My Fishless Cycle Has Stalled Again...

[A creature void of form]

Here are my consistent water paramenters:

Temp: 32 degrees
Ph: 6.4
Kh: 3d
General Hardness: very soft with some slight fluctuations

And the log:

17/09/07 5* Ammonia.......Added 5
18/09/07 5 Ammonia.........Added 0
19/09/07 5 Ammonia.........Added 0
20/09/07 3-5 Ammonia......Added 0
21/09/07 0.6 Ammonia......Added 2.5.....Signs of Nitrates and Nitrates
22/09/07 0 Ammonia.........Added 2.5.....Nitrates and Nitrites off the chart
23/09/07 0 Ammonia.........Added 2.5.....Nitrates and Nitrites off the chart
24/09/07 0 Ammonia.........Added 2.5.....Nitrates and Nitrites off the chart
25/09/07 2.4 Ammonia......Added 0.....Nitrates and Nitrites off the chart
26/09/07 2.4 Ammonia......Added 0.....Nitrates and Nitrates off the chart.

27/09/07 - still no change in Ammonia. It appears my tank has stalled...I do a 40% water change on this day.

28/09/07 - 0.6 Ammonia. Added 2.5.
29/09/07 - 0 Ammonia! Back on track, it seems. Added 2.5 Ammonia.
30/09/07 - 2.5 ppm Ammonia again...Added 0
01/10/04 - 2.5 Ammonia...Added 0
02/10/04 - 2.5 Ammonia...Added 0
03/10/04 - 2.5 Ammonia...Added 0 (Nitrites and Nirates still off the chart).

My tank has stalled again!


*ppm

Now, my ph has been reading consistently at 6.5, but coming to think about it - it may be lower than this as it is the lowest mark on my ph test kit.

So...what now? A water change worked - but only for one day! Is there any reason to think another 40% water change will work for a longer period? Or is there any other advise you can suggest to get me back on track?

Thanks.

 

[SexyFishKeeper]

Mine slowed when my pH went below 6. About 4 table spoons of bicarbonate of soda to my 180ltr tank raised my pH to 7.8 and is now stable.

 

[A creature void of form]

Mine slowed when my pH went below 6. About 4 table spoons of bicarbonate of soda to my 180ltr tank raised my pH to 7.8 and is now stable.

That sounds great, but how easy is it for me to get back down to ph 6.5? Do I simply do a large water change at the end of my cycle to bring my ph down to 6.5 again?

 

[Jonno]

i'm going to be adding bicarb tonight - anyone know if it will be dangerous to the fish when i put them in or does it get used up in the cycle?

 

[SexyFishKeeper]

At the end of cycling there should be a large water change. That sould reduce your pH if your tap water has a low pH level.I'm going to fully drain my tank as the Nitrates will be star-high when my cycle finishes. Hopefully, then there shouldn't be any traces of bicarb in the water.But would of thought that it'd been dissolved away by now.

my first post should of read TEA spoons on the not table spoons. Soz

 

[A creature void of form]

Excellent, thanks a lot SFK.

I'll get onto it.