Fish in cycle going on 2 months

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tallentemma

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I'll just jump right in and say that I've been doing an emergency fish in cycle for 2 mo this now and nothing has changed with readings. This is a 20 gallon fancy goldfish tank with a hang on back filter and sponge filter. I do water changes everyday to make sure my fish doesnt get harmed anymore than it already has but ammonia is still present every single morning. The readings are usually the following before doing daily water change:

Ammonia: 0.5-0.10
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates:0.0-0.5

This is just the general range. I've been feeding my fish 2 maybe 3 small feedings every week.

Is this normal?? Will my fish be okay?? He does do bottom sitting here and there but not as much as he used to. I also double dose seachem prime every water change to make sure he doesn't get hurt from the ammonia. I just want to make sure I'm doing everything okay and maybe get some new pointers or suggestions on how I can do better for my fish.

Thanks! Any replies will be much appreciated
 
No live plants. Just some sand substrate. I make sure to clean it as well if I see any poop. Maybe I clean the substrate too much??? I do find myself sifting through it every water change.
 
I would recommend that you get some live plants. Vallisneria and Ludwigia are good choices for goldfish.
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely try to get my hands on one of those two. I did try duckweed but, of course, he gobbled them up.
 
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely try to get my hands on one of those two. I did try duckweed but, of course, he gobbled them up.
These plants are a lot tougher. If you want to discourage your goldfish from eating plant, give them an algae disc to chew on.
 
Oooh, okay. I shall also try to fetch some of those! Thanks a bunch
Depending on the size of your aquarium i personally would recommend using a canister filter that is a little bit over than what you need. So if your tank says you will be ok with say a fluval 207 then I would go with the 307. Goldfish produce a lot of waste and in many ways are harder to keep than tropical fish in this respect . I think what you’re seeing is your filter setup struggling to keep up with the bioload of the fish. Hob filters are ok but I personally wouldn’t use these with large messy fish and sponge filters will only process particles that correspond with the foam being used . So if you have a fine foam it will not be very effective. I personally would upgrade the filtration to a canister filter and I think this will solve your problem.
 
Depending on the size of your aquarium i personally would recommend using a canister filter that is a little bit over than what you need. So if your tank says you will be ok with say a fluval 207 then I would go with the 307. Goldfish produce a lot of waste and in many ways are harder to keep than tropical fish in this respect . I think what you’re seeing is your filter setup struggling to keep up with the bioload of the fish. Hob filters are ok but I personally wouldn’t use these with large messy fish and sponge filters will only process particles that correspond with the foam being used . So if you have a fine foam it will not be very effective. I personally would upgrade the filtration to a canister filter and I think this will solve your problem.
Thanks for the response! I was actually looking into canister filters today! It was just a thought that had crossed my mind but I wouldn't mind giving that a go. My tank is a 20 gallon, do you think if I got a canister filter for a 50 gallon that that would do the trick??
 
Thanks for the response! I was actually looking into canister filters today! It was just a thought that had crossed my mind but I wouldn't mind giving that a go. My tank is a 20 gallon, do you think if I got a canister filter for a 50 gallon that that would do the trick??
I think it might be a bit overkill but I don’t know the filter you’re talking about. A lot of canister filters have a flow control so if it has you should be able to reduce the flow. I have a fluval 307 on a thirty gallon and I could of probably got away with a 207 but the advantages are that your tank will be extra filtered and you will be able to have a higher stocking of fish. You should ideally be filtering your tanks whole contents four to five times per hour so look on the information where it says how many litres per hour it filters but then choose the next size up as you’ve got to take the filter media into account which is reducing your flow also. A fluval 207 would be a good match for your aquarium. If you do get a canister filter which is only my suggestion as other people will have other views , make sure you transfer your old media from your hob filter into it or keep them running side by side for around a month to give your new filter time to colonise beneficial bacteria.
 
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What sort of filter do you have and what filter media/ materials are in it?
If you have Ammonia adsorbing granules in the filter it will stop the bacteria developing.

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How often are you cleaning the filter and how do you clean it?
You don't want to clean a new filter until it has been cycled and then wait a couple more weeks.

When you do clean a power filter, wash the filter media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn/ garden.
 
What sort of filter do you have and what filter media/ materials are in it?
If you have Ammonia adsorbing granules in the filter it will stop the bacteria developing.

------------------------
How often are you cleaning the filter and how do you clean it?
You don't want to clean a new filter until it has been cycled and then wait a couple more weeks.

When you do clean a power filter, wash the filter media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn/ garden.
Hey! Thanks for the response. I never did clean the HOB except to change out the polyfil when it got really nasty. I did clean the tubing out once because it was really nasty but I only touched the tubing. I made sure not to clean it out with tap water and tank water only.
 
What sort of filter do you have and what filter media/ materials are in it?
If you have Ammonia adsorbing granules in the filter it will stop the bacteria developing.

------------------------
How often are you cleaning the filter and how do you clean it?
You don't want to clean a new filter until it has been cycled and then wait a couple more weeks.

When you do clean a power filter, wash the filter media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn/ garden.
Also I had ceramic media and a sponge in the HOB.
 
I think it might be a bit overkill but I don’t know the filter you’re talking about. A lot of canister filters have a flow control so if it has you should be able to reduce the flow. I have a fluval 307 on a thirty gallon and I could of probably got away with a 207 but the advantages are that your tank will be extra filtered and you will be able to have a higher stocking of fish. You should ideally be filtering your tanks whole contents four to five times per hour so look on the information where it says how many litres per hour it filters but then choose the next size up as you’ve got to take the filter media into account which is reducing your flow also. A fluval 207 would be a good match for your aquarium. If you do get a canister filter which is only my suggestion as other people will have other views , make sure you transfer your old media from your hob filter into it or keep them running side by side for around a month to give your new filter time to colonise beneficial bacteria.
Thank a lot for the recommendations, I just got the fluval 207 today! Hopefully that will do the trick. I dumped all my old media in it so I'll be sure not to touch/wash anything within a month or two
 
Thank a lot for the recommendations, I just got the fluval 207 today! Hopefully that will do the trick. I dumped all my old media in it so I'll be sure not to touch/wash anything within a month or two
You’re very welcome , they are really good filters I really love fluval. You should see a massive difference with your tank in the coming months with water quality . Let us know how things go please.
 

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