What am i doing wrong ?

[Toby_H]

Yup I saw that chart but question how clearly it’s message is conveyed…

What does “the toxic NH3 level in your tank” mean?

In an 80*F tank with a PH of 7.0 and 8ppm of ammonia it only has a .05 toxic ammonia level.. That doesn’t sound bad at all… but it’s enough to kill most fish…

The short “article” at the top says salmon were dying at .03 toxic ammonia, but it doesn’t suggest if they died in hours, days or weeks at that level…

I’m not suggested those charts are inaccurate… just saying they are not clearly defined… I think it’s interesting to look at, but would have to know a lot more detail about the testing procedure and the conclusions drawn to consider it as a informative tool.

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

My suggestion would be to remove the convicts and place them in the 29 with the pleco and doing a fishless cycle.

This would allow you to ramp up the ammonia to around 4ppm. And when it finally cycles at the 4ppm per day ammonia level it will be ready for a full stocking.

If you continue to cycle with a very very small bio load, the tank will be cycled only enough to handle that bio load. And nothing more.

So when the convict cycle completes and you add more fish or bigger fish, you will have a new cycle all over again. Although it should just be a couple weeks worth of a mini cycle.

I allways like to cycle my tanks with appropriate ammonia levels for the stocking that i plan to have.


Of course if your stocking plans are no bigger a bio load than what the convicts produce then disregaurd.

I also cycle by using safe start by aquasafe along with my fishless cycle. It takes about 5-7 days to complete a full 4ppm daily bio load when using safestart.

 

[Deaths Sting]

My suggestion would be to remove the convicts and place them in the 29 with the pleco and doing a fishless cycle.

This would allow you to ramp up the ammonia to around 4ppm. And when it finally cycles at the 4ppm per day ammonia level it will be ready for a full stocking.

If you continue to cycle with a very very small bio load, the tank will be cycled only enough to handle that bio load. And nothing more.

So when the convict cycle completes and you add more fish or bigger fish, you will have a new cycle all over again. Although it should just be a couple weeks worth of a mini cycle.

I allways like to cycle my tanks with appropriate ammonia levels for the stocking that i plan to have.


Of course if your stocking plans are no bigger a bio load than what the convicts produce then disregaurd.

I also cycle by using safe start by aquasafe along with my fishless cycle. It takes about 5-7 days to complete a full 4ppm daily bio load when using safestart.

+1

i did this for my 56 gallon. works great! also raising the temperature helps bacteria to reproduce faster. 86f worked great for me.

 

[Fishermoe14]

take the filter cartridge from the HOB and shake the crap out of it in the new tank.. all the stuff that flys off will be sucked up by ur new filters and get seeded properly.. i do all my tanks this way and have only had to actually cycle my first tank..

 

[Zander_The_RBP]

My suggestion would be to remove the convicts and place them in the 29 with the pleco and doing a fishless cycle.

This would allow you to ramp up the ammonia to around 4ppm. And when it finally cycles at the 4ppm per day ammonia level it will be ready for a full stocking.

If you continue to cycle with a very very small bio load, the tank will be cycled only enough to handle that bio load. And nothing more.

So when the convict cycle completes and you add more fish or bigger fish, you will have a new cycle all over again. Although it should just be a couple weeks worth of a mini cycle.

I allways like to cycle my tanks with appropriate ammonia levels for the stocking that i plan to have.


Of course if your stocking plans are no bigger a bio load than what the convicts produce then disregaurd.

I also cycle by using safe start by aquasafe along with my fishless cycle. It takes about 5-7 days to complete a full 4ppm daily bio load when using safestart.

i was originaly going to do this but when i went looking for pure ammonia no store around here had it (go figure) thne a few days ago my mom asked my dad if he was going to clean the kitchen floor with ammonia so i ask what kind of ammonia ? pure ammonia ? turns out we had some all along but for me anyway its too late to fishless cycle as im going on vacation starting this weekend and i dont trust my mom dumping ammonia into my tank for the next 2 weeks (i trust her to feed the fish because i know if she dosent they can last a bit without food and if she feeds to much it will help the cycle anyway)

when it cycles im guna take out the convicts and add 6, 1 inch baby piranhas so the bio load shouldnt change much 4, 3inch fish vs 6, 1 inch fish)

if its still not cycled by the time i get back ill fishless cycle it


and fishermoe14 i took your advice and banged out some guck off the cartridge near the intake for my overflow hopefully this will help


EDIT: LMAO one of my convicts has eggs lol i geuss its true they will breed in anything including 2ppm ammonia

 

[tcarswell]

I say move over the bio wheel filter from the 29 gallon. Or see what happens when you get back from vacation. If it is not done yet. Use safe start or stability by seachem they will greatly reduce your cycling time.

 

[Zander_The_RBP]

I say move over the bio wheel filter from the 29 gallon. Or see what happens when you get back from vacation. If it is not done yet. Use safe start or stability by seachem they will greatly reduce your cycling time.

so you think i should move the filter and the pleco over ? (i dont wanna leave him with no filter)

 

[Toby_H]

I have no personal experience using them... but it may be worth adding one of the "instant cycle" additives before going on vacation...

 

[jaytech33]

I am going through the same problem trying to cycle a 600 gal pond. Ammonia has been at 2.0 for four weeks now. No nitrites or nitrates. I went through three bottles of stability and then seeded the filter with media from my other two tanks. I'm going to give it another week and if no change drain the water refill and move my fish and filter to the pond.
The way I see it is if the filter can handle the current bioload then it does not matter how much water you have as long as you don't increase the bioload. In your case i would say move the fish and filter just dont add more fish or start over feeding.

 

[Zander_The_RBP]

k ive decided the move the filter and pleco from the 29 gallon tank over to the 150 hopefully this will help the cycling process in the 150 when its done ill move the filter back to the 29 hopefully when i get back from vacation (late next week) the cycling will be done