Unable to cycle--and now white flakes?!

[Watergirl]

Hi, my patient friends. It is now--unbelievably--day 46 since I started trying to cycle my tank. My sister makes fun of my empty tank when she comes over, referring to it as my "pet water." >_<

I noticed a small drop in ammonia today (my first in the entire time I've been doing this) from 2ppm to 1ppm, and a tiny spot of pink on the test pad for nitrates, which I'm not sure what to read into, since most of the pad stayed white as usual. Is that a positive reading for nitrates, or does the entire pad have to turn pink for it to count?

But the REAL mystery I want to know about is: why were there floating flecks of white material on the surface of the water this morning? They are tiny but unmistakable, sort of like chalk dust floating around. Could they be an unwanted microorganism (or a wanted one), or maybe even algae?

This is driving me crazy! I would really appreciate some insight. :helpsos:

[Lady Hobbs]

Can't answer your question with 0 information like the size of the tank, how are you cycyling, etc.

Is there any point in me asking if you read the cycling threads in my signature?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Hey Watergirl, sorry your having some trouble.

It might help us if you could share the size of the tank, the method you are using to cycle the tank, and the temperature of the tank. Also, any other information like what kind of dechlorinator and what kind of test kits you are using would help as well.

[Hpimichael02]

Are you testing with strips or a master test kit?

I to also have the white chalk looking substance in small dots on the sides of my tank , the cycling threads didn't specify about this :(

[Watergirl]

Sorry, I sometimes forget to restate all that profile information every time I make a post.

The tank is 5 gallons, I am doing a fishless cycle, and the ammonia source was a fish food sock (long since gone). The tank does not have a heater, but the room it is in is the warmest in the house, around 78 degrees F. The ammonia test kit is API's liquid test kit, and the nitrate kit is the 5-in-1 Quick-Dip strip. It tests simultaneously for nitrates, nitrites, pH, alkalinity, and hardness (and the latter 3 have remained within good ranges). The dechlorinator I use is Tetra AquaSafe. I've not cleaned the tank or gravel or changed the filter since I set everything up. I used a bacteria booster at first, but I quickly realized it was superfluous and haven't used it since day 4 or 5.

I have found reports of these white flecks on other sites, but no one seems to know what they are. :/

[Cermet]

I often get "white Flakes" in my aquarium when ever I disturb any filter - for my case, this is good bacteria film that grows on the piping and wall surfaces that readily breaks free and then floats in the tank.

Maybe this is what is occurring in your tank.

By the way, what type of filter are you using?

[Lady Hobbs]

Hard to tell what the white specks are. Could be debris coming from the filter since it hasn't been cleaned. Most likely nothing to worry about at all.
The bacteria booster would work but with it you're supposed to have a fish in the tank. It helps convert the ammonia and nitrites to a less harmful state. As long as no fish are in the tank to protect, it's not needed. As long as you are seeing a hint of nitrites, you are heading in the right direction.

Hpimichael02......there is no need to write in an article about cycling about "white chalk looking dots" when that was simply a condition of your tank and is not normal in everyday cycling for others.

[Rue]

Could the white flecks be hard-water debri/precipitate?

[Watergirl]

@Cermet, I hope my situation is the same as yours. I would like to think it was a symptom of something good. The filter I am using came with the tank, and it is called a Tetra "Whisper." It just has a carbon filter cartridge in it, but I'm thinking I should add something in there for more surface area. That may be what's making my cycle take so long.

@Rue, that's a good thought, but we've never had hard water, and the test strips confirm that.

Thanks for your feedback, everyone. I think that, as long as no one is telling me the white flakes are anything terrible, I will stop worrying about them and maybe focus on finding something more for my filter for the bacteria to grab onto. Does anyone have any suggestions, btw? (Cuz 47 days without a change is ridiculous.)

[Stlouisfish]

If the white flakes are coating things and not just floating around, it's the same stuff I had in my tank when it was running for the same amount of time - coated the airline tubing and some of the fake plants I had. Normal in a new tank.

I would thinkthat the filter cartridge you have also contains an area for biological filtration - I have an internal box filter in my 5 gal (using it for quarantine) that is good for up to 10gal - it uses a cartridge and everyone here said it should be used until it's really falling apart. Once I decide to change it another cartridge will be put in with the old one to "seed" it with the BB but there's no room in there for anything else to serve as a biological filter if that's what you're thinking of.

[Cermet]

The filter I am using came with the tank, and it is called a Tetra "Whisper." It just has a carbon filter cartridge in it, but I'm thinking I should add something in there for more surface area.

To that question a very big yes. Add a bio-cartridge if available or just empty the carbon cartridge of charcoal (just cut the top and remove the granules) and stuff it with poly fiber. This will add a large surface area for the good bacteria.

Considering all this, I highly believe that the white flakes are filter based bacteria that coated flat/smooth surfaces and is breaking off. That is great because that does mean the filter has cycled but the fact that you didn't have a good bio-habitat (enough surface area) for them to grow on has created the issue for your tank. This explains why you are seeing a nitrite signal.

Either add a new cartridge pre-filled with ploy fiber or get a special bio-habitat surface cartridge (if they make one for that brand and the lfs carries it) or make your own from your old charcoal cartridge by stuffing with poly fiber. This will solve your problem - it will take two to three weeks to finish cycling but you already have a good crop of bacteria growing on the filter walls/tubes/tank.

Good luck! :hmm3grin2orange: