Tank refuses to cycle

[Beetlebug515]

Hello. I have been lurking this forum for quite a while now, trying to collect as much knowledge as possible, but this is my first post. About three months ago I set up a 75 gallon tank and since then I cannot get it to cycle. I have gone through 2 bottles of stability, and am halfway through a bottle of microbacter 7. Current specs are:

Ammonia .25
Nitrite 5 ppm
Nitrate 5 ppm
Ph 8
Kh 150
Temp 78
Filter- Penn Plax cascade 1500
Coarse sponges stuffed in bottom, 1 tray of poly pad, 3 trays of seachem matrix, 1 tray of purigen and chemipure.
Current stock: 1 6" silver arowana, 1 8" Senegal bichir, 1 6" sailfin pleco, 1 2" geophagus, 1 4" black ghost knife.
Feeding schedule is hikari carni sticks for the aro and sinking pellets for everyone else in the morning, alternating carni and algae. Half a market shrimp for all at night.

I have been doing daily %30 water changes to keep nitrites in check, Treating with prime, and added an air bar last month to try to increase dissolved o2. I have also got 30 pounds of lace rock for caves and such. With as porous as that stuff is, I figured it would be great for extra bio filtering. I have tried slowing water flow, increasing water flow, messing with temp, changing filter basket order, and just about everything else I could think of but my nitrites won't drop. Any ideas? Additionally, before it's said, I am aware of the tank restrictions of a full grown aro. Thought I would save you all some typing.

 

[kno4te]

It seems to be cycled but your still getting too much waste from a small tank and future tank busters. Would at least suggest to cut ur feeding down to 2-3 times per week. That will help and keep up with the water changes. Plus a bigge tank is needed in the future. I'm sure u know this and everyone will tell u.

 

[Beetlebug515]

I have tried feeding once a day, but I don't feel like I am overstocked, or overfeeding. Hell most of the time the only fish I can see is the aro. My ammonia stays between 0 and .25 no matter what I feed. Shouldn't nitrite be the same? I'll step down to every other day though and see if it helps.

 

[Aquanero]

Have you tested your tap water? How old is the test kit? It's not test strips is it?

 

[ragin_cajun]

I have an API liquid test kit, and it's never measured true 0.0 ammonia. But, nitrite should be 0, and nitrate should be something. So, I'm wondering if maybe you have a bunk nitrite test and it won't read 0. So--take your tank water sample to your LFS and have them test it and tell us what it says. Also have them test your tap water, too.

 

[Beetlebug515]

I do use the strips, but I've been testing every day so I go through them. They aren't old. My tap shows a little nitrate but no nitrite I've heard this is common. I have taken water samples to my lfs, but they use strips as well. Are they that inacurate?

 

[Aquanero]

Yes test strips are generally inaccurate. You should get an API master test kit.

 

[pops]

I agree, you will not know fore sure till you do, typically if you are showing nitrates and nitrites and ammonia your bio-filtration is not large enough to handle the load and more bio-filtration is called for. whether moving to a larger canister, adding another canister or adding a another HoB or larger HoB is in order. or may just need to change the way your filters are set up media wise.

 

[ragin_cajun]

The liquid API test is inaccurate Strips are even LESS acurate. Very susceptible to contamination. I'm no chemist, but I'd get a liquid test kit if I were you. But still, If your strips read 0 nitrite in your tap water, and 5ppm in your tank, I agree something is off.

Does the Nitrate level go up over time? It should.

 

[tlindsey]

you probably would have lost fish by now imo test strips are very hard to read, take sample of water to lfs asap like was stated. Btw welcome aboard