10g Aquarium won't cycle been 3+ months!

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krpott

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Dec 10, 2009
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I have had my aquarium since August and my ammonia levels won't go down. I have stopped doing water changes because I don't want to remove beneficial bacteria.

I did what everyone else does when they first start an aquarium and I bought fish without knowing anything about the nitrogen cycle. Now I think I get it. But, I've gone through two bottles of beneficial bacteria and my ammonia levels wont go down.

Contents of tank:
10 gallons
sword plant, java fern, java moss, and some other plant
2-3 inches of gravel
heater,C02 generator, bubble stick, hang on back filter,
male guppy, female guppy, 2 small danios, and a molly fry

Test readings as of yesterday:
8+ ppm Ammonia
.25 ppm Nitrite
6 pH
20 nitrates

I don't know what to do, the ammonia has been this high for about a month now.
 

NeonFlux

Water agent
Oct 16, 2005
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Just instant-cycle the tank, ask for some beneficial bacteria from fish shops. Will save you a lot of hassle..
 

Gold Fin

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Dec 4, 2009
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I just went through starting a new 10 gallon aquarium. I think I can help you some. The experts will need to jump in on what I am missing or, don't explain correctly. It appears you need help immediately, so I am going to post, regardless of the fact that I don't know what they do.

First off, do some water change, immediately. Your ammonia, nitrites and the resulting nitrates, are all way, way too high. I got a similar ammonia spike, and I ended up changing all the water in the aquarium but not in my filter to get the spike down to where it was not going to damage the fish's gills or kill my fish. I tested my water two and three times a day after that. I would also immediately get an airstone or bubble source to add oxygen to your water.

The fact that you have nitrates, means you have some bacteria that is active. I am sure there is not bacteria enough to handle the ammonia and nitrite load, however.

I suspect you are overfeeding or have another source of the above contaminates. Something is making all that ammonia and nitrites, and I don't think it is all coming from the fish.

Now, I had a cheap resin item in my aquarium... and I suspect it was the source for some of my ammonia and nitrates. I can't prove it... and I could be wrong, but when I removed it, the contaminates dropped. I rinsed it well, and scrubbed it too, but when I tipped it over after cleaning it thoroughly, and smelled the inside, it still reeked of chemicals... plastic chemicals. I will never use a product like it again. It is all natural for me from now on. I know it is better for the fish, the same as it would be better for us not to have to smell that awful odor.

Do not clean your filter in anything but used aquarium water. Doing so kills the bacteria. Unless your filter quits putting out water, I would not clean it until your aquarium starts cycling more and handling the ammonia and nitrites.

A load of nitrates also means you need to change some water. It is basically fertilizer, and you would not want to live in a room full of fertilizer either. It would not be healthy for you... as it is not healthy for your fish.

As to how much water to change... I would do one change of approximately 50%. Then test your water again. If it is still above .25 on either ammonia or nitrites, I would again remove and replace water until you get both back down to .25 or below. You need some ammonia and nitrites to get the bacteria count up.

If you have a friend with an aquarium that is cycling, and you know his tank is disease free, you could get some water from out of his filter, and add it into your filter. That will add more bacteria. REMEMBER... contact with fresh water by rinsing, will kill the bacteria. I believe it has to do more with temperatures than being fresh water. Also, chlorine and the newer chlorine substitute will kill bacteria. That is the purpose of it in our drinking water.

I kept the ammonia and nitrite level at or below .25 while starting up my 10 gallon. It took over three weeks, but it is now holding its own. <phew> I thought I was never going to quit hauling water. I was doing so EVERY DAY.

Gold Fin
 

Juice

KillaOJ
Jan 4, 2009
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My 12g also took a while to cycle. It was a very frustrating and tedious process with all the water changes and constant water readings!!! I started my tank in Jan. of this year and it took until JUNE for it to cycle properly! I also used the bottled bacteria but that really had no effect, possibly because I got a bad batch-I'm not sure. I'd just keep up with those water changes especially since you got some fish already in there and invest in a big bottle of prime if you haven't already. Also I found that the particular gravel I was using in my tank was doing some funky stuff to my water so I had to remove and switch to a different kind. Good luck & hang in there!
 

Brian Bivens

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Jun 8, 2007
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leave the tank alone, don't add anything living to the tank at all, and be patient. Do 10-25% weekly water changes, and the tank will cycle. Also use Prime as your water conditioner.

Getting some gravel from your LFS will help too, but you may get some disease too.

You have tough fish in there, so they may even survive!
 

krpott

AC Members
Dec 10, 2009
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thank you all. I have been using a beneficial bacteria supplement, using water conditioner in the replacement water, and only ever rinsing off filter media with old tank water. I guess I will just get more beneficial bacteria and make small water changes weekly and hopefully my fish wont die. I'm surprised they aren't dead already..... I mean 8ppm of ammonia...yikes
 

tanker

Josh Holloway--Be mine!!!
Sep 1, 2003
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Are you sure your test kit is good???

Ask a fellow hobbiest for a "filter-squeeze" or some gravel from an estabished tank.
 

KarlTh

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Feb 15, 2008
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10-25% water changes will have almost no effect on the ammonia levels; it's simple mathematics. The reason for the problem is the pH - it's too low for the bacteria to efficiently multiply. Do not suddenly raise it; with 8ppm ammonia a pH of 7 would be almost instant death for the fish.

Get a KH test kit. You'll probably find KH is very low. Then do a series of water changes to get the ammonia down to 0.25 ppm or less. Ignore anyone telling you water changes will slow the cycle; it's an old myth.

Once it's down, you can then start to raise the KH using sodium bicarb. When it gets to around 4 degrees, the pH will have risen above 7 and the bacterial inhibition will be much reduced. Keep KH at 4 degrees during the cycling process and you'll be done in a couple of weeks or so.
 

MGDMIRAGE

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Nov 29, 2009
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Spokane, Washington
I would take your fish back, you have stunted your cycle with too much of a load. Best method is one already described. Go to LFS or someone else who has a tank and get some gunk out of their filter and put it into your tank and from there it should move along quite quick. When i cycle my tanks i usually use fish food with no fish in the tank. In 2 to 4 weeks you should be good enough to gradually add fish to the system one at a time preferably giving the bacteria time to adjust to the new load.
 

djfsolo

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Nov 2, 2009
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All good info: also:

by doing water changes, you are not removing bacteria- they reside in the filter, gravel, decorations- change the water immediately, as this is the only way to remove nitrite and ammonia.
 
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