40 Days, Cycle Won't Start, Help!

[the_lock_man]

I would suggest dumping the Biomature, in case there's something in it that's interfering, use Homebase Ammonia, and see if you can get some mature media as well. Tapsafe is fine as a conditioner. You could also try leaving out the FilterStart.

Also a heads up, homebase no longer stock ammonia, in fact most UK shops are not allowed to stock it since people made house hold bombs with it.
You can order it online from ebay, the one im using atm is a jeyes make, white bottle red cap, around £6 inc. postage.

For gawd's sake, how ridiculous? Do the Powers-That-Be really think that I will be put off making my homemade bomb if I can't get ammonia from Homebase? D'urrrr.........

 

[daizeUK]

Day 48 - ammonia still not dropping. 
 
I'm honestly stumped, I was really on board with what snazy said and my gut instinct was that the BioMature and the sand were fine, the Filter Start at worst is probably doing b'ger all and I really thought that lowering my ammonia might kickstart things.
 
I give up, I will start phoning around my LFS to beg some biomedia today.

 

[daizeUK]

I was hoping that Maidenhead Aquatics could help me as I'd trust them more than any other LFS to have clean systems.  Unfortunately the two branches closest to me use beads in their filtration systems which they reckon would be incompatible with my little filter and one of them told me they never open up the filters.  The first recommended I buy Pure Evolution balls (I looked them up but it just looks like another unproven bacteria-in-a-bubble product) and the second advised me to buy the platies and use them to cycle the tank.
 
I then tried World of Water and spoke to a lovely guy there who seemed to understand fishless cycling and tried to be really helpful, he said their sponges were too big but offered me some squeezings or water from their aquaria.  He even advised me to try Maidenhead Aquatics and Pets at Home which I thought was really good of him.
 
Pets at Home is my only option left now really.  I doubt that it's worth phoning them, I suspect whoever answers the phone won't have a clue what I'm talking about so I might drive over there a bit later.
 
Failing that, I guess I will wait for Dr Tim's One and Only to come back in stock, clear everything out of the tank and start over.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Sorry to hear about your troubles...  If you weren't across the pond, I'd give you some of mine!  
 
 
The fella at World of Water didn't recognize that sponges could be cut?  Just a thought...

 

[daizeUK]

Ah I don't blame them, I guess that if everyone who buys a new tank went begging for a bit of sponge they'd have none left.  I would happily pay for it if they were willing though
 
Just paid a visit to Pets at Home and spoke to the 'filter guy' there, same story, doesn't think that they have a compatible filtration system, tried to sell me a bottle of Nutrafin Cycle though

 

[eaglesaquarium]

That's some crap...  Could you try a local fish club?

 

[daizeUK]

I don't think there are any here, I did a quick search for aquarist clubs in Berkshire and all I found was a post from MBOU on pfk forums lamenting the lack of clubs in this area!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If MBOU is in your area... 

 
 
Got what I'm saying?

 

[snazy]

Maybe open a thread here asking for some mature media. Someone might be close enough and willing to give you some.
I'll be changing the filter floss in my big external next week some when I receive the new one time but I am not sure it will make it alive from Ireland to you.

 

[daizeUK]

Lol yeah MBOU lives around 30 mins away from me I think.
 
But honestly I don't feel comfortable with begging for biomedia from people, it's precious stuff and nobody wants to risk an ammonia spike.  Asking LFS shops is different
 
Another thing is I worry that there might be chemicals in my tank, perhaps leaching from the sand like Snazy said, and maybe I should really sort that out first before introducing biomedia or fish.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You wouldn't need much at all to get things moving.  Even a tiny pinch would be enough to get things moving, and honestly would be about as effective as Dr. Tim's (probably better, because I don't trust the Bacteria in a Bottle products).  
 
 
Honestly, even a tiny piece would do something for you...

 

[daizeUK]

I've been thinking about what to do next.
 
I think there are only two possible reasons why my cycle failed, most likely I think that I crashed the cycle by adding too much ammonia and my filter is now clogged up with the wrong sort of bacteria so it can't get re-started.  Or maybe the sand is leaching chemicals but I really don't think so, it was bought as children's play sand and has been out in the rain so maybe it brought some bad bacteria with it but probably not bad chemicals.
 
So assuming I've got the wrong sort of bacteria in my filter, I think the best thing I can do is strip the tank and soak everything in boiling water, including the biomedia.  Sterilize everything and start completely from scratch.
 
Then I'll discard the play sand and leave the tank completely bare, no substrate, no plants, no ornaments.  I'll fill lit up with new dechlorinated water and then I'll add a single dose of BioMature to bring the ammonia up to 1-2ppm (contrary to instructions which says keep adding until 5ppm).  I won't add any other products, I will just leave it alone until ammonia drops.
 
I still have faith in the BioMature because I know that it has worked for other people, so I'm willing to give it one more go.  At least this method will rule out everything else!
 
I can't do anything until my new dechlorinator turns up, so if anyone thinks this is all a bad idea then please let me know now

 

[daizeUK]

Okay well my dechlo has turned up, nobody has talked me out of it so I will be doing a full sterilize and reboot tomorrow.
50 days of wasted test chemicals but c'est la vie.
As Ripley would say, let's take off and nuke the site from orbit!!!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Sorry about that... No chance of getting any donor media from another member?

 

[daizeUK]

Well, I don't like to travel too far so they would have to be very close.  I will probably have more luck asking around my neighbours or local community, but I'm not ready to start begging yet
 
Anyway there is some compensation in getting to test my theories and learn more about the cycling process by getting to experimentally watch it from scratch.  I would like to see that happen.  If it doesn't work again, well, there's only so long I can stare at an empty tank!