Cycleing

[BigIan]

i think my cycle has stopped...

My stats have barely moved for the past week or so, I`ve not added anything to the tank other than a few plants from an already established tank, (thinking this would speed the cycle up)

The tank`s been cycleing for 3 weeks now, an the stats are...

Amonia = 1.5ppm

NitrIte =0.75 ppm

Nitrate = 7

Ph = 6.2

I was suffering heavily from alge up untill a couple of days ago but that also seems to be dieing back

 

[Themuleous]

If you've got NH4 and NO3 readings above 0 then the tank is still cycling. These will be 0 in a 'mature' tank.

 

[BigIan]

I know... the readings ahve been the same for the last week or so now. i was wondering why as surely as the cycle progresses and i keep doseing with amonia then the readings will spike and die away faster and faster???

however everything has ground to a halt...

 

[Squid]

Mine halted once or twice..

I was given a couple of possible reasons for it..

1st was the KH had gone right down causing the PH to crash, the 2nd was that excess nitrates can cause PH problems.. I cannot say for sure which if these was correct, or if indeed any of them were..

BUT.. i did check my PH to see that it was 6 point not a lot.. and its normally high 7's. So.. i did a 50% water change or so, and this seemed to kick start the cycle back into action. (remembering to top up the ammonia)

What is your normal PH from your tapwater... ?

Well its worth a look at.. considering you have no fish in it, and the bacteria is in the filter, then it surely cant do any harm to try it..

Hope this helps... perhaps someone else could validate this. However it worked for me. so im speaking from experience and not theory..

Squid

 

[BigIan]

normal tap water is 7.2 the ph went down when i added my mopannii... so i`m thinking it could well be the low ph... i`ll give the tank a 50% water change this weekend and see if that helps


thanks alot squid

 

[BigIan]

Did a water change this afternoon, Amonia has been dosed up to 5 ppm, nitrIte is now at 0.25 ppm, nitrAte is at 5 ppm.

Plus i`ve just raided a fluval 4 out of my mates tank to aid with the cycle,

As surely putting a mature filter in my tank for a month or two will help to mature my filter???