11 Days Into A Fishless Cycle - Nothing Happening?

[Lucylou]

My tank is 60L, everything is running, I've use pure ammoina to get a reading of 5-6ppm and left it.
I've teated for Nitrite, and nothing. So I purchased some Nutrafin Cycle today and added this to see if this speed things up. I know they don't get good reviews but I don't have access to any established tanks. When I asked at the lfs they recommended this.
So I will see if anything happens tomorrow.

 

[zoekin8yg]

it can sometimes take a few months to cycle a tank, its usually at least 4 weeks.

 

[amcalab]

My tank is 60L, everything is running, I've use pure ammoina to get a reading of 5-6ppm and left it.
I've teated for Nitrite, and nothing. So I purchased some Nutrafin Cycle today and added this to see if this speed things up. I know they don't get good reviews but I don't have access to any established tanks. When I asked at the lfs they recommended this.
So I will see if anything happens tomorrow.

You are not alone. I'm going through a similar problem

 

[Lucylou]

I thought the idea to use ammonia speeds things up, I have read it takes 4 weeks anyway if I did nothing.(added no ammoina)
The pinned cycle walkthrough suggests it takes 2 weeks?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

when you say you treated for nitrite what do you mean?

a tank won't cycle of it's own accord if you just leave it, it'll just start cycling when you put fish in.

the length of time taken to cycle can vary vastly from tank to tank, no one can ever say how long it will take for you.

 

[BigIan]

what are you exact tank readings?

and If you look HERE and see if theres any one near you who can supply you with mature media. or where abouts do you live in lancashire

 

[Lucylou]

Sorry I meant Tested for Nitrite. I am just waiting for any kind of Nitrite reading. I have read peps can get readings after a few days of adding the ammonia. I tested again today and still nothing. I have live plants, i've turned the temp up, done eveything right I'm sure?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Sorry I meant Tested for Nitrite. I am just waiting for any kind of Nitrite reading. I have read peps can get readings after a few days of adding the ammonia. I tested again today and still nothing. I have live plants, i've turned the temp up, done eveything right I'm sure?

your probably still having the ammonia spike, just be patient and the nitrite will come. how fast it happens is a really individual thing, you can't compare to others, sometimes it just takes longer

as my lovely other half said, take a look through the thread with people donating mature media, there may be someone near you who can help. we're not even that far away if you wanted to kick start it that badly.

 

[Lucylou]

My Ammonia is reading about 5-6 ppm, I'm using the add and wait method.
I live in Bolton, (I think its Grt Manchester these days)

 

[BigIan]

Well if you want My sister lives in rochdale and we`ll be popping over to visit her this weekend, we can meet you some where and you can a sponge from one of our filters that should help to seed yours...

What sort of filter/media do you have?

 

[Lucylou]

its a Tetratec Easy Crystal 300 internal filter, thanks for the offer but I'm in Blackpool this wkend. I'm going to try another lfs, and be more persistent about getting some gravel/sponge.
The last one I tried just looked at me in confusion?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

its a Tetratec Easy Crystal 300 internal filter, thanks for the offer but I'm in Blackpool this wkend. I'm going to try another lfs, and be more persistent about getting some gravel/sponge.
The last one I tried just looked at me in confusion?

they might do, a lot of fish stores still practice 'old school' cycling with danio's etc. ask them enough times though and they might well do it

 

[Silverlady]

Just a thought ! are you adding Ammonia every day or just the once.
I did both my tanks by adding 1 tsp on the first day then half a tsp every day after that. It took 16 days on both tanks, one is 30 gallons and the other 50 gallons.

 

[xoedusk]

Silver, she's using the add and wait method explained in the pinned topics.

Lucy, what is your tank's pH and temperature?
What is the ingredient list on your bottle of ammonia?
Does your filter media have built-in "ammonia remover?" Some do. This would not be good for fishless cycling.

 

[zoekin8yg]

the live plants might be the problem, they will use use the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, sometimes if you have enough plants it by passes the bacteria all together.