Cycling Sadness

[vanalisa]

I have been waiting for my 20g to cycle. All was fine, no ammonia, no nitrite, but my nitrate is stuck at 40ppm. And today I found out that there is now ammonia.

I'm afraid to use ammonia to cycle.
It's just a quirk. ( I'm also afraid to use superglue to attach things. I don't know why). I wish I could get over this hurdle because it's holding me back. I also know it doesn't make sense.

Is there anything else I can do?

I'm really getting super sad as I want to move everyone from the 10g into the 20. And my rainbows need to move into the 10g. I also can't find one of my Male rainbows since yesterday.

I feel like giving everything away.

 

[Salty&Onion]

I'm scared about using anything for some reason.

 

[vanalisa]

I'm scared about using anything for some reason.

Like what do you mean? The same stuff as me??

 

[Naughts]

Move some filter media from your 10g to the 20g. Temporarily move some substrate over for good measure. Ensure both tanks have live plants. Job done, move fish through their tank housing chain!

 

[JuiceBox52]

Dont give up!

 

[Salty&Onion]

Like what do you mean? The same stuff as me??

Yeh, same stuff, I hate and don't like when super glue stick to my hands. Ugh.
I'm also scared of using aquarium heaters after I broke one once and got electrocuted and had several burns on my hand.

 

[vanalisa]

Move some filter media from your 10g to the 20g. Temporarily move some substrate over for good measure. Ensure both tanks have live plants. Job done, move fish through their tank housing chain!

I put filter media in..
2 small cartridges, one medium, and a 2×1×4 inch coarse sponge. All from running tanks.
They weren't in the filters used in the tanks I got them from, but they all were saved in the tank. I can add substrate, though. I'll try that now.

What you are telling me to do has worked every other time, with 5g, 6g, and 10g.

 

[Naughts]

I put filter media in..
2 small cartridges, one medium, and a 2×1×4 inch coarse sponge. All from running tanks.
They weren't in the filters used in the tanks I got them from, but they all were saved in the tank. I can add substrate, though. I'll try that now.

What you are telling me to do has worked every other time, with 5g, 6g, and 10g.

Cool, change some water to get rid of the ammonia then re-test in a couple of days. If you leave it too long without fish the bb wont have a food source and will start dying off.

 

[vanalisa]

Cool, change some water to get rid of the ammonia then re-test in a couple of days. If you leave it too long without fish the bb wont have a food source and will start dying off.

Okay, but it's been forever.
Thank you. I'll put substrate in from 10g. I've been hesitant because I don't want any "pest" snails. My 10g now appears to be pest free. I hate calling them pests, but they are a hermaphroditic nightmare.

 

[Naughts]

I use a mesh bag for the substrate, that might be enough to contain any snails?

 

[vanalisa]

I use a mesh bag for the substrate, that might be enough to contain any snails?

The snails are just about eradicated from the 10g. Plucking them out regularly, and feeding to my Dwarf puffer, and an Assassin snail has done the trick... I hope.

I put the sponge and the medium cartridge in filter media bags.
The thought just occured to me
I didn't put a seeded filter in the actual filter. Just in the tank. Could that be the problem?
I just put the new filter right out of the box.
I will put the substrate in a filter media bag, too. I hope this works.

 

[Naughts]

Yes, that could be the problem. I put the seeded filter media in the filter as BB needs oxygen to survive.

 

[vanalisa]

Okay, so even though I had the nozzle pointed at the bags they weren't getting oxygen?
Hey that makes sense. I run the water above the surface and below. Above with lots of bubbles during g rhe day, and at night I point it under water.

I have a new filter cartridge so I'll put that in a well established tank and put the used one in the actual filter!
Thanks maybe it won't take much longer
Its been a month or more, I finally stopped counting.

Okay, thanks so very much