Fishless Cycle

[railer20]

Do you know if your municipal water supply uses chlorine or chloramine for a disinfectant?

Chloramine breaks down into ammonia when you use your dechlorinator product. What I'm getting at is, you are getting too much ammonia into that tank.

I know it's a pain, but I would do more like 80-90% water changes and would do another one or two and then measure.

Hopefully you have your tank in a spot where water changes are easy, or use a python water changer.

FWIW, once you run out of your dechlorinator product, get Seachem Prime, or Seachem Safe, the granular form. It's more expensive, but it's a better product and you use less of it per water change.

I don’t know if they use chloramines. I wonder if I could call and ask. When I dose my API tap water conditioner Inuse the dosage for chloramines if that makes a difference (5mL per 30 vs 1mL per 20 gal).

I use an Aqueon water changer. I think it is similar to the python, maybe not quite as good but it works. I will do another change in the morning.

 

[railer20]

Not sure if it matters but here is a picture of the tank

 

[FreshyFresh]

You should have the means to look up the water chemistry reports for your area. This will tell you if chlorine or chloramine is used. Some more rural areas will have nitrates right out of the tap (yuck).

 

[FreshyFresh]

That's a nice looking setup! That's great you have that aqueon water changer as well. That will make life so much easier than doing it by buckets.

I really think a few more large water changes and you will be in business.

 

[railer20]

Here is my city 2020 water quality report.

 

[railer20]

That's a nice looking setup! That's great you have that aqueon water changer as well. That will make life so much easier than doing it by buckets.

I really think a few more large water changes and you will be in business.

After another 80% change this morning T TwoTankAmin FreshyFresh

 

[the loach]

The report doesn't mention iron, but that can cause false readings. Have you tested your tap water to verify? Do you have any rocks or substrate that hold iron?

 

[railer20]

The report doesn't mention iron, but that can cause false readings. Have you tested your tap water to verify? Do you have any rocks or substrate that hold iron?

not sure how to test for that?

 

[FreshyFresh]

It's odd to me you've been at this fishless cycle for this long and you're still showing all 3 components you're testing for. Generally, if you see an on scale amount of nitrate, you shouldn't see nitrite or ammonia. Again, I know water changes are a pain, but I think you have to keep at it, or add nothing to the tank and keep measuring daily.

Are you still adding things to the tank? I didn't mention it earlier, but don't add any ammonia source. Nothing but fresh, dechlorinated water at this point.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The Fritz is actually ammonium chloride. That is good for cycling. However, I do not agree with their dosing. There is never a need to dose beyond 3 ppm. You need a copy of my fishless cycling article. If you follow it you will get your tank cycled with few of no issues at all and do so in the time frame I mentioned. You should go faster as you are part way there.