My tank isn't cycled after 10 weeks! Hoping someone might have ideas.
Details as follows:
In-tank cycling (unfortunately unavoidable- fish inherited from elderly lady who died - tank far too small & fish suffering nitrate poisoning)
Current tank - 160L tank
4 goldfish 2 - 4" (2 sadly died when I went away for couple days even though I left detailed instructions for care) + 1 bristlenose Pleco
Temp 24 degrees Celsius
Fluval 207 filter with filter media it came with, output breaking surface water/creating bubbles, plus Matrix on top of gravel at bottom of tank. Fluval received one light clean.
Water changes daily to weekly depending on what's needed to keep fish alive/unstressed
Products used: Seachem Stability, Ammguard, Prime. API pH Up if pH drops to 6
Typical day goes like this:
Ammonia - between 2.0ppm and 8.0ppm but kept bound at 0ppm (as per Seachem ammonia tests)
Nitrite - 0ppm (never raises)
Nitrate - 5.0ppm (fairly consistent)
Natural water pH around 6.8, but consistently crashing to 6.0.
Hardness not known
Food: goldfish pellets consumed within 30 secs once per day, plus one algae wafer per day for Pleco
Live plants removed while cycling as being eaten in excess and affecting water parameters
To keep fish safe, the following is working: AM Prime 5ml, PM Ammguard 5ml plus pH Up 4.7ml or less as needed about an hour later. Stability as per directions.
I literally can't go away anywhere overnight for fear of the fish dying while I'm away!
Ideas would be most appreciated
Details as follows:
In-tank cycling (unfortunately unavoidable- fish inherited from elderly lady who died - tank far too small & fish suffering nitrate poisoning)
Current tank - 160L tank
4 goldfish 2 - 4" (2 sadly died when I went away for couple days even though I left detailed instructions for care) + 1 bristlenose Pleco
Temp 24 degrees Celsius
Fluval 207 filter with filter media it came with, output breaking surface water/creating bubbles, plus Matrix on top of gravel at bottom of tank. Fluval received one light clean.
Water changes daily to weekly depending on what's needed to keep fish alive/unstressed
Products used: Seachem Stability, Ammguard, Prime. API pH Up if pH drops to 6
Typical day goes like this:
Ammonia - between 2.0ppm and 8.0ppm but kept bound at 0ppm (as per Seachem ammonia tests)
Nitrite - 0ppm (never raises)
Nitrate - 5.0ppm (fairly consistent)
Natural water pH around 6.8, but consistently crashing to 6.0.
Hardness not known
Food: goldfish pellets consumed within 30 secs once per day, plus one algae wafer per day for Pleco
Live plants removed while cycling as being eaten in excess and affecting water parameters
To keep fish safe, the following is working: AM Prime 5ml, PM Ammguard 5ml plus pH Up 4.7ml or less as needed about an hour later. Stability as per directions.
I literally can't go away anywhere overnight for fear of the fish dying while I'm away!
Ideas would be most appreciated
