Lost In My Cycle.

[scorpiogreen]

Hello everyone.
 
I hope somebody has some input here as I am quite lost.
I have a 60cm, 64 litre tank with several plants and two pieces of bogwood (not sure if that’s relevant or not). I am cycling it with 6 platies (+2 fry that arrived at day 12). Primarily because of the fry I have been doing daily water changes of around 10%. I am adding filter start every other day as recommended by some.
 
I recorded the water readings for the first 14 days using “King British” test strips but was not convinced the results I was getting were genuine (0 ammonia, and ph so low it was off the scale). Since day 14 I have been monitoring with the API liquid test kit.
 
Since using the API kit I have seen:
ph drop from 7.6 to then stabilise at 6.6
ammonia constant 0.25ppm
nitrite constant 0
nitrate greater than 0 but less than 5 (I’d estimate closer to 5). This is about what I get from my mains supply.
 
I have viewed the thread in this forum by one of the retired moderators where cycles with & without water changes have been compared. Each seem to complete the rise and fall of ammonia by around day 21. I am at day 21 but have yet to register anything over 0.25. Certainly no rise & fall. Perhaps it peaked during the 14 days I was using the unreliable test strips but this seems unlikely?
 
I am also surprised that I have not yet seen any nitrite.
 
I am away for 1 week on the 27th of this month and had expected to have the cycle completed before I left. I will be having a neighbour pop in twice daily to feed the fish but cannot really expect them to do water changes for me.
 
Can anybody advise me as to why my cycling appears to be taking so long?
Do I have too few fish in a tank of this size to get the cycle going?
Do you think I am likely to encounter any problems by being away and therefore not doing any water changes for a week?
Is there anything I can do to minimise any risks whilst I am away?
 
Thank you for any comments.
 
P.S. I had not heard of a fishless cycle before I started but that would clearly be the way forward for a 2nd tank.

 

[Chad]

My first impression is that there is something off with the testing. As you said, perhaps you peaked while using the unreliable testing kit but even API has been known to be less than accurate. I use Salifert or Elos and Hanna testing meters for mine.
 
If testing kits aren't the issue, I really don't feel like it's the number of fish. I think 6 platy in a roughly 16 gallon tank is plenty to get the ammonia in there to cycle.
 
If your friend could do a small water change when they pop in that might be helpful. You can make up a jug of water for them and give them a large cup, like the kind you might get a large soda in and they can just dip out that ammount and replace it. It doesn't have to be 10%, just enough to get some ammonia out. That is if it's really in there.

 

[scorpiogreen]

Thanks tcamos.
 
I will take a water sample to my lfs and see if they get the same water readings as I am seeing.
 
Do you or anybody else have an opinion on the following:
I saw in another thread that it can be difficult to get a cycle going if the water has a low ph. As mine is 6.6 do you think I should add something to raise this or do you think this would be a wasted effort? I have seen there are things available for raising the ph. "ph Up" was one that I have seen.
If it really is difficult to get a cycle going with a low ph does this mean it will also be difficult to maintain a bacteria colony once the cycle is completed? It would be a real shame to have a bacteria colony die off once I do eventually complete a cycle.
 
Regards

 

[Chad]

The pH here in my hometown is generally between 6.48 and 7 according to the city's water quality report and I've never had an issue with cycling at that pH. Thought I won't say that's definitive since there might also be other aspects to the water that promote the growth of bacteria that aren't present in your water.
 
I think taking a sample to the LFS is a great idea just to get a second opinion. If the tests are wrong you may be done with your cycle and can go out of town in peace.

 

[Scates11]

It took my over 7 weeks to fully cycle and i did not see a trace of Nitrite till almost week 6 so just be patient. I stayed right around .25 ammonia the entire time and I am sure it is due to the large amount of water changes but I did not loose any fish and they never seemed stressed so it is worth it. Just keep at it and it will happen one day when that Nitrite vile goes to a different color than blue and then you are almost there!! Good luck.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Adding chemicals like "pH up" to help cycle a tank is not a good way to go about it.  Honestly, these chemicals wear off eventually and the pH will swing wildly which is unsafe for the fish.  The best option would be to get some cycled filter material from some source and add that to your tank.    That would speed up the process tremendously.
 
 
 
If I were you, I'd be doing some sizable water changes to push things forward.  While the ammonia is low, and the nitrates are low, the fact that the pH has dropped indicates something, perhaps a drop in carbonate in the water.  The bacteria require carbon, so having some fresh water in there will also give the bacteria a fresh supply of whatever they may be lacking.
 
 
What is your normal water change schedule?

 

[scorpiogreen]

Thanks Fish Fanatic. It is reasurring to know that my readings are so close to what another fish keeper has seen especially as your readings went on from what I have to finishing in a normal cyle.
 
I have just spoken to my local fish shop and they said to ignore all my historical data. They said that because I had an idle tank with only plants in it for 3 weeks and then have had fish in the tank for a further 3 weeks my tank must have cycled and that I should continue to add my next batch of fish. After what you have said I shall ignore their advice and wait until it has truly cycled.
Thanks again.


Hello Leader of the fishes.
Thanks for your comments. I shall avoid adjusting the ph and if I can find anybody local I will try to get some cycled filter media, though I don't know how easy it will be to find anyone in my area.
I had been doing daily water changes of around 10% but have recently dropped that to 10% every 3rd day. I was thinking that perhaps there was not enough waste in the system to trigger the cycle and that reducing the water changes might help.
So do you think I should return to 10% a day?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The name is "eaglesaquarium" -   Leader of the Fishes just came up because I've posted so many times - I would never declare that of myself.  
 
 
The bacteria you are trying to cultivate prefer lower concentrations of ammonia.  In fact, once the tank is fully "cycled", the ammonia will always register as ZERO.  So, they really NEED to thrive under "trace" levels of ammonia and nitrite.  So, keeping the ammonia levels below 0.25ppm is the goal.
 
 
Honestly, with your pH, the 0.25ppm ammonia isn't a problem, but you want to keep it that low.  We it to rise much higher it would be a bigger issue.  Also, you need to keep a close eye on the nitrite test.  This can rise rapidly once the ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOBs) start to get their colony going.  It is possible that the cycle peaked early, but that's highly unlikely - if you nitrates are accurate.  The API kit would read a higher nitrate level than 5ppm.
 
Of course, the API nitrate test is notoriously difficult to get an accurate reading.  You really need to shake the ever living crap out of the 2nd bottle before dosing it, and then shake the test tube for the full time suggested.  You really can't get lazy about the shaking for an accurate reading.  If you are fully cycled, the ammonia and nitrite will come up at ZERO, and the nitrate will start to rise.
 
 
I'd stick to a water change schedule that is on a "as needed" basis for now.  If the ammonia rises above 0.25ppm or the nitrite starts to rise at all, I'd do a 50% water change.  If not, I'd wait.  (You need to test daily or even every 12 hours, once the nitrite spike hits.)  If you go a full week with your levels staying static, without a water change, then you are cycled for that bioload.  If not, you keep doing water changes as needed until it is.

 

[Chad]

The name is "eaglesaquarium" -

  Leader of the Fishes just came up because I've posted so many times - I would never declare that of myself.  

I set a bunch of them up...there's even a "fish whisperer" in there now...

 However, you can change it if want like I did to mine to my favorite FW stuff.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I figured someone had, and it honestly doesn't matter to me.  I don't set my profile up too much.  I'll just take whatever phrase shows up as it comes.  No worries.  I just didn't want the OP to think that I called myself that.