Tank Cycling advise

[Grimmix]

Hi, I need help with re-cycling my 30 gallon fish tank.

Iv'e had my fish tank for over a year. It was cycled before ammonia at 0 nitrites 0 and nitrates around 5.0 ppm. Just over a month ago I moved to a new apartment and moving the aquarium was not the best... subrate got all moved around and everything. When I started up my tank again within the week I had a big ammonia spike about between 4.0 -8.0. I was doing water changes to help keep it down and removed my fish. For over a month now my tank has been at Ammonia .5ppm - 2ppm Nitrites 0 Nitrates 0. Did I crash my cycle? I have the same filters and only rinse them with water from my tank when I do water changes. I have live plants in my tank Java Fern and Moss. My tank usually sits at around 72 F, I did read that having the water temperature higher helps with cycling so its now at around 82. Why arn't I seeing any Nitrates I have been testing daily and i'm not seeing nitrites either? Am I doing something wrong? I'm still fairly new to this any help would be really appreciated!

 

[Aiken Drum]

Yes. It looks like you crashed your cycle somehow.

The best way to speed up your cycle is to introduce some filter media from an established filter into yours. Where are your fish at the moment? In a cycled tank with an established filter? Could you swap a little filter media from one to the other?

Failing that there are bottled bacteria products like Dr Tims One and Only that might help. They are hit and miss but worth a try if nothing else is working.

You are right that higher temperature also assists with bacteria growth. 83 to 87f is considered optimum.