Cycling and tank establishment woes

[Haiku]

I was one of those people who got my bettas, tanks, and THEN learned about cycling and all of that good stuff ). So I'm trying to very carefully cycle with my boys already in there. I put a live plant in each tank two weeks ago. I've been doing partial water changes daily. About a week ago, I started getting alarming ammonia spikes. I did a couple big water changes but then read in cycling that's not always good to do. I started feeding them very sparingly, every other day, to cut down on ammonia production.

Now I have algae showing up, which I've read isn't harmful, just unsightly. I turned their tank lights out a bit more anyway so that it wouldn't have as much light. But I keep having higher ammonia readings than I'd like. I've been religious with partial changes every day, sometimes twice a day. I just can't seem to keep the ammonia to the 0.25 to 0.5 it was, every day when I test it, it's at 1.0. This was WITH adding Ammo-Lock or Amquel Plus. Then, after reading even more, it seems that I was probably really stunting my cycling progression by using those products. Water from my tap tests positive for some ammonia to begin with, but I went ahead stopped using the ammonia blocking/ridding agents because I really want to get these tanks cycled. The test results are about the same even without using them.

The main thing is, I'm alarmed about these spikes, I can't seem to control them. I'm feeding very sparingly and doing the partial changes every day without fail. Yet I'm still not seeing any changes in the tests, no decrease in ammonia and rising of nitrites etc. I am of course seeing an increase in algae . It's the hair like algae and I see the boys nibbling on it curiously quite a bit. Could they be eating it and thus producing more waste, causing the ammonia spikes? Can anthing else cause a rise in ammonia levels other than fish waste? The plants I picked (before I was more familiar with them) aren't doing the best and I plan to get hardier more appropriate ones for their situation, could a plant that is declining in any way cause more ammonia?

Sorry for the lengthy essay and tons of newbish questions. I truly have been reading everything I can find on all of this, I'm just feeling really uncertain right now if I'm getting anywhere at all! I don't mind the algae very much right now, it's really not too bad yet, but I've heard and read horror stories of how impossible it can be to get rid of. I sure hope that's not where I'm headed. But the main concern is to get these tanks cycled, and I'm unsure if I'm really doing everything right. Any insight or advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Haiku]

I did a partial water change at noon today. My parameters tonight in both tanks are:

Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

Obviously there is no conversion going on here, yet I'm having algae growth. They've been set up since March 20, so obviously I'm doing something wrong. Before this past week when I tested, I always got 0.25 to 0.5 on ammonia readings. I've cut back feeding and done even more frequent water changes and I'm getting crappier readings. This is SO frustrating. I just don't know what to do.

 

[BettaMomma]

Hmm....
Something weird is obviously going on there...
lemme ask you this - are you gravel vacuuming when you take the water out?

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

if the plant is dying i'd take it out dead plants are in the same boat as dead fish, they create waste, i'd try a product called 'cycle' by hagen you usually see them in a 2 pack with aqua plus it's pretty muc bacteria in a bottle i use it when i clean my bowls, it works as a nitrifier and a water ager, not sure what effects it has on ammonia but it will help the conversion when it takes place, i'd ditch the daily water changes, give the tank time to establish

 

[Haiku]

Ok I'm going to try taking out the plant then, perhaps it not doing well is what is causing my increase in ammonia. As far as water changes though, what I've read is daily small (10-15%) partial changes are good when cycling with fish? I run the vacuum over the surface of the gravel to pick up any waste laying right on top, but don't actually heavily vacuum it out as I want the bacteria to form in it.

 

[BettaMomma]

I have a girly betta tank that's currently going thru a cycle- started the tank oh.... 4 - 5 weeks ago or so... It's pretty heavily planted - and here's what I have been doing:
I put the girls in after just a day or two.
I tested the water every day starting about 2 weeks into the cycling. Not until just last week (end of week 3, beginning of week 4) did I start to see any ammonia spikes. I did a 25% water change the first time I saw a spike - then the next day everything was pretty normal... didn't have to do a change. Then all hell broke loose, pretty much. The ammonia and nitrites spiked up so for 4 nights in a row I did 20 - 25% water changes. I could even tell the girls were stressed - they were all hanging out at the bottom and were pale.

Now, for the past 3 nights the ammonia has been low (like .15 or so) and everything else has been in safe levels.

I'm not assuming that the worst is over, but I've been testing the water religiously (Sometimes even twice a day) and there haven't been more spikes.

I haven't been gravel vacuuming at all except for once right in the middle of this whole ordeal - and that was only around where I could get to w/the vacuum.

I'd also say take out the plant if it's starting to deteriorate, then you won't have to worry about leaving the light on and your algae problem will slow down. Wuv was telling me about a product called BioSafe - apparently it neutralizes some of the nasty spikes a little during cycling. Maybe she'll come along and offer you some suggestions on that stuff. I got some when my girls were sort of suffering, but haven't had to use it just yet.

 

[Haiku]

Thanks very much for the advice guys, maybe I can get on the right track here now. I had picked up a couple moneywort plants at the pet store tonight because I had read that they are really hardy. I wanted java fern but not one of the 3 pet stores in this city sell them. I'm still open to any and all suggestions and/or advice to do this right. I can't wait till these tanks are stable.

 

[BettaMomma]

Moneywort is GREAT for bettas - mine love it.
And it's really hardy.
The only thing with it is that if you haven't already done this, you'll want to switch to compact fluorescent bulbs in there instead of incandescents (that usually come w/a tank hood). 3fsh told me that - and thank god that she did, too, or my plants would have all rotted. I leave the lights on in my tank about 8 hours total a day.

CRAP - that reminds me that I need to send her some snippets from them. lol

 

[Haiku]

Hmm, the light in my Eclipse tank is fluorescent, but the one in my Minibow isn't. Can you buy fluorescents that fit in a Minibow hood? (2.5g)

 

[BettaMomma]

I think I saw some like it at WM the last time I was checkin out bettas there.
I got mine at the lfs - they're the twisty little ones - they specifically say "compact fluorescent" on them.
I just went and looked @ our minibow and they'll fit in there just fine!

 

[Haiku]

Great! I will try to pick one up this weekend.