I have read MANY MANY posts and topics about this and had fish for a long time, so please consider a response other than the standard.
I set up, 7 weeks ago, a 22 gallon tank. I used gravel and fake plants which were already in it ( i emptied the tank about 18 months ago and it had been sitting dormant until 7 weeks ago).....
I put a little pair of cichlids in to get the cycle going. The ammonia was super high, as was the nitrite on the first time of testing (about 1 week in).
I decided on week 2 to return the cichlids to the shop and get some more suitable fish for cycling, so I got 4 zebra danio and 2 paradise fish.
Tested the water, high ammonia and no nitrites. ****.
I have tried a few things, sure start by tetra but have tried to mess around as little as possible. On week 4, baring in mind all progress seemed to have stopped, I switched the gravel for sand as I plan on having a puffer eventually.
I might add, none of the fish died or have died since, they all 'bloomed' with colour and looked particularly well.
Week 5, still very high ammonia, no nitrites. So on week 5 I began doing daily water changes of 2 buckets at a time ( Id imagine this is about a 25% water change daily) and reduced the feeding down to a few flakes every few days. I took the Paradise fish out on week 6 and took them to my tank at my parents, they have settled in fine. I wondered if it was too overloaded to cycle. Now it has been almost 2 weeks since that point, and the ammonia has been at about 2-4ppm (rather than 8) ever since Ive been doing the water changes and feeding less. So,
Why did the cycle appear to start in week 1/2 and then stop altogether when I switched fishes in the tank?
Why is NOTHING happening? The ammonia has only come down as a result of water changes, not because of the bacteria are changing it into nitrite, which is still zero as is nitrate. I appreciate changing the substrate would not have helped, but nothing was happening before nor since I did that.
I am getting really fed up, Ive tried using water from my old established tank, a plant (The tanks are 150 miles apart, not in the same room so any further use of that tank is out of the question).
PLEASE.... this is week 7 and nothing is happening, tell me what to do!!!
Thank you all.
I set up, 7 weeks ago, a 22 gallon tank. I used gravel and fake plants which were already in it ( i emptied the tank about 18 months ago and it had been sitting dormant until 7 weeks ago).....
I put a little pair of cichlids in to get the cycle going. The ammonia was super high, as was the nitrite on the first time of testing (about 1 week in).
I decided on week 2 to return the cichlids to the shop and get some more suitable fish for cycling, so I got 4 zebra danio and 2 paradise fish.
Tested the water, high ammonia and no nitrites. ****.
I have tried a few things, sure start by tetra but have tried to mess around as little as possible. On week 4, baring in mind all progress seemed to have stopped, I switched the gravel for sand as I plan on having a puffer eventually.
I might add, none of the fish died or have died since, they all 'bloomed' with colour and looked particularly well.
Week 5, still very high ammonia, no nitrites. So on week 5 I began doing daily water changes of 2 buckets at a time ( Id imagine this is about a 25% water change daily) and reduced the feeding down to a few flakes every few days. I took the Paradise fish out on week 6 and took them to my tank at my parents, they have settled in fine. I wondered if it was too overloaded to cycle. Now it has been almost 2 weeks since that point, and the ammonia has been at about 2-4ppm (rather than 8) ever since Ive been doing the water changes and feeding less. So,
Why did the cycle appear to start in week 1/2 and then stop altogether when I switched fishes in the tank?
Why is NOTHING happening? The ammonia has only come down as a result of water changes, not because of the bacteria are changing it into nitrite, which is still zero as is nitrate. I appreciate changing the substrate would not have helped, but nothing was happening before nor since I did that.
I am getting really fed up, Ive tried using water from my old established tank, a plant (The tanks are 150 miles apart, not in the same room so any further use of that tank is out of the question).
PLEASE.... this is week 7 and nothing is happening, tell me what to do!!!
Thank you all.