[HELP] Tank NOT cycling

[timkersh]

I'm not gunna sit on my computer and read through 12 pages of posts. I have a life.

 

[CA-Delta]

We've all got a life friend (be it ever so humble).
This is a "discussion" forum.
In order to contribute effectively to any discussion in life you must know the basis of the discussion.
If you don't have the patience to read the thread of what use to the discussion is your post ?

To the O.P : You're on the right track. Keep it up.

 

[prettykitty]

Uh okay now update:
I am seeing nitrites now

so

ammonia .4 ppm
nitrite 1.0 ppm
nitrate 25ppm
pH 6.8


Should I do a water change?
because I wont be here for 2 days, and if I dont do a water change today it'll be three days, do you think thats ok?

Should I just wait for nitrites to turn into nitrate?

 

[CA-Delta]

Do a w/c. It won't affect the cycle and better safe than sorry.

 

[prettykitty]

Is it really needed? like the levels of ammonia arnt that high, also nitrite is converting to nitrate fast..
I'm only gone for 1 night, the 2 days im there actually, im here tmr morning very early like 4 am before i leave

and i'm back the day after in the evening..

Its very late I gotta go soon, but I could either do a water change now or if i get up extra early tomorrow (4 am) i could do a water change.. lol

 

[ultmt45slay]

Hello monsterfishkeepers forum, a month ago I bought a 125 gallon tank from big al's.. I also bought a marine land c-530 canister filter
In the tank I had 2x red eared sliders.. I ran it for two weeks with the turtles in the tank and 2 bottles of stress zyme, then i put the fish in, fish were mostly tiger barbs and a few other barbs along with some pleco's, I also put a few clown loaches in.

A few weeks later I went to the store for a water test, they said that my ammonia was 4.8 ppm and that was a bit high for the fish, they told me to get ammo chips, they said it won't interfere with the cycle. Along with that I got a bottle of SeaChem Stability ( note at that time it had been 3 weeks and no signs of NITRITE what so ever, just ammonia) After about 5 days using stability and ammo chips, the ammonia level was 4ppm and no nitrite or nitrate. They told me my ammonia was probably high because I have turtles but thats fine because it needs to be a little bit high for the cycle.

The reason my fish are doing so good is because my local water is very soft, thus causing the pH level to be around 6.8 and making the ammonia mostly ammonium which by far harmless than ammonia.

Now, its been a month now i've used countless products and put my time and stuff to do water changes in my tank since they told me they don't know what's going on.
But personally i'm going to ask around first and see why my tank hasn't even gone to the second step of cycling and what i'm doing wrong.



so can someone please help me

okay so here are the water quality things:

nitrate: 0
nitrite : 0
hardness: .8
pH: 6.8
ammonia: 3.9-4.0

what I've done,

25% water changes 2 times every week

2x bottles of stress zyme (followed instructions)
1x BIG bottle of seachem stability (followed instructions for around 7 days now)
marineland c-530 with bio balls and ceramic things..


water clearness: very clear

in the water: 2x red eared sliders

6x tiger barbs
1x barb
1-3x clown loach
2x pleco

2x soaked and boiled for a week drift wood





can some people here tell me what im doing wrong and how can i speed up the cycle seriously it's been a whole month and I spent a lot of money on this I wanna really cycle this thing lol

If this has already been said then never mind, don't do so many water changes, wait for about a week, add water accordingly, then after 2 weeks change 10%.

 

[ultmt45slay]

If this has already been said, then never mind, If not, here's what to do.

1. Lay off on the water change

why you ask, the biological filter needs to build up, it takes time, if you keep adding new water it wont have any time to build up

2. wait for about a week or 2

why, because this is the time needed to build up the biological filter, If yo u don't wait, it wont be able to, also when cleaning filter, only clean the sponge filter after you add any gravel, that may be dusty, it will clear your tank, also try using ick if your tank is foggy, it totally removed the fog on my tank, well hope this helps



Thats the stuff that cleared the fog and helps prevent ICH (Ichthyophthirius)

 

[prettykitty]

ok update back from vacation
the night before vacation I DID the water change, i did a 50% water was real clear the stats BEFORE i did the water change and before i went to vacation:
AMMONIA: .5
nitrite: 1.0
nitrate: 20 ppm

then i went to vacation I didnt have time to post here because it was like 4 am

so today I come back, first thing i notice is
water in aquarium VERY VERY VERY murky, I could hardly see the bottom. possible bacteria bloom?


So then I do a water test:

Ammonia .2
nitrite 0
nitrate 10 ppm
pH 5.2


I was like wow I forgot to add bakin soda
so i did now,
pH is 6.6~ 6.8

but the tank is okay now no nitrites, but very murky water, its not dirty its been like 2 days since my w/c

So what do I do now?

 

[aclockworkorange]

I think a swing in ph that much could be bad for the bacteria.

I would suggest to ease off on the water changes, and dose with prime, you're almost there.

 

[prettykitty]

I think a swing in ph that much could be bad for the bacteria.

I would suggest to ease off on the water changes, and dose with prime, you're almost there.

ok
i'll lay off on w/c
but the tank is very cloudy, its bacteria bloom? :/