New Tank Cycling Help?

[Dcoil1]

I've started a 25 gallon tank about 3 weeks ago. I filled it with tap water and treated it with Top Fin Water Conditioner and let it sit fishless for about a week. On Feb 21 we introduced a few fish to the tank:

2 mollies
2 guppies
5 platys

Since then, we've lost 1 guppy and 2 platys (one platy didn't look so good coming from the store, so I don't know if our tank had much of an effect). I assumed it was just shock of being in a new tank.

Almost immediately, the ammonia level began to climb, and I started to monitor the levels pretty closely. On about the 3rd or 4th day, when the ammonia level reached around .50 ppm, I began doing 10%-15% water changes every other day as recommended by another site, each time treating the new water with the Top Fin conditioner and letting the it sit for a day before adding it to the tank (helping make sure the chlorine was out in case the conditioner didn't do the job).

Now, about 11 days into it, the ammonia is somewhere in the 1.0-2.0 area and I still haven't seen any change in the nitrites or nitrites on the Top Fin testing sticks that I use. My fish are lethargic and one molly is scarcely moving. I'm worried he's the next one to check out.

Is this a normal progression, or should I be concerned I haven't seen any change in the nitrites/nitrates?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Unfortunately you did not do a fishless cycle your tank. For a fishless cycle, you need a bottle of ammonia.

Read here on how to do a fishless cycle: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

Also, what kind of test kit do you have? You should have a a LIQUID test kit, as strip test kits are no good!

Unfortunately you are now in a fish-in cycle, which is a lot harder than a fishless cycle, and you are going to be busy everyday with doing water changes to keep your ammonia and nitrite in check until your beneficial bacteria colonize enough.

Read here about a fish-in cycle: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=224306

I would recommend you return the fish, and do a proper fishless cycle.

-FHM

You MUST be doing water changes to keep your ammonia, and when it become present, nitrite, down below .25 ppm!!!!

Ammonia and nitrite above .25 ppm will cause harm to your fish and will kill them!

At 1.0-2.0 ppm of ammonia, that is WAY too high!

-FHM

 

[dudleyd]

You need to start doing big water changes to get the ammonia level down to 0. Any ammonia in the tank will be doing lasting damage to any of your fish it doesn't kill.

Read the fish in cycling artical here

 

[fatheadminnow]

You need to start doing big water changes to get the ammonia level down to 0. Any ammonia in the tank will be doing lasting damage to any of your fish it doesn't kill.

Read the fish in cycling artical here

This is wrong!

Ammonia, at .25 ppm and higher, has the potential, and if the fish is exposed to it long enough, will kill them!

I have seen fish die in days after the ammonia level got above .25 ppm!

Fish-in cycle link was already provided.

Ammonia at .25 ppm and above will cause permanent gill damage to a fish and can kill them!

-FHM

 

[Dcoil1]

I forgot to add that my PH was 7.5.

My ammonia test kit is liquid, the top fin brand. The PH, nitrite/nitrate and water hardness test is strips.

I guess I'll be doing bigger more frequent changes. Thanks for the info.

Does anyone use the Top Fin Water Conditioner? Does it work relatively quick or should I continue letting the water sit for a day?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Any water conditioner works on contact with the water, there is no need really to let the water sit over night.

pH is good.

Look into getting a liquid test kit for nitrite and nitrate as well.

-FHM

 

[waterdrop]

Agree, the TopFin ammonia test you've got will probably be ok for the start of the fishless cycling but you should be thinking of getting a good test kit in the future (Many of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit) and the topfin conditioner will be ok too (they all use the same chemical for taking care of chlorine/chloramine.) The problem, especially in a Fish-In Cycling Situation like yours is that you have to dechlor a heck of a lot of water with the sometimes daily changes for the month it usually takes to grow the proper two species of bacteria and so a more concentrated conditioner is better. Most of us usually recommend Prime (Seachem Prime) for beginners to use the first year especially because its very concentrated but is also the best at doing other good stuff for the troubles that beginners typically have.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Dcoil1]

Just to update, and ask for further advice, It's been about 4 weeks and my tank still hasn't done anything.

I've changed my water daily or every other day since my last post, and kept the ammonia levels way down. I'm still not seeing any change in my nitrites. I've purchased a Master Test Kit, and have tested the water daily. The ammonia still continues to climb, but nothing else changes.

Luckily, we still have 4 fish left(hearty little buggers), and I've been using the SeaChem Prime for my dechlorinator. I've also added a heater, and shortly after, one of the fish got Ich. I've turned the temp up to 82 and added salt to treat the Ich, and it's going away, so I'll be lowering the temp back down to 78 or so tomorrow.

Funny thing is, it seems like we have algae growing in the tank now?

Any further advice as to what I should do about the cycling? Do continue to remain patient or should I try adding a bacteria supplement to try and jump start the cycle?

 

[waterdrop]

If you are having to change water a lot to keep the ammonia down to safe levels we sometimes see that it takes a long time for the filter to cycle. Unless some new information presents though, I think you're doing what you have to. If you can find a post by oldman47, there's a link in his sig about white spot.

~~waterdrop~~