Cycleing Taking Forever

[Stroker]

I started my 5 gallon on 5-4 and my 20 gallon on 5-12. The 5 gallon has a heater set at 84ish (honestly I just went to check it an it was unplugged but I know this just happened) and a few days after getting amonia level set I saw a drop (I am now thinking it just got mixed good.) The 20 gallon has no heater yet so I know it will take a little longer. Any hows, both tanks are still sitting at what looks to be 5ppm. I am starting to wonder if I am just not getting the match right on the chart since I can never realy find a color it matches 100%. I did go over to my inlaws house and just out of curiosity I took my test kit since he seems to have a lot of fish deaths (at least 1 per month in a 55 gallon, this is excessive right?.) His amonia level was so dark it was almost black and his nitrite was just a little high (.25 ppm.) After seeing this I am wondering if maybe I am not reading the color right and maybe I should add more amonia.

So what gives should I add more or wait longer. I am really thinking about moving the heater to the 20 gallon so I can solve my over crowding problem in my 10 gallon (all my levels are good there though so it may not be too much of a problem but I have had my Clown Loaches for a little over a month now and want to get them into a bigger tank.) My other thought is to take either take the wheel or filter out of the 10 gallon and swap it with the one out of the 10 gallon to give it a boost. It's the same filter so is this a good idea and if so which one?

 

[rdd1952]

What type test kit are you using? If they're strips, they can be terribly inaccurate. If you have a tank already cycled and running, take some of the filter media from it and put in the other filters. You will be introducing bacteria immediately and the cycle should take off. You will need a heater as nitrification slows as temperature drops. Also, what is the pH of your water? Nitrification slows as pH drops too.

 

[Stroker]

What type test kit are you using? If they're strips, they can be terribly inaccurate. If you have a tank already cycled and running, take some of the filter media from it and put in the other filters. You will be introducing bacteria immediately and the cycle should take off. You will need a heater as nitrification slows as temperature drops. Also, what is the pH of your water? Nitrification slows as pH drops too.

I am using an API Fresh water Master Kit which is a vial and drop test kit. The 10 gallon has a ph of 6.8. The 5 gallon I'll say 7.4 and the 20 gallon and my tap water are 7.8. If I understand you corectly I need to put my heater from the 5 gallon to the 20 and swap filter between my 20 and 10 gallon. Correct?

 

[mark.w.jones]

I would add that if you have a friend with a matured stocked tank and he gave you a bit of his filter sponge and other media to add to your filters that will really help kick start things.

 

[rdd1952]

You actually need a heater in all tanks. Cycling will go much faster if you can get the temperature into the upper 80s to low 90s. You don't need to swap filters, just take some of the media (carbon, ceramic rings, whatever it has in it) out of the established filter and add to the new filters so that there is bacteria present.