New Hobbiest Mom Needs Help!

[BabyMatthew]

Hi folks,
I'm three weeks into the cycling phase (No Fish) and have a reading of 3ppm of ammonia (5 days) and 0 nitrate and 0 nitrites readings. It's been four to five days since I adjusted the ammonia reading because it was too high. I did a 25% water change and in about three days it lowered to 3ppm from 8ppm. Now I consistently get a reading for 3ppm but no nitrates or nitrites. What do I do?
P.s. I also have a live plant in there, which I read helps cycle the ammonia.
Thanks in advance,
Baby Matthew's mom

 

[the_lock_man]

Sometimes, it does take a while to get started, and at the 8ppm you had it at, not a huge amount would have been happening anyway. There's a few things you can do to help things along.
 
1) Make sure the water temperature is around 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit - if it's not, increase the temperature.
 
2) Test your pH. The ideal pH for cycling is around 8.2. If yours is below, say, 7.4 or thereabouts, add bicarbonate of soda (NOT baking powder) little by little until you get to 8.2
 
3) If you know anyone with a tank, see if they will let you have a little of their filter media. Failing that, see if you can beg some from your LFS - even a little bit will kickstart the cycling process.
 
Other than that, keep checking ammonia and nitrite every three days to see if you're getting any ammonia reduction and nitrite increase.

 

[BabyMatthew]

Thank you so much!

 

[Gvilleguy]

BabyMatthew - in the US - Arm & Hammer baking soda from the grocery store is fine for raising pH in a fishless cycle. I have done it many times in the past because my natural pH is 6.0 and so my fishless cycles tend to stall.
 
Have a read through the 'do and do not' list in my signature just in case it gives you any other suggestions you have not already tried.