YET ANOTHER LONG CYCLE QUESTION

[svtim]

My 265 gal has been cycling for 5 weeks now. My ammonia is 0 and my nitrites have been at .50 for 2 weeks now what is taking so long is there any thing i can do to speed it up. the process was as follows. 2days no fish fill add substrate (sand,river rock and driftwood) add prime and fish(4 MED 4inch tinfoil barbs). I feed them twice a day and i just did a 25percent water change 2 days ago. I have a new fx5 with 2 baskets full of eheim and fluval media plus two power heads with established foam filters on them plus i have been floating 2 emperor 400 bio wheels. temp is 76 and ph is 7.6 im going crazy please help i have 5 babies red sholder severums waitin

 

[svtim]

bump any one have ne thing

 

[Eleven Bravo]

add more fishes, do you have any old filters? or you can get some water from someone or lfs.

 

[crisper]

My aproach to setting up a new tank has always been simple. Run the filters you will use on your new tank on a already established tank. Let these seed for about 1 month. Take large amount of substrate from your established tank and add to your new tank. Also take water from established tank and it to your new tank. Try for about 50%. Fill the rest treat with prime. Let filters run for 24 hours. Then test water. You should be good to go.

 

[Guapote]

My theory is a bit different.

When you add fresh water, treat it BEFORE you put it in the tank.

My premise is that tap water has chlorine in it. Chlorine kills bacteria. If you treat the water before you put it in the tank, more bacteria will survive the water change.

I would:
1) Raise the temp to 80 or so
2) Add more fish

My .02 cents

 

[svtim]

Well, I have no spare filters and I need this one on this tank. So I'll try raising the temp and maybe adding more fish, AND be a bit more patient

 

[flopping flamingos]

Patience Grasshopper... A watched pot never boils.

 

[angelfish21473]

Add Cycle to the aquarium this will promote the biological system quicker be sure to have plenty of air in the aquarium.

 

[johnptc]

nitrite cycle takes a while .... dont change water it lowers the nitrite level which is the food for the BB.

 

[Potts050]

My aproach to setting up a new tank has always been simple. Run the filters you will use on your new tank on a already established tank. Let these seed for about 1 month. Take large amount of substrate from your established tank and add to your new tank. Also take water from established tank and it to your new tank. Try for about 50%. Fill the rest treat with prime. Let filters run for 24 hours. Then test water. You should be good to go.