How Do I....?

[MONKEY]

COULD ANYONE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE PLEASE - MY TANK HAS BEEN ON A FIDHLESS CYCLE NOW FOR 2 WEEKS - NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY I CANNOT GET DOWN THE LEVEL OF AMMONIA AND NO2/NO3 TO 0. I CHANGE 1/10TH OF THE WATER EVERY TWO DAYS BUT THE LEVELS ARE NOT GOING DOWN. EVERY TIME I CHANGE THE WATER I PUT IN A DOSE OF CYCLE.

ANY ADVICE WOULD VERY GRATEFULLY RECEIVED!!!!

 

[atmmachine816]

sry cant help much b/c i didnt cycle my tank but its fine i would just make sure everythings working right especially the filter and i do 10% water change once a week and clean the filter and fake decorations once a month and aglae on glass every other week but how big of a tank and wat type of filter do u have

 

[MONKEY]

sry cant help much b/c i didnt cycle my tank but its fine i would just make sure everythings working right especially the filter and i do 10% water change once a week and clean the filter and fake decorations once a month and aglae on glass every other week but how big of a tank and wat type of filter do u have

Tank is a fluval 600 (approx 13 gallons) and our filter is a fluval 2 - we also have a spray bar.

Readings are as follows - Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 5.0ppm

I am getting very impatient - I want some fish so any advice would be great!!!!!

 

[atmmachine816]

sry never heard of fluval 2 filter and a spray bar and dont really now how to get ur readings down but wen i set up my tank i let water sit out for at least a day so all the chlorine is gone and just filled up my tank then took my grandpas fish that i broght from his house since he died and let them adjust and then let them loose and i did put a little cycle in too but i didnt notice any real difference b/c i didnt use it long so try stop using that do a 2 gallon water change weekly try to keep on the same day and dont add any chemicals to the water and just let the filter and heater run and keep the lid on the tank and maybe that will help beyond that i dont know wat to do try gooing here fishlore.com then go to forums make an account and ask the question there u could get some nice anweres

 

[rdd1952]

During a fishless cycle, you don't do any water changes until after the ammonia spikes and drops and then the nitrite spikes and drops. The you do a big 75% to 90% water change just to remove the high nitrates that you will have. What temperature do you have the heater set at? Fishless cycling works best when the water temp is 85F to 90F as higher temperatures promote bacteria growth.

If you do have the temperature in that range, do you have an airstone in the tank? The higher temperature drives the oxygen from the tank and you need extra surface aggitation to replenish it. The best way to achieve that is with an airstone.

Did you use a dechlorinator such as Strees Coat or Prime to kill the chlorine in the tap water? If not, then the chlorine is killing off the bacteria before it can develop. Are you using any other productsbesides the Cycle? Some water conditioners say they "remove ammonia". If you are using something like that, the tank won't ever cycle as the ammonia is being removed by the chemicals rather than by bacteria.

Also, I think the use of Cycle is pretty much useless. I really don't think the "bacteria in a bottle" products like Cycle do any good at all. I intend to experiment with them during the course of the year to either prove of disprove that.

Click the link on fishless cycling in my signature and read it. I think it may clear up some questions you have.

 

[chishnfips]

I agree with a rdd, dont chaneg any of thewater until the amonia starts to come down to zero and the nitrites, if you do you are prolonging the cycle. leave out the chemicals unless is for taking out the chlorine.

If you add some fish food on the first second and third day this breaks down and causes amonia. after about two weeks you start to see the amonia and nitrites fall.

then you do a big water change to lower the nitrates.