Tank Just Not Cycling :(

[AdAndrews]

Cycle is terrible, it doesn't work, it may have appeared to speed the cycle up, but there are other factors, and the only way of testing it would be under lab conditions. bottling bacteria simply doesn't work unless they're refrigerated.

i have used cycle, only becuase it came with the tank, i simply poured the whole contents into the tank when starting up..

update:

today i have squeezed some media from my other external filter, i have also poured all of the water that was in the external filter into the tank, this obviously has affected the ammonia levels, it is hard to interpret on the API scale chart but i think its between 2-4ppm

what shall i do, add some more ammonia..

i have also done a quick test for nitrite and suprise suprise its still 0ppm.

 

[Truck]

the starter colony which you poured in yesterday from a filter on another tank, will need time to multiply for you to get a noticeable amount of nitrite, give it another week or two and if nothing happens, I can post some mature media to you.

 

[grumpysteve]

i had a lot of help from my mature filter and some decor too, so that was probably a bigger factor.

if the ammonia hasn't cleared at all i'd wait before adding more

 

[AdAndrews]

ok, thanks for your help guys

i will report back if anything changes

Adam

 

[waterdrop]

I agree with truck that the positive effect of introducing materials from the mature filter into the new tank will take a while (at least this is often the case when things are poured into the tank or sponges are cleaned in the new tank, as opposed to mature media being actually put in the new filter.) We've seen any number of cases here in the beginner section where not much has been happening at 4 weeks, so you are not outside the experience. I have no data to support it but I also sometimes have a feeling that larger systems with nice big externals sometimes tend to show a longer "pause" of no feedback before they suddenly give strong signs that they are cycling.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[AdAndrews]

I have no data to support it but I also sometimes have a feeling that larger systems with nice big externals sometimes tend to show a longer "pause" of no feedback before they suddenly give strong signs that they are cycling.

~~waterdrop~~

I hear you, why do you think this is?

 

[waterdrop]

I have no idea. Its just an observational feeling from watching hundreds of threads here in the beginner section and elsewhere in TFF.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[AdAndrews]

ok, still no reading, i will check again later

thanks

 

[Bobtastic]

I would have thought you would have just transferred some mature media from one of your other filters at the start!

Also, how old is the test kit? Is it possible that is it out of date? They are less effective/don't work after so long (so I'm told).

 

[AdAndrews]

I would have thought you would have just transferred some mature media from one of your other filters at the start!

Also, how old is the test kit? Is it possible that is it out of date? They are less effective/don't work after so long (so I'm told).

I have 2 other tanks running, the one has a very small internal and i didnt want to take it away as i'd just had some new fish, and the other was still cycling in a way, and the tank had already been set-up

i think the test kits are fine.

thanks

 

[waterdrop]

Having some sympathy for you as the Q-Tank I'm currently fishless cycling is behaving the same way, ammonia now dropping even in 12 hours very reliably but I've never seen any nitrite yet. I'm beginning to wonder if my nitrate test is old in some manner, perhaps either the reagent or the cards as its producing a purplish-red looking color that doesn't look like the higher colors and the middle colors on the card look a sort of brown that could have been washed out by time. Guess I should try a water change and see if that let's me start with nitrate down where I can understand it, lol.

~~waterdrop~~

edit: this morning I realized I had been thinking of the High pH test, not the nitrate test, duh...

 

[AdAndrews]

Hi guys, an update for you, nothings changed

here are the stats:

ph8
30degrees C
nitrate 10ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
ammonia 2-4ppm