Need Some Advice Please !

[tonydb]

I'm almost 3 weeks into a fishless cycle, bearing in mind I didn't add ammonia until at least day 6,before that and during I was using a filter start solution by interpet.
 
I used the calculator on here for the required amount of ammonia to be added, which I did. My ammonia level shot up to 4ppm,and has been that ever since. The nitrite and nitrate levels are both 0 and have never changed, only the PH level changes slightly (around 7.2 ish).I'm using a chemical test kit.
 
I have a interpet PF2 internal filter ,two live plants and some décor and gravel, water is at 26 Celsius, no fish, water was dechloranated at the beginning.
 
There's what looks like an oily film on the top of the water and a white coating on the décor and heater and filter unit.
 
Surely this cannot be right as my ammonia levels haven't changed yet not even slightly.
 
am I doing something wrong?
 
Inside my filter is a foam a carbon filter and the bio media in the chamber.
 
any help would be appreciated.

 

[attibones]

What kind of ammonia are you using? It almost sounds like what happens when you use ammonia with a surfactant or when you leave dechlorinated water sitting still for too long. It makes a kind of disgusting slimy film.

Try bumping your heater up to 29. Also, have you got any rocks in the tank? I've seen several instances where the rocks in my tank were slowing my cycle.

 

[sadguppy]

If I were you, I would change half the water to get it down to 2ppm, as it might be too high and therefore could be stalling the cycling.

 

[tonydb]

yea I was gonna do a 25% water change on Monday get the 4ppm down a little

And no I don't have any rocks,just a lump of wood from the aquatics store

 

[attibones]

Try doing a 50% water change. That will bring you to 2ppm as recommended above. Then see how you do.

 

[tonydb]

ive just thought of something else.
 
When I brought my 2 sets of live plants they have a small piece of foam and a kind of metal clip on the bottom of them to hold all the stems together,Should I of removed this ,is that the cause of my strange white slime and oily surface water ??

 

[Gruntle]

I don't think the clip or foam would be the source of your slime.

 

[sadguppy]

Yes you need to remove that, it's rock wool which the roots grow into before it's planted. But I doubt it's to blame.