Cycled Tank Except Ammonia Won't Drop To 0

[zippyzebra]

My tank has been cycling fishless for 8 weeks. Everything has gone as expected, the nitrites spiked and then dropped to 0 and the nitrates are at 40 ppm. The ammonia, however, will not drop below 1 ppm. I left it for 6 days and it still read 1 ppm; I added ammonia to bring it to 2 ppm and after a few days, it drops back to 1 ppm, but never lower.

Should I try doing a water change or just leave it alone and wait it out?

I'm using 10% ammonia hydroxide from ACE.

This is my first tank and so other than what I've read, I don't know what I'm doing. Any help will be appreciated!! Thanks!!

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

You can try doing a large water change. I've heard that can kickstart the cycle again.

But wait to hear from more experienced people to confirm it.

 

[colleen0309]

Have you tested your water out of the tap? Believe it or not, I have never done a fishless cycle. I always use filter media from an established tank and a few zebra danios. I haven't lost a danio due to cycling in a long long time. The next time I set up a new tank I will be doing a fishless cycle.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Are you using API? There have been numerous reports of false readings on this board recently regarding them. KISSfn had a bad test kit and would always get 0.25 or 0.50ppm readings for his water.


I would suggest using a second test kit to verify the results, if you have a friend who has one, or take it to the LFS for them to test it with their kit. Look to verify your result rather than just blindly trust it.

 

[zippyzebra]

I am using the API liquid test kit. I did do an ammonia test on my tap water yesterday to make sure my test kit was working and it is; my tap water read 0 ppm ammonia.

 

[Geoff-]

I use the API liquid test kit as well and it usually looks like I have 0.25ppm ammonia, the test gets a very slight green tint compared with when I first add the drops. I'm not really worried about it, since it's consistent. If my ammonia was climbing then I would be worried but it seems in between 0.25 and 0 and the fish are happy so who cares! 1ppm would be quite green though, get your LFS to test it and if the results don't agree I'd replace your ammonia test bottles sounds like they're faulty.

 

[Miles_hot]

This seems odd. My first thought was that the test was faulty however you've tested the tap water and got a zero reading so that seems to be out.
If there's nothing which could be providing an additional source of Ammonia (something rotting for instance) I would be inclined towards a stalled cycle. What''s the pH? Consider doing a large (80-90%) water change to see if that kick starts things.
Also - should you be dosing to 2 or 4-5ppm at this point?
Regards
Miles (who hasn't even got to where you have yet! )

 

[eaglesaquarium]

+1 on the water change, and I would suggest upping the dose, go to at least 3ppm, but preferably 4-5ppm after the water change.

 

[zippyzebra]

Interesting, I thought after the nitrite spike the ammonia was supposed to be reduced to 2 ppm. I did have the ammonia at 4 ppm during the cycle and only reduced it after the nitrites went to 0.

I'll try a water change and dose the ammonia up to 4 and we'll see what happens. Maybe some day there will be fish here!!

 

[KISSfn]

Are you using API? There have been numerous reports of false readings on this board recently regarding them. KISSfn had a bad test kit and would always get 0.25 or 0.50ppm readings for his water.


I would suggest using a second test kit to verify the results, if you have a friend who has one, or take it to the LFS for them to test it with their kit. Look to verify your result rather than just blindly trust it.

I tested 2 API master test kits. 1 purchased from FosterandSmithAquatics.com in March and the second from a local Petco last month. Both had valid and different lot numbers. Both read 1mg/l for tap water. My Salifert test kit read 0.

 

[zippyzebra]

I did a 50% water change today; I know you said 80 to 90%, but I decided to be a bit conservative!

Here are the readings before the water change:

Ammonia: 2 ppm (it's been at 2 since June 4th)
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 40 ppm

Here are the readings after the water change:

Ammonia: .50 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm

I added ammonia to bring it up to 4 ppm, so the final readings for today are:

Ammonia: 4 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm

Let's see what happens! Fingers crossed!!

 

[zippyzebra]

It's been 24 hours since I did the water change and dosed the tank to 4 ppm of ammonia. Here are the readings today:

Ammonia: 2 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
PH: 7.2 ppm

I added ammonia to bring it back up to 4 ppm.

The objective now is to get the ammonia to drop to 0 in 24 hours, right? So I just need to keep adding more ammonia every day that it drops and hope it doesn't stall again!?!