HOB Filters Beginner-ish Cycle question???

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Dairy

Gambusia
MFK Member
Nov 11, 2010
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Central NJ
I have been an aquarium hobbyist for quite a while now... But my biggest problem is, I can't seem to cycle a tank with HOB filters... As a starter I have used Aqueon and Aquaclear filters. I have never cycled them fully (questionable, I'm going to explain more later). To relieve ammonia I just to partial WC since I'm cycling and think that ammonia removers will harm the bacteria. I now have Eheim on my tank and it has fully cycled. I have set up a 20g tank for my mom, about 5 months (?) now and still not fully cycled. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong with the HOB as to why they're not cycling. Some details for my mom's current tank:

- 20g, air pump, gravel, decor plants
- Aquaclear 50 & Aqueon from the kit
- 2 sponges & 1 biofilter on the Aquaclear
- 4 skirt tetras + 1 dwarf gourami
- weekly 30% WC

I think I'm doing something wrong. Parameters:

Ammonia: high, 4ppm+
Nitrite: 0 ppm!!
Nitrate: about 40

I used to follow that partial changes everyday until tank cycles. But, I got so tired after a month and decided to just to it weekly (heard from some other people that sometimes it's maybe better to just leave them undisturbed and besides, I don't live with my mom which makes WC & param checks everyday a pain). I am puzzled as to why I still have high ammonia. Does it mean that the filter can't handle the bioload? Sorry if I sounded unorganized and unclear. Input appreciated. Thanks
 
Don't do water changes when the tank is cycling. The ammonia has to convert to nitrite and then nitrate. Might want to put some fish food in there to really get it going.
If you do water changes, the ammonia is never broken down and the cycle starts all over again.
 
When i just set up the tank i used to do 10% water changes to keep the ammonia level at around 4 ppm. I did that for about a month until i got tired and said oh screw it if the 4 tetras die so be it. So i just do 30% wc then on. It's been about 5 months now but still the same: high ammonia, 0 nitrite, ave nitrate. The presence of nitrate means that it somehow cycled some of the ammonia? Why not all? It's not too much bioload, isnt it? Never got a prob with canister. Thanks for the reply btw
 
Does your water have ammonia in it to begin with?

You may have a cycled tank but every water change introduces a large dose of ammonia that the biofilter may not be able to break down quickly. Also at 4ppm it is a miracle the fish are living.

If you aren't cleaning the filters and killing the bacteria in them they will ultimately cycle. So something else is wrong, especially over 5 months. I cycle tanks in 4 days with Superbac.
 
If you have no nitrites or nitrates and have ammonia readings, the tank is not cycled. Leave it alone for a while. Stop the water changes. You can do that once it's cycled and the nitrates are huge. That's when you do a water change.
Or, go to the LFS and buy that insta-cycle stuff. There are several brands. Like KJB said, it'll cycle your tank in a matter of days. I did it with my African cichlid tank. It was done after like three, but I waited a couple more because I couldn't believe it was done.
If you're not using it, the fish poop and fish food will help the ammonia break down to nitrite, but it will take a few weeks. Can't say it enough: Stop the water changes. Let it sit for a week and check again.The ammonia might actually go up more, but no water changes. Let it sit another week. Check again. Ammonia should start going down. Don't be surprised if those fish die.
In my saltwater tank, it took like 6 weeks to cycle!
 
+1 to stopping the water changes till it completely cycles. Just curious are you using any cleaning products around your tanks? I ask becuz I have numerous customers come into the shop and they have high ammonia with no nitrites in "established tanks". Come to find out they usually have been using windex etc. to clean their tanks and it is getting into their tanks causing the ammonia to spike. Just a thought.
 
To all who say stop the WC, you did notice there are fish in the tank, right?
You are doing something to stop the cycle process.
Whether it is how you service the HOB, overfeeding and not doing a good job of cleaning the tank..whatever the reason.
A with fish cycle is a real bear to do.
WC and dose with Prime( or other) to lower and detoxify the ammonia is all you can do.
Or, pull the fish out.
Even a fishless cycle at a 4ppm ammonia level can get weird.
You can still start converting to nitrites, but at that high a level, you inhibit the nitrite to nitrate process.
Lots of people successfully cycle tanks running HOB.
There is something you are doing that is stalling your cycle.
 
I stopped doing daily water changes and now usually do it weekly. There was a time that I wasn't able to do wc for 3 weeks... It was same scenario still. I did try Tetra Startsafe. I read nitrates but i also still read ammonia. I havent changed the medias, but do rinse them with the tank water from time to time.

Hmmm i think it might be my main water source. I remember few months ago i tested my tap water and it does contain probably a 0.25 ppm ammonia. I use Prime as a dechlorinator. I was at the impression that it also removes(transforms) the ammonia to less harmful ammonia but it never dawned on me to test the water after i treated it. BUT, i have tried using the Aquaclear in a diff tank with a watersource with no ammonia, still same result.. Well that's a diff story though..

These fish are still alive so far after 3 months. The danios i used to cycle died. But the tetras soon after that are still alive...

It's been around 5 months since i've set up the tank. Should i space out my wc more at this point? Should i do it biweekly instead (well i wasnt able to do last week's so it's going to be 2 weeks now anyway)? What can i do about the water source, in a practical way? Thanks guys for your thoughts
 
At this point, I'm not able to really monitor the feeding since it's my mom's and i dont live with her. I did teach her about the 2 minute limit. I'll reinforce the teaching again the next time i visit.

I wonder... For example, when all the kinds of bacteria were established, i wonder which transforms faster? Ammonia to nitrite? Or nitrite to nitrate? I am assuming the conversion happen at the same time and it's just the matter of how long it take them. I ask because i see ammonia and nitrate, but no nitrite.

I appreciate all your thoughts. I have never been successful with HOB's.

Oh, and i'm not using any cleaning products near the tank.
 
apply some stability, its a product from seachem or stress zyme+ from API, both of them work just fine base on my experience. i never cycle my tank the old fashion way.
 
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