Tank not cycling!

[fish 4 life]

Hey guys i just had a few questions about my tank.. I have a 20 gallon tank its been set up for 2 months but i have been having a hard time with my parameters. I had high ammonia for weeks so i got ammonia remover(zeolite the stuff you put in filter) it helped and my ammonia went down to zero but now my nitrite has spiked to 2 ppm and over! I have Ph 8.2, Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite, 2 ppm, Nitrate 5 ppm the temp of the tank is 82F. I have 5 neon tetras and 3 albino tiger barbs in the tank... I am thinking about buying Seachem stability would this help? Should i leave the zeolite in the filter? I do a 25% water change a week with Reverse Osmosis water. My filter is a Aqua Clear 50 HOB. What do you guys think i should do to get my tank going??

all help is appreciated Thanks

 

[TangoWRX]

Your tank will not cycle if you take the ammonia out. The whole point of cycling is for the bacteria to grow colonies by feeding on the amonia. This creates the nitrite which another bacteria feed on to give the final result of nitrate.
When I cycle a tank I have no fish in and create an artificial ammonia source and then leave it.. do nothing apart from have the filter on. I watch the ammonia go down, the nitrite go up and down and when both of zero I only then put fish in and do my first water change.

My biggest tip would be to use no chemicals, and make sure you have little to no fish at the start, then slowly add fish.

 

[fish 4 life]

Your tank will not cycle if you take the ammonia out. The whole point of cycling is for the bacteria to grow colonies by feeding on the amonia. This creates the nitrite which another bacteria feed on to give the final result of nitrate.
When I cycle a tank I have no fish in and create an artificial ammonia source and then leave it.. do nothing apart from have the filter on. I watch the ammonia go down, the nitrite go up and down and when both of zero I only then put fish in and do my first water change.

My biggest tip would be to use no chemicals, and make sure you have little to no fish at the start, then slowly add fish.

But i have nitrates.. So you think i should take the ammonia remover out? Will water changes slow down the cycling?

 

[strollo22]

But i have nitrates.. So you think i should take the ammonia remover out? Will water changes slow down the cycling?

Definitely take ammonia remover out and just use an ammonia/nitrite detoxifier such as seachem prime. I would also up the water changes to a couple times a week just so the fish don't die.


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[fish 4 life]

Definitely take ammonia remover out and just use an ammonia/nitrite detoxifier such as seachem prime. I would also up the water changes to a couple times a week just so the fish don't die.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

My tap water has high ammonia around 1.50 ppm or more! i have tried to use seachem prime to detoxify it but after i put it in it still tests with high ammonia levels...... I have been going to the store to buy reverse osmosis water(which is a pain)