Cycling This Tank Is A Nightmare!

[Paradise3]

My Girlfriend has got a 2ft tank to set up for an Axolotl but she has been cycling for 2 months now and still has a NO2(Nitrite) reading of 1.6mg/l. Unfortunately she can't get an Ammonia test to test her Ammonia but she has an NO2 test and it's just coming back as 1.6mg/l. It's a Tetra Test Kit with PH, NO2, GH and KH tests in it. This is the only bulk test available to her currently and she can't afford to buy big expensive test kits right now.

Her full stats are;
PH - 7.5
NO2 - 1.6mg/l
GH - Unknown as neither of us is sure how to test that and the book doesn't help so any advice is welcomed.
KH - 3-4

Should I tell her to do a full clean out or do a large water change as she is doing 25% W/C every day. The fish she is cycling it with, just a comet goldfish which has a permanent home when she's finished with it, get's fed 4 flakes of food a day so she isn't over feeding as he is a good 2-3" long.

Any suggestions? I did tell her not to fish-in cycle but she thought it would be quicker... Oh and she has loads of cabomba in there which is growing like crazy and even budding.

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Could you not have given her some mature media from your tank?

Also what do you plan on doing with the goldfish once it has cycled?

Havnt you got a test kit that he can use, I'm a little confused, you have been on this site a while, so you should have the above, unless I'm missing something.

 

[Paradise3]

Could you not have given her some mature media from your tank?

Also what do you plan on doing with the goldfish once it has cycled?

Havnt you got a test kit that he can use, I'm a little confused, you have been on this site a while, so you should have the above, unless I'm missing something.

I currently don't have a test kit of my own... I am having to borrow my neighbours but she won't lend it to anyone else. The goldfish is going to a friends pond. I don't have much media in my tanks, it's barely enough to keep up with my filters as it doesn't fill the compartments because of how many neighbours I've lent it too and they haven't given it back when they've finished with it.

 

[waterdrop]

If she is using good technique (conditioner and rough temperature matching) then that part is good. Fish-in cycles are undesirable in many ways and all cycles can be surprisingly unpredictable.

If the nitrite(NO2) kit is working correctly then it is calling for larger water changes than the 25%. Moving to 50% changes might show an immediate difference. Goldfish are vegetarians and all that cabomba could be providing the fish with enough food to to produce a pretty high waste concentration for that tank.

She shouldn't need to start over. The fish-in cycle should eventually work. Clearly your main focus now should be helping her figure out the finances for a decent set of ammonia and nitrite liquid based test kits. Any job is hard when you're flying blind without the proper tools.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Paradise3]

She can't get an Ammonia test as there are no shops round here with any in stock... The place she works at deals with fish but they never stock Ammonia tests.
I can't help out with buying them as I have no money.

 

[Paradise3]

This mornings Tests. PH and NO2.

PH.

I know the PH isn't at 9 but that's the only place I could put it too get a good picture... It's at about 7.5.
NO2.

This I'm worried about as she did a 70% W/C last night and got it too 0mg/l. Now it's at this again and it will be higher later.

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Do another 70% water change, and if you only have nitrites to go on, then you will have to be blind with that. However chances are you may well have very little if any ammonia, as the nitrites are rising quickly.

Just do large water changes daily and observe the fish, if they are gasping at the surface, or breathing heavily and they are lethargic, do another 70-90% water change.

Cycling a tank could take up to 3 months. Hang in there, it won't take much longer.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with SABF, if the nitrite comes right back that just means the next big water change (with good technique) is in order. Fish-In Cycling Situations are nothing if not very hard work!

At least the quick return and high levels of nitrite tell you that the cycle is probably in the "nitrite spike" stage and thus pretty far along in the overall process. In a sense it is better news than if you just couldn't seem to get the right sort of bacteria started - here you know you've got plenty of A-Bacs pumping out nitrite.

Incidently, the water changes are not only important for the fish (indeed, life and death from the fish's standpoint) but are also important for the bacteria and the speed of the cycle. Both A-Bacs and N-Bacs don't do as well in overly high concentrations of nitrite and nitrate so the water changes will be keeping the process more optimal.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Paradise3]

Well, the NO2 has neither Risen nor Fallen since this mornings test. It's Exactly the same.