About to give up!

[lava]

Guys I swear I am about to give up on this hobby that I tried for the first time! I swear this cycle of mine seems like it will never end! my nitrites are very high, around 5 I add ammonia like suggested and the cycle is still not done. I am about to be on my 3rd month! I get so upset sometimes that I dont even wanna add ammonia any more, witch now caused the nitrites to decline a tiny bit ,on top of that my parents and brothers all keep making fun of me and complain saying when I am gonna put the fish in! they all keep telling me to just put em in....I am trying to do this by the guids but this is just getting ridiculous. I should have searched harder for someone around me so they could just rub their stuff on my pads.

[Sharkman]

how much ammonia exactly are you putting into the tank daily? You should take an ammonia reading before you add ammonia and then an ammonia reading after you add ammonia to see the level you are adding it should be between 2-3 ppm.

Do you have a liquid test kit?

[Lady Hobbs]

Just "rubbing some stuff on your pads" is hardly beneficial. Water needs to flow thru a good seasoned filter and what you mention would have hardly done anything if anything at all.

I thought a week or so ago you were nearly finished. You were showing no ammonia daily and had nitrites.

Sounds to me as you have had a burn out from adding too much ammonia. Do a large water change cleaning nothing, add your ammonia to 2 and see what happens. Something needs to kick that cycle in gear.

[fins_n_fur]

Can you give us a breakdown of the following:

Ammonia ? (and are you adding every day, if so, how much?)
Nitrites - 5 ppm as you said
Nitrates ?

What is your temp set to?
How much ammonia are you adding daily?
Are you doing any tank cleaning/filter cleaning?
Do you have an airstone running or is there sufficient water surface movement to encourage oxygen exchange?
How large is your tank?
What sort of filter are you using (model and number)?

Tell your parents, brothers and sisters to mind their own business It's your tank, not theirs. You are saving the fish and yourself a lot of work by doing this correctly. Don't give up yet, I bet that with a few tweaks, we can help to get you cycled soon.

[NickFish]

You're probably disturbing the bacteria in some way or another.

In the last 3 months have you:

Touched/moved the decorations
Touched/moved the gravel
Touched the filter media
Done a water change (top-offs do not count)
Does your tank currently not have a heater


If you answered yes to any of these than that is your problem.

You could also be adding too much ammonia. I can't see you having more than 2ppm.

The the nitrate in your tap water, then check the nitrate in your tank water. If it is significantly higher in your tank than in your tap your tank is cycled.


You can't give up on the hobby! You haven't even started the hobby! Tell your siblings to mind their own business. If sibling peer pressure influences your decisions that much than maybe we aren't the help you should be seeking.

[Lady Hobbs]

Or added water without the dechlorinator.

[lava]

fins_n_fur]Can you give us a breakdown of the following:

Ammonia ? (and are you adding every day, if so, how much?)
Nitrites - 5 ppm as you said
Nitrates ?

Ammonia is currently at 1 (need to b add more now)
Nitrites are at 5
Nitrates are at 40

All seems good right? The ammonia that I add daily gets eatten up really fast like some gas gazler .

What is your temp set to?

I cranked the temp up to 82 and had it there FOR A LONG TIME. But now I have recieved some plants that cannot live in water that warm so I am forced to reduce the temps down to 74.

How much ammonia are you adding daily?
Are you doing any tank cleaning/filter cleaning?
Do you have an airstone running or is there sufficient water surface movement to encourage oxygen exchange?
How large is your tank?
What sort of filter are you using (model and number)?

Adding as suggested , to get it to register 2-3 and yes I do check before I add. Tank is a 55 gallon with air stone, filter is an emperor 400 and I have no done any cleaning there is also planty of movement.

Tell your parents, brothers and sisters to mind their own business It's your tank, not theirs. You are saving the fish and yourself a lot of work by doing this correctly. Don't give up yet, I bet that with a few tweaks, we can help to get you cycled soon.

I wish I had the guts to tell them that. But I do not :( I think im gonna go crazy if this tank doesnt finish within a week. My brother always like to say this infront of everyone. "hey guys! I think by the end of next year we should have some fishes"

how much ammonia exactly are you putting into the tank daily? You should take an ammonia reading before you add ammonia and then an ammonia reading after you add ammonia to see the level you are adding it should be between 2-3 ppm.

Do you have a liquid test kit?

I do it exactly like you said it and yes I do have a liquid test kit.

[QUOTE=Lady Hobbs]Just "rubbing some stuff on your pads" is hardly beneficial. Water needs to flow thru a good seasoned filter and what you mention would have hardly done anything if anything at all.

I thought a week or so ago you were nearly finished.

YEa I THOUGHT SO TOO! but apparently not.

You were showing no ammonia daily and had nitrites.

No, you must of miss understood me, the ammonia was dropping quicky (guessing because the bacteria was growing) but as far as nitrites I had them and still do. THey are very high around 5 or higher.

Sounds to me as you have had a burn out from adding too much ammonia. Do a large water change cleaning nothing, add your ammonia to 2 and see what happens. Something needs to kick that cycle in gear.

Why does this always happen to me ? :( sigh...how big of a water change would you say? like the %? 30 50? Maybe I should give it another week? and if nothing happens then do the water change?

[fins_n_fur]

I'm wondering if the drop in temperature slowed your cycle down? To be honest, I think that you are very close and this is the part that is probably the most intensely frustrating. Keep adding enough ammonia to keep to 2-3 ppm a day. I would expect the nitrites to drop any day now. Let's see what others have to say.

[lava]

Man I hope your right! I would really hate to do all that water changing ,since i dont have one of those water kits , I gotta do it by buckets >_>"

[fins_n_fur]

I hope so too...I cycled a 120 gallon a year ago and nearly lost it...talk about a patience and character building experience. But listen to Lady Hobbs's advice...she knows what she's talking about.