Problem with Cycling

[Jason87]

Well not doing my research and being a little overzealous I started my tank with out knowing how to do a fishless cycle. The tank is a 55gallon malawi ciclid tank with about 8 fish in it currently. They seem to be doing fine, but all of my levels are off the charts. Ammonia, Nitrites are all high, while my ph is stable at around 8, followed by a perfect salt level and hardness test seemed to be almost perfect.

Currently the tank has 3 filters on it along with a air wand. Filters are as follows:

Fluval 205
Eheim 2231
Whisper 60 that came with the tank.

Water tempertures are generally kept at about 78 degrees and I have been doing water changes daily to keep down some of the levels to no advail. I have added bacteria to the filters, and also to the tank. Micobe-therap aswells as annocculant you apply directly to the pads.

I have been using ammo-lock to keep de-toxify the ammonia but what else can I do to help this tank cycle. Salt is also added according to my water changes.

This is my first in-door aquarium, but I have had ponds without any problems for 7 years. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

[RobbieG]

I would switch to Amquel for the ammonia - it nuetralizes the ammonia without removing it - this allows the bacteria to feed and grow and moves the cycle along ammo lock removes it completely so any bacteria you add are likely starving to death.



Keep up the water changes that should help keep your levels low enough to allow your fish to survive.

[gm72]

Can you return the fish to the LFS in order to move forward with a fishless cycle? Otherwise I'm fairly confident that all of your fish won't survive. By doing your water changes you are prolonging the cycling process and prolonging the torture of the fish. They can't be happy in those conditions.

[puddlekeeper]

Personally; Amquel plus is what I would use.

I had an ammonia spike last week (from forgetting to remove leftover food) and it was good the next day!

[A340]

Keep the fish in, buy a bottle of Seachem's Stability, add as many capfuls required for your tank everyday for 7 days, your cycle will be complete and your fish will be fine.

[Jason87]

Have yet to try any of the suggestions that were given as all LFS were closed when I got off work. But could having ammo-rocks also be a source of killing off some of the good bacteria. Also is removing 50% of the water a bad thing. I just can't figure out how if I do 3-4 30% changes a day like I did this morning how none of the levels are decreasing. Could it be the lace rock that is in the tank or possibly even the gravel. I'm at a loss for words in what is causing the extremely high levels of ammonia and nitrites.

I figured even if my ammonia is high, will detoxifying it really get rid the bacteria that may grow in these filters. Tomorrow I will definetly be picking up some of the seachem stuff and we shall see how that does.

Again thanks for any advice. I would love to see my levels low and stable.

[RobbieG]

The bacteria is what will eventually keep the ammonia down. You need the bacteria to convert the ammonia and nitrite wich are deadly to your fish into nitrate which is safer. After you build up enough bacteria they will take care of the ammonia and nitraite and you will be able to remove the excess nitrate with weekly water changes.

Until this happens you have to work 10 times as hard to keep the fish from suffocating on their own waste.

As was said earlier the best thing to do is take the fish back to the store until you have cycled the tank. If that is not possible than you need to do what you can to first keep the fish alive and second get your cycle moving.

You can do this by adding products that contain live bacteria and changing enough water each day to keep the concentrations of ammonia and nitrite at safe levels. Products that nuetralize ammonia and nitrite rather than eliminate them will allow the cycle (bacteria buildup) to contiue.

[sergo]

unfortunately this is another hard lesson learned. good luck and hope all ends up well with no casulaties.

[Jason87]

Fantastic, my local petsmart didn't have the chemicals recommended, however I did pick up something called "Cycle."

I guess I may be doing something right, I have yet to lose a fish, and my levels are slowly decreasing. This isn't so bad after all. Soon I will post some pictures for everyone to see.

[gm72]

Most of us will tell you that Cycle does absolutely nothing except make you spend your money.

[Jason87]

Great, with the other bacteria's I bought, I hope I may be able to get something to work.

[gm72]

You didn't buy any bacteria, you bought snake oil advertised as bacteria. Hopefully your cycle does continue to your reward.

[RobbieG]

The product that most people agree is really live bacteria is called biospira and is kept refrigerated.

There may be others that really work but cycle isn't one of them.

[Jason87]

Picked up Bio-spira today, we shall see if it works. Boy this tank is getting to be expensive.

[RobbieG]

Once things level off it'll probably be even more expensive - but you'll be buying things you want (like the new 200 Gallon SW set up that caught your eye) instead of things you need yesterday. You'll be spending more but it will feel so much better!

[Jason87]

Have been working on a new sump setup for this tank with old pond stuff I have laying around.

[Mark Lathrop]

Picked up Bio-spira today, we shall see if it works. Boy this tank is getting to be expensive.

I'd just stop buying chemicals and let it cycle. Save your money for the after cycle fun.

[Jason87]

I figured since you guys helped me out so much, I would post about how the tank is doing.

Ever since adding the last batch of bacteria, my ammonia levels are reading a constant 0 which is awsome, but my nitrites are still high. I haven't done many water changes as it seems that doing them does more harm then good.

So hopefully this tank is almost done cycling. What do you guys think, is this just my nitrite spike or what?

[RobbieG]

Sounds like it - congrats you're almost there!

[gm72]

Sounds like you are indeed in your nitrIte spike. You still need a source of ammonia to keep the cycle moving forward. After your nitrIte spike you will see such decrease and nitrAtes increase.

[Faith_at_Large]

I hope that with the bigger 55 gallon tank, you will cycle without too much damage to your fish. But I also cycled with fish the first time, and I did not actually lose fish to the cycle until after it finished. Their immune systems were down. But some did survive - I cycled a ten gallon tank with Zebra Danios. My home tank is much better now, even if a little green (I am still sorting that problem out, but I have made headway.

[Bill M.]

Keep the fish in, buy a bottle of Seachem's Stability, add as many capfuls required for your tank everyday for 7 days, your cycle will be complete and your fish will be fine.


Hes right... 100%... Seachem's Stability is the best product ever... it cycled my tank perfectly.....

[Jason87]

Well after 3 weeks of almost daily water testing, My tank has finally cycled. Just finished my first big water change and my reading are now:

Ammonia:0
Nitirites: 0
Nitrates:10..


:19: Finally I am done.