Ifti's [Long] Fishless Cycle.....

[Ifti]

Still no luck with mature media? Pity i cant spare any at the moment otherwise i would have sent you some. Cant have another cycle as long as menacer!
Are you still putting the filter start in? If you are i would leave it and see how it goes.

Put an air stone in to keep the kids entertained for 5 minutes and it wll help with oxygenating the water.

Nope, no luck with finding anyone who has mature media either
It does seem a little odd that both Menacer and myself hav ethe exact same tank, and both are taking ages!!! Then again, at least Menecar has some movement now!
I do put a little filter start in every few days, but it hasnt done much. Finished the bottle now and wont be buying any other similar products - I only used that because it came with the tank in the first instance!

I feel sorry for you, i've been following your cycle (or lack of).

I really really recommend you get some mature filter media to add to your filter. It will REALLY make all the difference. Surely there must be someone who can help you?

I'm not even a week into my cycle but my Ammonia hit zero this morning. I bought a second hand dirty filter, then my dad gave me some extra media out of his filter (both externals). Depending on the health levels etc, a LFS might donate you some?

You must be fed up big time

To say fed up is un understatement Im afraid!! lol
Getting sick of looking at an empty tank - although at least its remained nice and clean throughout! A little algae on the suction pads holding the heater and filter to the glass, and some bits on the gravel, but other then that, pretty clean!
Still on the hunt for some mature filter - may take the kids down to Maidenhead Aquatics next week - its a bit of a drive but will probably be my 'local' due to the good things I hear about them. Plus, at least we get to look at some fish!! lol

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, I find it odd that you both have the same type of tank (I assume this means the same sort of filter, a built-in of some sort?) Do we know anything about these filters? Some of the problems we've had in the past in the beginners section come when a filter has Zeolite or some other resin in it (often this comes in the form of little white gravel-like stuff, smaller size grains than carbon) that is meant to remove ammonia. This stuff can of course starve the bacteria. I was of course thinking this couldn't be your problem because your API kit (or whichever liquid kit) is showing us a 4 to 5ppm reading all along.

Another thing we worry about sometimes is whether the filter may be simply a poor design that "leaks" water past the media. If there is some pathway for the water to get through the filter without having to get pushed through the more difficult path of the media then of course there will never be the fresh ammonia and oxygen surplus to encourage the autotrophic bacteria to build their biofilms there in the filter media. It's kind of hard to judge this until one has experience with different filters.

Anyway, just like the other members I hope you have a breakthrough. Any time the A-Bacs don't show themselves within 3 weeks it is really extreme, even for a leaky filter if that's a contributor. It could also just be some sort of weird water chemistry of course. There are hundreds of things we -don't- measure and we always just hope none of them are bad for the bacteria.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Ifti]

Its an Interpet PF1 filter.
It originally came with 1 foam and 1 carbon filter sponge installed. I removed the carbon and replaced it with another foam instead before use, as I was told that carbon is only used to remove medicines etc from the water after treatment. Hence I thought I'd save the carbon for a later date if need be! So all it has in it is 2 foam sponges.

The water enters the bottom and needs to go through the sponges to exit the top of the filter - Im pretty sure the water is passing through them as I cant see anywhere else in the foam canister for the water to flow, besides through them.

Guess Im still on the hunt for some mature media!

 

[Ifti]

Beginning to wonder whether a fish-in cycle would be better suited?

 

[Owen386]

Beginning to wonder whether a fish-in cycle would be better suited?

Do It!

 

[menacer]

Same tank etc.. hopefully you will see some nitrite in the next few days

Beginning to wonder whether a fish-in cycle would be better suited?

Do It!

Mate i would leave it longer, i know its so hard we have both been through it but that should change quickly just look at my log and yours will follow!

 

[Ifti]

Im so tempted to do a water change and go get a few fish now!! Sick of looking at an empty tank. Dont even bother putting the light etc on any more either!
Gonna give it another week or two and see what happens! Not sure if Ive got much left in the API Ammonia bottle to continue testing like this!

 

[FraggyFragbait]

Stick with it mate.....think of those fishies! Will be worth it in the long run

 

[Ifti]

Is it possible that there is just nothing in my tank to start with, except clean water??
I mean, do the bacteria come from tap water, and then multiply before eating Ammonia etc? Or do they just come from nothing?

 

[Malawakiwhite]

Hi Ifti, Yes the ammonia bacteria are present in tap water just in very small amounts. It must be frustrating, I put in Maidenhead aquatics Aquapure accelerator(Fish urine) and these Aquapure bioballs(bacteria) at first then read up luckily and disregarded the advice to put fish in after a week and then bought some ammonia. I'm approaching 30 days and ammonia is 0 and nitrites nearly back to 0 so don't know if the aquapure gave it an initial push or I just got lucky. I agree with the general consensus to not give up yet and try to get some old filter, good luck.

 

[Ifti]

No luck with old filter. 35 days running an empty tank is getting a little silly now!
Giving it another few days before I do a large water change and then start a fish-in cycle instead.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Ifti - odd results. I am on your side if you give up and go fish-in. You at least gave it a good try on the fishless!

 

[Ifti]

OK - looking for a hardy fish to start a fish-in cycle in the next week or so.
Considering a single Betta.....

 

[waterdrop]

To me, it has always seemed entirely plausible that on an international forum where members are a sampling of homes hooked in different places to different water systems all over and to wells that a few places out there might have just the right combination of very low instances of the right bacteria and then water chemistry that makes it difficult for them that we would see difficulty. I am continually amazed at the very stubborn ones that eventually come through but it does somehow seem plausible there could be ones with extreme difficulty.

Also, just think of all the weird one-off circumstances that a world sampling might dish up. The maid or somebody might have spilled a few drops of soap in the tank. The pipes for the house might pass by something very hot that kills the bacteria. Who knows? Sometimes it's funny to dream up weird things that might happen. I always wonder if there are hundreds of trace things in the water and that some combinations of those things might combine to make an inhospitable environment for Nitrospira or Nitrosomonas or both. On the other hand I could be completely wrong in judging their ubiquity I guess, right? Someone tell Bignose we need him over here, lol!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[CrazyAirborne]

plattys are a good hardy fish and come in all colors! i can imagine ur pain waiting and waiting. it does get tiresome.