Hi All.
Like many others I've been a lurker for quite a while, but now it's my turn to seek some advice.
As the title hints at, I set up a new tank FOUR months ago and it still isn't cycled!
The tank in question is a Jewel Rio 180 Litre. The standard kit that comes with it is installed, i.e. filter has 2 blue fine sponges, one green [cirax] sponge, one green coarse sponge, on black charcoal sponge and a fine 'polypad' sponge on the top. All the sponges have been in the tank since day one. The 'polypad' has been swapped out a number of times - don't worry, my local fish shop stocks large 'blakets' of fine media, so I bought one and cut up lots of replacements [cost £6 for circa 150 replacements!].
The tank is currently home to three Gouramis - it wasn't my intention to house any fish until it had been cycled, but these guys were not playing nicely in the other tank! I have another tank, which is 60 litres and has been running for a couple of years now.
There is around 16kg of fine gravel substrate in the tank.
There are no real plants, but currently five plastic plants in the tank.
The tank has been dosed with API Stress Coat and Stress Zyme on an [almost] weekly basis.
The only other treatment put into the tank is an anti algae treatment to get rid of some red/brown algae. This happened with the smaller tank as well, but hasn't affected the water quality in there.
The tank started cycling after about three weeks of being set up. The water is tested with an API Master Test Kit. Initially the Ammonia level rose to about 2ppm. At this time I was doing regular water changes - about 33% of the water on a weekly basis - which was then redosed with stress coat and zyme. This held the Ammonia at 2ppm for several weeks, however there was NEVER any nitrites - didn't bother testing for nitrates since no nitrites!!
I had read mixed information on several sites with regards to cycling, some advocating water changes, some saying no water changes, so about six weeks ago I stopped changing the water. The only thing I have done in the last six weeks is to dose weekly with stress coat and zyme, and I have removed all the plastic plants and cleaned them to remove algae - cleaning done in warm water using a sponge that is only used for the fish, no detergents used.
I have been testing every week and the ammonia has slowly risen through 4ppm to 8ppm yesterday when tested - the Gouramis are showing no sign of distress which I am amazed at! There is still zero on the nitrite levels!
I know it isn't the test kit giving false results as it is used on both of the tanks.
So, some advice needed!
1. I have a spare slot in my filter casing - should I add some activated carbon? Will it help? What does it do?
2. Should I go back to changing the water? I guess this will reduce the ammonia, however I'm concerned about the nitrite levels being zero and my hope so far has been that once the ammonia reaches a certain level then the nitrites will kick in!
3. Should I add any 'real' plants to the tank, if so, what should I add - I've been considering throwing a moss ball in there....
Thanks in advance for any advice offered.
Like many others I've been a lurker for quite a while, but now it's my turn to seek some advice.
As the title hints at, I set up a new tank FOUR months ago and it still isn't cycled!
The tank in question is a Jewel Rio 180 Litre. The standard kit that comes with it is installed, i.e. filter has 2 blue fine sponges, one green [cirax] sponge, one green coarse sponge, on black charcoal sponge and a fine 'polypad' sponge on the top. All the sponges have been in the tank since day one. The 'polypad' has been swapped out a number of times - don't worry, my local fish shop stocks large 'blakets' of fine media, so I bought one and cut up lots of replacements [cost £6 for circa 150 replacements!].
The tank is currently home to three Gouramis - it wasn't my intention to house any fish until it had been cycled, but these guys were not playing nicely in the other tank! I have another tank, which is 60 litres and has been running for a couple of years now.
There is around 16kg of fine gravel substrate in the tank.
There are no real plants, but currently five plastic plants in the tank.
The tank has been dosed with API Stress Coat and Stress Zyme on an [almost] weekly basis.
The only other treatment put into the tank is an anti algae treatment to get rid of some red/brown algae. This happened with the smaller tank as well, but hasn't affected the water quality in there.
The tank started cycling after about three weeks of being set up. The water is tested with an API Master Test Kit. Initially the Ammonia level rose to about 2ppm. At this time I was doing regular water changes - about 33% of the water on a weekly basis - which was then redosed with stress coat and zyme. This held the Ammonia at 2ppm for several weeks, however there was NEVER any nitrites - didn't bother testing for nitrates since no nitrites!!
I had read mixed information on several sites with regards to cycling, some advocating water changes, some saying no water changes, so about six weeks ago I stopped changing the water. The only thing I have done in the last six weeks is to dose weekly with stress coat and zyme, and I have removed all the plastic plants and cleaned them to remove algae - cleaning done in warm water using a sponge that is only used for the fish, no detergents used.
I have been testing every week and the ammonia has slowly risen through 4ppm to 8ppm yesterday when tested - the Gouramis are showing no sign of distress which I am amazed at! There is still zero on the nitrite levels!
I know it isn't the test kit giving false results as it is used on both of the tanks.
So, some advice needed!
1. I have a spare slot in my filter casing - should I add some activated carbon? Will it help? What does it do?
2. Should I go back to changing the water? I guess this will reduce the ammonia, however I'm concerned about the nitrite levels being zero and my hope so far has been that once the ammonia reaches a certain level then the nitrites will kick in!
3. Should I add any 'real' plants to the tank, if so, what should I add - I've been considering throwing a moss ball in there....
Thanks in advance for any advice offered.