No Nitrite? 3 Weeks No Cycle?

fatheadminnow

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Why after 3 weeks of cycling a tank is there no sign of nitrite? I have tons of ammonia, and I do water changes everyday. But if there is no sign of nitrite, then wouldn't that mean there are no beneficial bacteria in my tank yet to break down the ammonia? 10 gallon tank, 12 fathead minnows, AquaClear 20 power filter, 1-3 gallon whisper filter, aerator, heater with temp hovering around 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Should I remove the carbon insert from the filter?
 
You definitely should have seen nitrite in 3 weeks. Answers to a few questions would help:

What is the ammonia reading?
Do you have nitrate?
Is carbon the only media you have in your filter (sponges, floss, etc.)?
What is the pH of the tank water?
What chemicals are you using?
 
You definitely should have seen nitrite in 3 weeks. Answers to a few questions would help:

What is the ammonia reading?
Do you have nitrate?
Is carbon the only media you have in your filter (sponges, floss, etc.)?
What is the pH of the tank water?
What chemicals are you using?
I do 50% water changes daily, and my ammonia never gets as low as .50ppm (usually around 1.0ppm)...I know it should be 0 or at least below .25ppm, but this is the best I can do right now. I have a foam insert, carbon insert, and bio-max insert. The pH is hovering right around 7.6, and I use no chemicals. No nitrate either.
 
I guess it's possible the foam insert is some type nitrite/nitrate sponge. that would account for the lack of nitrite and nitrate but not for the fact that you still have ammonia. You say you aren't using any chemicals. Are you using dechlorinator?

For no more fish than you have in the tank, I wouldn't think the ammonia would rise very fast. How often.much do you feed them? It could be that a lot of the ammonia issues is coming from uneaten food. Feeding every other day during cycling is fine, even every third day. Thatkeeps wastte down.
 
I guess it's possible the foam insert is some type nitrite/nitrate sponge. that would account for the lack of nitrite and nitrate but not for the fact that you still have ammonia. You say you aren't using any chemicals. Are you using dechlorinator?

For no more fish than you have in the tank, I wouldn't think the ammonia would rise very fast. How often.much do you feed them? It could be that a lot of the ammonia issues is coming from uneaten food. Feeding every other day during cycling is fine, even every third day. Thatkeeps wastte down.
I feed them once a day, and its not that much, I make sure that all the food is eaten. Also, when I do water changes I use a hose so I do vac the gravel and get all the waste out that way as well. I use no dechlorinator, I was going to pick up some today though; that is if you think I should? I also tested my well water and there is no ammonia present in that.
 
The lack of a dechlorinator is probably the problem. Chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria so your nitrifying bacteria colony is most likely getting wiped out before it can develop.
 
Okay thanks, I will pick up some dechlorinator today then.
 
Is there chlorine in all types of tap/well water? I was told that there was no chlorine in my water, so now I am a little confused? I live in the country so we have our own well; I dont know if this means anything or not when it comes to chlorine? However, is there a way to test if there is chlorine present?
 
If you have well water, then most likely you don't have chlorine in it. There are tests that you can get or you can take it to the fish shop to test. It's possible that there is something else in the water that is causing the problem. Also dechlorinator still isn't a bad idea as they also neutralize heavy metals that can cause issues.
 
Is there chlorine in all types of tap/well water? I was told that there was no chlorine in my water, so now I am a little confused? I live in the country so we have our own well; I dont know if this means anything or not when it comes to chlorine? However, is there a way to test if there is chlorine present?


it had to be treated with somthing to make it safe

get pond declor its the same stuff but cheaper as you use less of it
 
The only water conditioner that the LFS had was API stress coat plus fish and tap water conditioner. Is this any good?
 
This may sound like a stupid question, but when adding water conditioner to a aqurium after doing a water change; do you add the conditioner to the tap water before addng the new water to the tank, or do you add the water first to the tank and then add the conditioner?
 

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