Cycling Problem - Stuck

[robham777]

That’s great info - thank you! I did buy the test kit to test for both types of ammonia and they were both off the chart too. Looks like I just need to keep investigating.

I always use combo of crushed coral and cichlid specific substrate and have had no issues prior.

As for the tank - I don’t think i would buy another one. It was a good solution for being able to place a tank in the dining room where I couldn’t have housed an external canister and didn’t want the hang on filters - but wow - what a price I’ve paid for that! LOL

Many thanks for your help!

Best of luck, hopefully you will have it sorted out soon. It could be the pump you are using generating the excess heat in the tank. What type/size pump are you using?

 

[KellyQ68]

The SeaClear system II has its own filtration system hidden inside the back wall of the tank. Whatever it came with - the only addition I made was a marineland circulation pump inside the tank.

I am blaming the plastic bio balls over the ceramic rings I use in all of my Fluval systems

Thanks!

 

[blackwolf911]

Maybe it's not enough filtration to handle a fish in cycle .. I usually way over filter my tanks.. maybe add more filters till it cycles

 

[KellyQ68]

Maybe it's not enough filtration to handle a fish in cycle .. I usually way over filter my tanks.. maybe add more filters till it cycles

I actually tried that - I have a marineland water polisher that can also be set up with carbon-ammonia filtration. Didn’t seem to help initially, ran for 4 days and didn’t touch the ammonia levels - but I may hook it up again to see if it helps get me over this hump.

I am a strong believer in over filtration, too. And I was a bit worried about the capabilities of this all-in-one system.

 

[blackwolf911]

I actually tried that - I have a marineland water polisher that can also be set up with carbon-ammonia filtration. Didn’t seem to help initially, ran for 4 days and didn’t touch the ammonia levels - but I may hook it up again to see if it helps get me over this hump.

I am a strong believer in over filtration, too. And I was a bit worried about the capabilities of this all-in-one system.

Where are you putting the biofiltration ?? The water has to be going over/through the biofiltration at a certain rate

 

[KellyQ68]

Where are you putting the biofiltration ?? The water has to be going over/through the biofiltration at a certain rate

The main filtration is SeaClear system II built into the tank. Posted a pic earlier of the system - water flows through filter sleeve, through chamber of bio balls (enhanced with airline running to bio ball box), then flows over a tray where I have placed additional media (Fluval bags of carbon, zeocarb, ammonia, and phosphate) then pumps through to the output.

The polisher I am talking about is an additional drop in unit primarily used for polishing but can be set up as additional filtration. It’s a temp unit only.

 

[G.S.P.]

This is my 7th tank set up over 50G and I have never had this happen.

50g SeaClear System II - Set up 6 weeks ago. Added fish 4 week ago.

I have not been doing fishless cycling and so far I have not had any issues - minor short spikes in ammonia and nitrites as they moved through the cycle and done.

However the difference is the tank/filtration system. I normally use Fluval canisters on my 55, 75 and 90’s. So I am leaning toward the system II filtration system being the difference in my cycling.

Last week my ammonia spiked - and spiked - and spiked. I tried everything but when I lost one fish and was making no progress I moved my fish to a QT tank. STILL - ammonia is off the charts.

Using API master freshwater test kit - readings and tap water are not the problem. Accurate readings on all other tanks and tap water levels are not elevated. Zero across the board.

I have tried seeding the tank with substrate from my existing tanks, water changes like crazy, adding bacteria supplements (Colony), and finally today I took it down 50% and added filter media and water from my Fluval 405. I practically starved the fish while they were in there trying to get past the ammo spike and fish have been out of tank for 3 days. No change! Ammonia still off the charts, zero nitrites and nitrates. Just added another dose of Colony because I realized that when the fish were in the tank, the addition of AmmoLock probably rendered the Colony ineffective. Still - I am losing my mind here - why is it stuck and what more can I do to get this thing to cycle?!?

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Sorry to hear about your troubles...I'm in the "start" of my own fish-in cycle and like you have never needed to do things with no fish in...I've always used Seachem Stability and it almost always worked great...I'm on day 8 on my newly acquired 150g and the thing that is worrying my is that I'm still getting zeros across the board...yet, I've done no water changes and haven't cleaned any of the fish waste or excess food off the floor of my sand bed...fish are doing great though and happy as ever...I'm using two Polar Aurora 4 stage 304Bs (SunSun) AND an additional Marineland internal 350 canister which is just doing mechanical...If you are using existing filters, check them out and maybe re-seed new nitrifying bacteria directly on-top of your bio filters....I've reads this really makes a huge difference especially if using Stability and Matrix.

 

[Hari Haran]

You could also try Night Out II, worked for me overnight and ammonia went down in few days.

 

[KellyQ68]

You could also try Night Out II, worked for me overnight and ammonia went down in few days.

Thanks! I almost bought this last night! But I hesitated because I couldn’t remember anyone ever mentioning it before. I’ll have to try it!

So far no progress on the ammonia - I am tempted to tear tank down this weekend and start over - but this time replace those stupid plastic bio balls with ceramic rings!

 

[duanes]

Because cycling a tank is growing a large population of bacteria, it can be affected by many things and sometimes takes the full 6-8 weeks, if not supplied with enough substrate.
How much seasoned media, substrate and rockwork was added?
How long had it seasoned? a few weeks? months are better.
I always have buckets of substrate, old biowheels, and mesh bags of media sitting in sumps waiting to ad to new tanks (sometimes seasoning for years), and lots of rocks and biofilm lined pieces to start the tank. And I do mean buckets (not a small amount like a few handfuls) or a couple drinking glasses of sand. I prefer to overload with biomedia.
If enough biofilm lined surfaces weren't added, and immediately given sufficient food (in the form of ammonia) your cycle may have stalled, and the bacterial population reduced itself, then when you add fish after the die off, couldn't keep up.
Just a theory.