Help!

[jo_85]

Ok so i'll start from the beginning........ I started adding bottled ammonia to my tank on the 24th August, my nitrite spike happened around 2 weeks into the cycle and my ammonia was being processed in 12 hours 3 weeks into the cycle. Since then I have been patiently waiting for my nitrite to drop to 0ppm in 12 hours. It has been stuck around 15 hours for 2 weeks. I check my PH every week, it started at 8.2 and had dropped to 7.4. Not enough to stall the process? On Friday night I did a complete water change hoping this would kick start things again and have replaced all my plants that were looking tired and worn. Any one have any suggestions on what i can do next? Thanks

 

[Skins]

Is tank temp 29c?
What filter are you using?
What media is in the filter?
Have you got enough oxygen in the water(e.g airstones)?

Skins.

 

[jo_85]

My temp is 26, reduced it after three weeks as advised by someone else. My filter is interpet which came with the tank, not sure one the media. No air stones but strong pump which disturbs the surface alot

 

[Skins]

I would push your temp upto 29c
How much ammonia are you dosing(ppm) and are you dosing every 24hrs?
Could you provide your nitrate levels.

Skins.

 

[jo_85]

I dose up to 4ppm with ammonia at 8pm every day. My nitrate levels are currently low as i did a complete water change on friday as my tank was looking rather dirty. Before the water change my nitrates were seriously off the charts and had been for around 3-4 weeks. Will my plants be ok with the temp going up to 29?

 

[Skins]

Sorry, one other thing is the pH 8.2 from your tap or have you added sodium bicarbnate?

Skins.

 

[jo_85]

8.2 was from the tap when i first set up, although when i completed my water change and tested PH again it was still 7.4.

 

[Skins]

I dose up to 4ppm with ammonia at 8pm every day. My nitrate levels are currently low as i did a complete water change on friday as my tank was looking rather dirty. Before the water change my nitrates were seriously off the charts and had been for around 3-4 weeks. Will my plants be ok with the temp going up to 29?

Sorry can't help you with the plants but with you doing a water change on friday this may help complete the process now that you have removed a lot of nitrate from the cycle.

Skins.

 

[jo_85]

Ok thanks will be patient for a little longer and up the temp tonight

 

[Skins]

Hello again,
Just been reading another thread on the forum and the way i read into it, could be a good idea to remove the plants if possible. Here is a link to the thread and have a read of the 2nd post.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/344289-plants-cycling/

Skins.

 

[fluttermoth]

I dose up to 4ppm with ammonia at 8pm every day. My nitrate levels are currently low as i did a complete water change on friday as my tank was looking rather dirty. Before the water change my nitrates were seriously off the charts and had been for around 3-4 weeks. Will my plants be ok with the temp going up to 29?

Most plants will be, but I can't promise.
I think it was more than likely your very high nitrates that stalled your cycle. Once they go off the chart it's best to do a water change and re-dose with the ammonia afterwards.
Hope it starts going well for you now.

 

[Skins]

Hello,
can you post water parameters for today when you get chance, Skins.

 

[jo_85]

these results are exactly 12 hours after dosing with ammonia
PH 7-7.2
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite somewhere between 2-5ppm
Nitrate goin off the chart again, somewhere between 80-160ppm
thanks

 

[waterdrop]

Well, several things here - I agree with the recommdations so far, it might help to get that temp up to 29C/84F and to dose a teaspoon of pure kitchen baking soda (bicarb) and then see how far that takes the pH up. Bicarb actually won't ever take pH above the 8.0 to 8.4 optimal range we want to be in but we don't really like dumping more sodium in the tank than we have to. It sounds like you've got good water movement too, which is good. You are obviously somewhere between the second and third phases, trying to come off the nitrite spike and get faster nitrite clearing. Not clear on your total days. Saying "Day X" in all communications is important data in all fishless cycling threads.

I will say that the Interpet filter causes me some concern in the back of my mind. I seem to remember a number of cases where beginners struggled and their seemed to be problems with these filters not really having a tight enough design. It seemed that water was able to "cheat" and get past the media without really being processed if I remember right. For now, I would continue to give it a chance to cycle though. It may just tank some more patience.

~~waterdrop~~