Cycling Question

[SherryRobertson-Graves]

Hi everyone,
 
I have a 5.5 gallon tank that I have been cycling since March 6th and it still has not completed. The nitrites are sky high and have been for weeks. I've tried water changes (sometimes 4 in one day) in order to get the nitrite level down. The very next day, the nitrites are sky high again.
 
Here are the current conditions:
 
Tank Size: 5.5 gallon
Filtered, no carbon (bio-bag only)
Temp: 85 degrees
Air stone added for extra aeration
 
pH: ~7.5
Nitrite: Off the charts - cannot get a proper reading.
Nitrate: Can't get a proper reading because my nitrites are so high
 
When I initially started the cycle, I was told to dose the tank to 4ppm of ammonia daily, which I did. I was then told that 4ppm was too much for a small tank and that I should reduce it to 1ppm, especially if I only planned to stock it with one betta. I have been dosing with 1ppm for the past 3 weeks and the ammonia gets eaten within an hour or two. I am soooooo completely frustrated and am thinking of stopping the cycle and committing to frequent water changes instead.
 
What am I doing wrong? Is there anything I can do to speed this thing along? I'd like to get another tank as well but the thoughts of having to cycle for another 2 months is daunting.
 
 
 
 

 

[StevenF]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first
 
If you look at the cycling instructions on this site (linked above) you willl see that it doesn't say to add ammonia daily.  You are basically overdoing it on ammonia.  You tank mightalready be cycled but with the daily does you cannot see that.  
 
I would recommend drainingthe tank. refilling it and following the instructions linked abve.  If you tank is cycled it will go very quickly.. However with daily doses of aammonia you mighthavekilled off many of the pacteria you want.  if thatis the case it may take a bit more time.

 

[Gruntle]

I agree with StevenF, you've most likely put too much ammonia into the tank. Your ammonia bacteria (which are the first ones to appear) are doing their job in converting the ammonia to nitrite. However the nitrite bacteria take longer to populate and convert the nitrite to nitrate. Without checking I'd suspect you're over 16ppm in nitrite and your cycle will have stalled (this is just supposition, but I think the circumstances you've described point in that direction).
 
Drain the tank and refill. Then add 3ppm ammonia.  Your nitrite will spike to over 5ppm (the highest the test can read).  Then you wait. If you get two consecutive "other day" readings (so checking on day 2 and 4) of 0ppm ammonia, add 1ppm and continue to test every second day (day 6, 8 etc). When your ammonia is less than 0.25ppm and your nitrite is less than 1ppm you can move to daily doses of 3ppm ammonia and daily testing. At this point you'll probably be dosing every second day (dose on day 1, test on day 2, dose on day 3 etc).
 
Be patient here (not like I was) and you should be finished within about a week. Then you can do your water change and add fish (your nitrate will probably be high, so a water change reduces this to a safe level).