Cycling tank help for 10 gallon

[KoppeKatxx]

I am trying to cycle my 10 gallon tank and have been for the past three months! I’ve already cycled a 10 gallon before and it did not take this long.

The tank is planted, and has a filter/heater and lights are on for about 5 and half hours a day. I preform water changes on the tank once a week. It seems to be struggling being able to convert it in a timely manner and usually takes 2-3 days. The tank stays between 80-86 degrees Fahrenheit.

I was able to redose the tank with ammonia yesterday and as of today the results are ~

Ammonia- 2.0ppm
Nitrite- 0ppm
Nitrate- 40ppm
(Test strip)Ph- 6.4ppm
(Liquid)ph- 7.5ppm
GH- 75-150ppm (pink color)
KH- 0ppm

I am unsure of what to do at this point ….

 

[Fishfunn]

I would add beneficial bacteria to it as well to speed up the process. I really like:
FritzZyme® 7 Freshwater bacteria product. It works fast to seed the aquarium.

What kind of filter do you have? I recommend having a HOB filter like AquaClear too.

​

 

[KoppeKatxx]

I would add beneficial bacteria to it as well to speed up the process. I really like:
FritzZyme® 7 Freshwater bacteria product. It works fast to seed the aquarium.

What kind of filter do you have? I recommend having a HOB filter like AquaClear too.

​

First time of me cycling the tank I added Fritz and it worked! This time around I used Tetra start up.

I don’t have a HOB just a regular sponge filter that you can get from Petco

 

[Fishfunn]

First time of me cycling the tank I added Fritz and it worked! This time around I used Tetra start up.

I don’t have a HOB just a regular sponge filter that you can get from Petco

I would get a HOB too, they work very well and have more filtration options than a sponge filter.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. A 10 gallon tank is very small and the water chemistry is really prone to sudden changes. This is deadly to fish. If this was the largest tank I could keep, I would remove and replace half the tank water every couple of days and dose a water treatment and bacteria starter every time I performed the water change. You won't be able to keep many fish in such a small tank. Possibly, a few very small fish like Chili Rasboras, Guppies, small shrimp, Dwarf Corydoras and Celetial Pearl Danios would be on a list of very small fish or shrimp.

10

 

[KoppeKatxx]

Hello. A 10 gallon tank is very small and the water chemistry is really prone to sudden changes. This is deadly to fish. If this was the largest tank I could keep, I would remove and replace half the tank water every couple of days and dose a water treatment and bacteria starter every time I performed the water change. You won't be able to keep many fish in such a small tank. Possibly, a few very small fish like Chili Rasboras, Guppies, small shrimp, Dwarf Corydoras and Celetial Pearl Danios would be on a list of very small fish or shrimp.

10

I’ve kept a betta in a 10 gal for over a year and he’s still happy and healthy and alive…..

 

[Magnos]

I am trying to cycle my 10 gallon tank and have been for the past three months! I’ve already cycled a 10 gallon before and it did not take this long.

The tank is planted, and has a filter/heater and lights are on for about 5 and half hours a day. I preform water changes on the tank once a week. It seems to be struggling being able to convert it in a timely manner and usually takes 2-3 days. The tank stays between 80-86 degrees Fahrenheit.

I was able to redose the tank with ammonia yesterday and as of today the results are ~

Ammonia- 2.0ppm
Nitrite- 0ppm
Nitrate- 40ppm
(Test strip)Ph- 6.4ppm
(Liquid)ph- 7.5ppm
GH- 75-150ppm (pink color)
KH- 0ppm

I am unsure of what to do at this point ….

You said you are having trouble cycling... what the trouble? The amonia isn't going away?
Dude... I had this issue and tested my tap water and it has 2ppm out of the tap.

 

[Magnos]

So my constant water changes were actually not helping at all lol

 

[KoppeKatxx]

You said you are having trouble cycling... what the trouble? The amonia isn't going away?
Dude... I had this issue and tested my tap water and it has 2ppm out of the tap.

Yeah my tap water has ammonia in it too, I am fixing to get jugs of water to put in the 10 gal

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I see a few potential problems.

There is a big difference between the test strip and the Liquid test results for pH. One would slow a cycle and the other would not. Without knowing more than what you reported I would have to guess the 7.4 result is closest to correct.

Next, the bacteria prefer to have ammonia in its gaseous form- NH3. But in water most of it turns to ammonium- NH4. Plants use this and do so faster than bacteria use NH3. So if your pH is actually closer to what the test strip reports, that is making harder for the bacteria to to use it as ammonium.

All of this may be moot because the bacteria need inorganic carbon. In a tank this will come from CO2 and what mainly makes up KH- carbonates and bicarbonates. The plants also want CO2 and will use more than the bacteria. KH is what holds up pH levels. You report KH as 0. This argues for a pH that is dropping.

And, most of the plants we get for our tanks have some amount of the bacteria on them.

Lastly, when one adds ammonia, there should be some nitrite showing up even if it is briefly. However, the plants using the ammonium do not create any nitrite, only the ammonia bacteria may do that.

So, I wonder if it is possible that you are doing the tests, whose results you report above, at different times of day or even different days? I wonder if the readings you reported are accurate. I wonder how much ammonia you have been adding for the past 3 months and when.
I wonder what the reading have been for nitrite over the past months were.

Cycling is a process which is altered by the more plants one has and what kinds. The faster they grow, the more ammonium they use. So, I am thinking your tank is not heavily planted?

This is a case to TLI- Too Little Information. Can you fill in some of the blanks? Can yo provide some pictures of the tank?

Also- I keep fish in tanks starting at 5.5 gal. to a max. of 150 gal. I would not suggest you add bacteria until other things above are made clearer. I would increase the lights on period closer to 8 hours. My. 5.5 is planted and the next planted tank after that is 15. The 150 is planted as well. I still have 7 planted tanks in all.

Small tanks means smaller fish and smaller numbers.