Fishless Cycling Headache

[lizjamie]

ARG. So after my previous disaster I cleaned out my tank and started my fishless cycle again. I kept the fileters wet and didnt go too crazy in the hopes that some of my bacteria from the previous attempt would still be there but it seems not.

After 10 days my ammonia remains at about 4ppm and the nitrites 0. (ie what it was on day 1). The tank is at 29oC and all the wtaer was dechlorinated.


Any ideas why I am having such a problem?

 

[OldMan47]

I hate to ask this after all the trouble you have been having. Do you have another tank hat is running? I ask because I saw your join date was over a year ago. If you have a cycled tank of any kind or can get something solid from one, it will speed your cycle immensely. There is no way I would expect it to take as long as yours has been. One thing I don't think I've seen is a reference to your tank pH. Although we usually will advise against changing pH, a very low, like less than 6.0, pH can inhibit development of the bacterial colony.
If you still have the tank with an oranda in it, its time to take anything out of it and put it in the new tank. It could be an ornament, some gravel or anything else that is solid. Since bacteria grow on surfaces,that will seed the new tank with some finite amount of bacteria, however small their numbers, and you should see a response of some sort in a week or two. If all you have is a bare tank for the oranda, wipe the surface with something that it wouldn't hurt to leave in the tank for a while and drop it in the new tank. That way whatever was growing on the surface of the old tank will be introduced into the new one.

 

[lizjamie]

Thanks for replying but unfortunatelly this is the same tank. My oranda died in november then in january i decided to restart with the tank with a few tropicals which I have never done beofre. So I don't have anything as a starter.....

 

[lizjamie]

Just checked the pH - the tank is aobut 8 and the tap water is lower about 7.4 or 7 (between teh 2 tests i think).