Help!! My tank won't cycle

[SherriSixxx]

I have been trying to do a fishless cycle in my tank for 2 weeks now, but it's not happening!! What could be wrong? I started by adding ammonia to get 5+, but even now after 2 weeks it is still 4. The other readings are PH 8,4+, KH20, GH 16+, No3 at 50, and no No2 yet at all! Heeelp! What am I doing wrong??

Oh yes, and I have a Fluval 4 (A-315) underwater filter.

Thanks in advance for your kind replies

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Are you using water conditioner/dechlorinator at all?

 

[SherriSixxx]

Yes, I am using both

 

[rdd1952]

Yes, I am using both

[snapback]901364[/snapback]​

What type of dechlorinator and water conditioner are you using? Some of them actually prevent a tank from cycling by changing the ammonia to a non-toxic form. I'm not quite sure why you have nitrates that high though if the tank isn't cycling. Do you have nitrate in your tap water?

 

[modernhamlet]

Are you adding ammonia everyday?

 

[SherriSixxx]

I haven't added any ammonia since I put a lot of it on the first day 2 weeks ago, to get a reading of 5+.

The conditioner is tetra-something, but I don't remember at all what the dechlorinator brand is. (Am at work). I never thought thsese products may have some negative effect on cycling. Should I start all from the beginning? I mean change all the water? I really wish I knew what I am doing wrong, or if there is something I should be doing ,but am not
Nitrate in my tapwater is 25.

 

[modernhamlet]

Is 5+ the highest reading on your test kit? If so, perhaps you're way off the chart, the 10ppm or higher range, which would pretty much inhibit bacterial growth.

Do a 50% water change and test again to see what the ammonia level really is.

Hope that helps...

 

[rdd1952]

I haven't added any ammonia since I put a lot of it on the first day 2 weeks ago, to get a reading of 5+.

The conditioner is tetra-something, but I don't remember at all what the dechlorinator brand is. (Am at work). I never thought thsese products may have some negative effect on cycling. Should I start all from the beginning? I mean change all the water? I really wish I knew what I am doing wrong, or if there is something I should be doing ,but am not
Nitrate in my tapwater is 25.

[snapback]901562[/snapback]​

The nitrate in the tap water would explain why it is so high in the tank. Check the labels on the water conditioner and dechlorinator. If either says something like "detoxifies ammonia" then they are the problem. Basically, it means that it converts ammonia into ammonium (non-toxic version) which prevents the tank from cycling. The ammonium will still show up when you test though.

If the problem isn't being caused by the additives, then it may be possible that you did add too much ammonia to start with. Try the water change that modernhamlet suggested to bring it down to a measurable level (anything less than the higest reading on your chart). It sounds like you did everything correctly except maybe the additives or just starting too high.

 

[SherriSixxx]

Great! That was really good advice!! I changed about 70% of the water, and ammonia went to 0,25.Wowee! So I put some more in to continue to cycle, so ammonia is now 3.Am so pleased. And I have nitrates and nitrites both,which is good news,something's happening finally! Millions of thanks

 

[spanishguy111]

I haven't added any ammonia since I put a lot of it on the first day 2 weeks ago, to get a reading of 5+.

The conditioner is tetra-something, but I don't remember at all what the dechlorinator brand is. (Am at work). I never thought thsese products may have some negative effect on cycling. Should I start all from the beginning? I mean change all the water? I really wish I knew what I am doing wrong, or if there is something I should be doing ,but am not
Nitrate in my tapwater is 25.

[snapback]901562[/snapback]​

<edited by moderator> How is there going to be enough Ammonia to oxydize? You add enuff to make 5ppm, then you add the same amount EVERY DAY OR EVERY 2 DAYS. thats how you fishless cycle. No wonder you havent cycled. Doink )

 

[spanishguy111]

I haven't added any ammonia since I put a lot of it on the first day 2 weeks ago, to get a reading of 5+.

The conditioner is tetra-something, but I don't remember at all what the dechlorinator brand is. (Am at work). I never thought thsese products may have some negative effect on cycling. Should I start all from the beginning? I mean change all the water? I really wish I knew what I am doing wrong, or if there is something I should be doing ,but am not
Nitrate in my tapwater is 25.

[snapback]901562[/snapback]​

The nitrate in the tap water would explain why it is so high in the tank. Check the labels on the water conditioner and dechlorinator. If either says something like "detoxifies ammonia" then they are the problem. Basically, it means that it converts ammonia into ammonium (non-toxic version) which prevents the tank from cycling. The ammonium will still show up when you test though.

If the problem isn't being caused by the additives, then it may be possible that you did add too much ammonia to start with. Try the water change that modernhamlet suggested to bring it down to a measurable level (anything less than the higest reading on your chart). It sounds like you did everything correctly except maybe the additives or just starting too high.

[snapback]901777[/snapback]​

ALSO WRONG Ammonium can be converted into Nitrite just fine by aerobic bacteria. The only difference is that Ammonium is WAY less toxic to fish than ammonia.

If water conditioners as you say made ammonia un usable in the cycle, everyones tanks would break down. There is always a tiny tiny bit of ammonia present. Where do you think you get 40ppm of nitrate at the end of the week when you do your water change? Because thats how much ammonia was converted into nitrate via nitrite in that given week. If the ammonia was totally unavailable, how would you maintain a cycled tank? Understand?

 

[rdd1952]

<edited by moderator> How is there going to be enough Ammonia to oxydize? You add enuff to make 5ppm, then you add the same amount EVERY DAY OR EVERY 2 DAYS. thats how you fishless cycle. No wonder you havent cycled. Doink  ) 

[snapback]904711[/snapback]​

No sense in being rude. There are numerous ways to cycle without fish. You do not have to add more ammonia every day. That actually slows the cycling process. It will still cycle but will be cycled for a much heavier load than you could ever put in it. I have cycled 5 tanks using the method of adding ammonia once to raise it to 5 or 6 ppm and then waiting on it to drop to near 0 before adding again. At that point the ammonia consuming bacteria is present and you are just adding more ammonia to keep them fed while the nitrite spikes and develops the bacteria to process it. Those tanks took between 1 week (seeded with media from another tank) to 3 weeks (brand new 75 gallon with no seeding).

ALSO WRONG Ammonium can be converted into Nitrite just fine by aerobic bacteria. The only difference is that Ammonium is WAY less toxic to fish than ammonia.

If water conditioners as you say made ammonia un usable in the cycle, everyones tanks would break down. There is always a tiny tiny bit of ammonia present. Where do you think you get 40ppm of nitrate at the end of the week when you do your water change? Because thats how much ammonia was converted into nitrate via nitrite in that given week. If  the ammonia was totally unavailable, how would you maintain a cycled tank? Understand?

[snapback]904714[/snapback]​

I didn't say water conditioners were bad. I said not to use those that detoxify ammonia. Everyone has to use dechlorinator (unless on well water with no chlorine) but there are dechlorinators that do only that, remove chlorine and chloramine (Stress Coat for example).

I know there is always ammonia in the tank from waste just like there is also always a trace amount of nitrite. Those amounts are very miniscule though (depending on stocking level). I have never had a tank reach more than 10 to 15 ppm between water changes.

 

[trace1]

i was havin the same problem with my tank althou mines only been a week with ammonia at around 4ppm, but will try advice given on here & do a water change so hopefully i will soon be able to get some fish in there

 

[rdd1952]

i was havin the same problem with my tank althou mines only been a week with ammonia at around 4ppm, but will try advice given on here & do a water change so hopefully i will soon be able to get some fish in there

[snapback]905471[/snapback]​

If you have only had it running for a week, I would hold off on the water change for now. Has the ammonia dropped any at all since you first added it? To fully cycle the tank, you have to start at about 5 or 6 ppm and let it completely cycle out. That is how the good bacteria form. Once the ammonia starts to drop, you chould be seeing nitrites. Just a rule of thumb, the nitrite generally tanks about twice as long to fall back to zero as does the ammonia. What size tank do you have? Smaller tanks sometimes take a little longer.

 

[trace1]

its only 55litres, think thats bout 12 uk gallonstested the water again today theres nitrIte in there now its only 2.5 but at least it doing something & i'm on the right track