Same Ammonia Again And Again?

[Bluesand1313]

I am cycling a new tank, and it's almost been three weeks since I have started. The ammonia is still really high and hasn't changed since the 19th. I first tested the water on the 18th and it was almost yellow, and then so I tested again on the 22nd and it came out high green. It's been high green (Almost getting darker!) ever since, and I don't know why. I checked the filter and it's got bacteria stuff in it. Is that why? I did a water change on it today to see if it would help... I haven't checked it yet.

 

[wrighty8529]

Hi Mate How many water changes have u done in 3 weeks?

 

[fluttermoth]

If you had bacteria in the filter, they would be eating the ammonia and it would disappear.

Sometimes cycles can take a long time to start; do you have another tank you could take some already cycled media from? That would give the new tank a head start.

Is this a fish-in cycle?

If it is, you need to be changing a lot of water to get the ammonia down to zero; your filter will still cycle with an amount of ammonia that's too small to show up on our tests.

If it's a fishless cycle, patience and some mature media are the only things that will help.

 

[Bluesand1313]

I've only done the one water change since it doesn't have anything live in it.

As for the putting in cycled tank water; I've already done so and it that was when it was at low ammonia. Now its really high.

I do have bacteria in the filter; I checked today. That's why I don't understand how the ammonia could be the same for two weeks, and really high too.

 

[wrighty8529]

Try Doing A 50% Water Change In the Morning Mate that Should Bring it Down.

 

[fluttermoth]

You can't see bacteria without a microscope

There's no such thing as cycled tank water; only filter media cycles. Did you add ammonia to the tank? What is in the tank at the moment? Plants? Used substrate? Fish food?

 

[Bluesand1313]

That's what it looks like.
That's what I meant by 'bacteria'

I didn't add any ammonia to the tank, I just added in ussed tank water about 20% of it and then the rest with new water. New gravel, new plant, old ornament.

 

[fluttermoth]

Looks like a waiting game then, tbh. The ammonia will go down eventually. What PPM is it at now? If it's above 5 or 6ppm, it might be worth doing a water change to bring it down a little bit.

 

[gforce17]

My 240l tank took 9 weeks to cycle. I was nearly demented, but in the end it was well worth the wait. I know how you feel, but weeks later it seems like it never happened. I just hoped i would live long enough to see it - AND I DID! Patience mate. Good luck.

The dirty looking stuff in the filter doesn't mean it's cycled - it means you've got dirty looking stuff in the filter and that's fine.

 

[Bluesand1313]

I know that doesn't mean it's cycled, the dirty stuff.. whatever its called xD
It's only a three gallon >.>

I'm going to test it now, see what it's at since I did a water change yesterday. See how it is and I'll edit with the results!

EDIT:
It's raised even higher...

 

[mossonthemoon]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I have read many people saying that there is almost no point in cycling a 3 gallon since you will have to do big water changes anyway. I think I saw someone say that it won't hold a cycle very well without fish, but maybe I am remembering incorrectly.

And you can see bacteria without a microscope. You cannot see individual cells, but colonies are visible. That doesn't really look like any bacterial colony I have ever seen, though. It kind of looks like algae on my screen.

How big are your water changes, by the way? And can you not use filter media from whatever tank you got the old water? Or is that no longer available?

 

[Bluesand1313]

I just don't want my betta to die in it because of high ammonia..

I usually do 30% water change on all of my tanks once a week.
I could, but I got the old water from a five gallon which has a bigger filter and has a different filter media, and I don't want to ruin it and cut any of it off..

Does this mean I have to put my betta in it for it to cycle properly? I really don't want him to die, so I'm worried about it.

 

[mossonthemoon]

My life got in the way of fish tanks for a while, and I see you didn't get a reply. Have you had any luck?