Need Help Cycling My Tanks!

[GuppyGoddess]

Hi everyone,

I have four betta tanks that I cannot get to cycle.

Two of them are 5-gallon. How often and how much water do I change to get the tank to cycle?
One of them is a 10-gallon. Same question.
The other is a 3-gallon. . .also need help. She gets 1/3 WC every week.

One of the 5-gallons did have nitrite and I had hoped it would result in cycling to nitrate, but now it's back to having ammonia.

Any advice?

FWIW, the 10-gallon just has a betta. I've cut back to 10% water changes once a week and before then, there was no ammonia, so that is why I cut back from doing 25% changes.

 

[drobbyb]

What method are you using to cycle?

 

[GuppyGoddess]

What method are you using to cycle?

Fish-in cycle. I've had my 10-gallon with the single betta for at least four months and it's still not cycled.

 

[drobbyb]

4 months?!? Something is certainly wrong. Do you have a liquid reagent test kit? If so, what are your measurements for pH, ammonia, and nitrite?

 

[roadmaster]

Do tanks have filters?

 

[GuppyGoddess]

4 months?!? Something is certainly wrong. Do you have a liquid reagent test kit? If so, what are your measurements for pH, ammonia, and nitrite?

I'm going to take samples and take them into the pet store today. I've tested for ammonia and nitrite, but do not have a nitrate kit. Maybe there is already nitrate. Would them not cycling be a sign of me changing too much water out?

Yes, all the tanks have filters and heaters, etc. About once a month, I take the filter media out and rinse it in tank water that's been syphoned out. Is this too often?

 

[erk628]

What's the testing kit you are using is it a liquid kit?

 

[GuppyGoddess]

What's the testing kit you are using is it a liquid kit?

Hi, yes, I'm using the API test kits. Today I purchased the Nitrate (just was using Nitrite and Ammonia before) and none of my tanks came back positive for that.

 

[OldMan47]

There is no problem with you changing water too often. A fish in cycle is as simple as taking care of your fish and waiting for the cycle to take care of itself. I wish it were harder so that I could expostulate on the merits of differing care regimes but it just isn't so. If you change water to keep your nitrites and ammonia levels below 0.25 ppm at all times, the tank will cycle of its own accord. You must be aware that you never will use tap water to effect the cleaning that your filter media will demand.