Fishless Cycle - Not Going Too Well!

[mcfc4eva]

I am attempting to revive an old tank I had. It used to house some coldwater fish, I now plan on using it as a small tropical aquarium. It's about 40L to 45L.

So about 10 days ago I scrubbed it clean under warm water and bought all new substrate filter and decorations (no live plants, yet). I rinsed all the decorations and substrate thoroughly and rinsed the filter and it's media as per the instructions. (FYI the filter is a Fluval U2. I then went to treat the tap water with the API Tropical Startup Pack, which I'm now starting to think I may have been too generous with both the Stress Zyme+ and the Stress Coat+. I also added some (about 3 or 4) flakes of fish food, as I've read this can help speed up a fishless cycle.

As I recall it, the first day or two, the tank looked perfectly clear, the next day I woke up to a rather cloudy tank! After doing a little research I came to the conclusion it was the result of a bacterial bloom. After around 2 days, I started noticing the cloudiness was gradually reducing. It was at this point I introduced the aquarium heater (Interpet Delta Therm 50W). For the next 2 days the cloudiness continued to reduce, but very slowly, so I paid a visit to my local fish shop, which has a good reputation. I explained the problem and he recommended Interpet Filter Aid and said it should clear up the problem almost immediately, if not within a few hours. I found a few reviews online for the product and they were all really good and matched what he said. I bought it, applied it to the tank as per the instructions and waited around 24 hours, and there was little to no difference.

At this point I decided to do a 20% to 25% water change using a syphon to also clear any bits of fish food left in the gravel - at this point I noticed quite a lot of small "clumps" of something. I am assuming, these clumps where the result of the filter aid working (but not working enough)?

Anyway, with the water partially changed and treated with ONLY Stress Coat+ this time, there where quite a few of the clumps still floating around which must have either been sorted by the filter or settled again to the gravel. The instructions on the Stress Zyme+ says to add it to the water again on the 7th and 14th day of a new tank - but I thought if there is a bloom of bacteria then adding MORE bacteria won't exactly help, so I left it.

So since doing the partial water change 3 days ago, the water has been getting more cloudy every day and today it is pretty bad - I can barely see the ornaments inside!

Am I correctly diagnosing it as a bacterial bloom, or is it something else?
What did I do wrong?
What should I do next?
If I start a fresh, will the same happen again?

Sorry for the long post, but I thought I would try and give as much details as possible and not leave anything out!

Thanks for any help in advance,
--Mike

 

[mcfc4eva]

Forgot to say -

I was going to get an API Freshwater Master Test Kit from my local fish shop to see what was going on, chemically. The owner told me that although the product is great, it wouldn't really show anything up in this situation as there are no fish in the aquarium. Is this true? I didn't buy it then because of what he said but I have, since then, bought it online - I'm just awaiting delivery.

 

[Squidward]

Forgot to say -

I was going to get an API Freshwater Master Test Kit from my local fish shop to see what was going on, chemically. The owner told me that although the product is great, it wouldn't really show anything up in this situation as there are no fish in the aquarium. Is this true? I didn't buy it then because of what he said but I have, since then, bought it online - I'm just awaiting delivery.

Not true.
If you have put some fish food in your tank, it will be rotting and producing ammonia.

I think you just have to be patient. These things all take time.

 

[mcfc4eva]

Forgot to say -

I was going to get an API Freshwater Master Test Kit from my local fish shop to see what was going on, chemically. The owner told me that although the product is great, it wouldn't really show anything up in this situation as there are no fish in the aquarium. Is this true? I didn't buy it then because of what he said but I have, since then, bought it online - I'm just awaiting delivery.

Not true.
If you have put some fish food in your tank, it will be rotting and producing ammonia.

I think you just have to be patient. These things all take time.

Thanks Squidward, got a few questions though lol.

Any idea how long it will take to clear up and will it clear up completely to crystal clear water?
Should I do any maintenance or water changes whilst I am waiting for it to clear up?
Any idea why the filter aid didn't work, despite a fair amount of online reviews stating it worked for them?

Thanks,
--Mike

 

[Squidward]

Mike,

Everyone's situation is different. So it's hard to give you exact answers.
I have never used the products that you have (except the API Test kit), so I can't comment from personal experience.
No idea why the filter aid didn't work, or any of the other products you have used. As I said, everyone's situation is different.
I wouldn't do too many water changes, in a way it defeats the purpose of building up the ammonia which will get the bacteria started.

If I was you, I would formulate one plan of action, and stick to it. There are various methods to use, no right or wrong. And if you are new to fish keeping, it could get confusing listening to different pieces of advice. And would get counter-productive if you keep changing things.

One thing I would say, is are you able (from you lfs or another fish keeper) to get some filter media or some gunk squeezings from it?
Put that in your filter and it will speed things up considerably.

 

[XeroTolerance]

I would continue with the cycle normally. By the time its over your tank should be clear. If its not you need to do a large 90% water change anyway. Since there is no fish in your tank there is really no problem besides the presentation of the tank in its current state.

 

[librarygirl]

I wouldnt' worry about the cloudiness and I'd stop adding all those chemicals. Other than it being unsightly there's no reason now to worry about the cloudiness and it should clear itself as the cycle progresses. Good ordering the API kit, you'll need it to keep testing your water for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and PH during the cycle. What are you dosing ammonia with? I'd highy suggest using pure ammonia since it's easy to control and measure, but you need an ammonia source to start the cycling process. Good luck!

 

[XeroTolerance]

I wouldnt' worry about the cloudiness and I'd stop adding all those chemicals. Other than it being unsightly there's no reason now to worry about the cloudiness and it should clear itself as the cycle progresses. Good ordering the API kit, you'll need it to keep testing your water for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and PH during the cycle. What are you dosing ammonia with? I'd highy suggest using pure ammonia since it's easy to control and measure, but you need an ammonia source to start the cycling process. Good luck!

+1

 

[mcfc4eva]

I would continue with the cycle normally. By the time its over your tank should be clear. If its not you need to do a large 90% water change anyway. Since there is no fish in your tank there is really no problem besides the presentation of the tank in its current state.

How long would a cycle normally take for my size tank?

I just took a look at your thread of your fishless cycle - I wish my water was that clear! It's in my bedroom and it's so unsightly.

 

[Tizer]

I would continue with the cycle normally. By the time its over your tank should be clear. If its not you need to do a large 90% water change anyway. Since there is no fish in your tank there is really no problem besides the presentation of the tank in its current state.

How long would a cycle normally take for my size tank?

I just took a look at your thread of your fishless cycle - I wish my water was that clear! It's in my bedroom and it's so unsightly.

tank size doesnt really come into it, most fishless cycles take around 5 weeks from what i've seen, obviously some take longer some shorter, you cant force nature to do its work.

 

[mcfc4eva]

Maybe I'll start again and go for a Cycle WITH fish! Any tips?

 

[XeroTolerance]

I have one. Check the fish-in cycle thread.

Just kidding. Do water changes whenever ammonia or nitrite gets over .25ppm.

 

[mcfc4eva]

I have one. Check the fish-in cycle thread.

Just kidding. Do water changes whenever ammonia or nitrite gets over .25ppm.

Thanks. On a serious note - is there a 'fish-in cycle' thread? I did try looking but couldn't find anything. Perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough

 

[XeroTolerance]

I have one. Check the fish-in cycle thread.

Just kidding. Do water changes whenever ammonia or nitrite gets over .25ppm.

Thanks. On a serious note - is there a 'fish-in cycle' thread? I did try looking but couldn't find anything. Perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough

Opps, I must have been thinking about the fishless cycle guide.

Check out this link. This site has loads of great advice on everything you need to know about keeping a fish tank.
http/www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

 

[librarygirl]

This is a pretty good one: http/www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/124/2/-I-just-learned-about-cycling-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html

Cycling with fish is possible, but it can be a lot of work, especially if you put too many fish in (or too many that have a high bioload), so just really be prepared to do daily water changes (even multiple times per day) for the next 2-3 months.