven't tested yet this morning but I think my tank is finally on the right track. I'll be afraid to dose ammo up again though after what happened to you! Anyway, keep us posted Ill be curious to how your tank does with new filter!

 

[Dlee13]

Well that should give you plenty of time to get your tank cleaned out!
I haven't tested yet this morning but I think my tank is finally on the right track. I'll be afraid to dose ammo up again though after what happened to you! Anyway, keep us posted Ill be curious to how your tank does with new filter!

Yeah it's meant to be warm this weekend so I'll probably do it then. I'm gonna buy an extra few buckets so I can soak the gravel and decorations in hot water since there's some slimy clear stuff on one of them. I started another thread to see what media to use since this has carbon pads which I don't want.
Just wait for it to get real low like below 0.5 then top it up, I topped mine up way too soon so you should be fine! Good luck for your next test, hopefully you see an even bigger drop!

 

[Liberty2k4]

I had started the first cycle attempt with carbon not knowing that it wasn't good so I had to take it out too. Knew better the second time around. I also emailed the company the I purchased my aquarium decorations from and told them they smelled strongly and may have been causing my tank to not cycle. They said that rarely, some pieces will ship before they are fully cured and can cause reactions with alkaline water (pH higher than 7) so with my pH at 8 I bet that's what happened. They advised to soak them in water and baking soda for two days, rinse thoroughly and let air dry. The smell seems to be mostly gone now but I'm terrified to add them back to my tank now that it is finally cycling!! Ammonia is still not zero but has been decreasing every day. Today it was .5. My nitrites and nitrates are rising quickly though!

 

[Dlee13]

I had started the first cycle attempt with carbon not knowing that it wasn't good so I had to take it out too. Knew better the second time around. I also emailed the company the I purchased my aquarium decorations from and told them they smelled strongly and may have been causing my tank to not cycle. They said that rarely, some pieces will ship before they are fully cured and can cause reactions with alkaline water (pH higher than 7) so with my pH at 8 I bet that's what happened. They advised to soak them in water and baking soda for two days, rinse thoroughly and let air dry. The smell seems to be mostly gone now but I'm terrified to add them back to my tank now that it is finally cycling!! Ammonia is still not zero but has been decreasing every day. Today it was .5. My nitrites and nitrates are rising quickly though!

I reckon carbon or purigen would be great to use, it's just the fact you have to replace so often and loose all that BB which is what stops everyone from using it! Yeah I would just get new decorations if I was you! I wouldn't risk it, or even just leave them till the tank is fully cycled then add them. That's still good, the fact that you have Nitrates/Nitrites is definitely a sign its progressing so congratulations I'm tempted to replace everything in my tank too except the heater. Some of my gravel has changed colour so I'm wondering if some chemical has leaked from it and that's why my water kept going a weird colour. I'm soaking the decorations in a bucket of boiling hot water with bleach in it while I decide if I'm going to throw it out or not. I'm gonna buy some vinegar tomorrow as well so I can give the tank a more thorough clean.