Tank Not Cycling Help!

[FishNoob85]

Hi everyone,

I have a 125l fluval roma with a Fluval u3 filter that came supplied. I am currently doing a fishless cycle and i am not seeing any progress!
I started the cycle 14 days ago (with 5ppm of ammonia) and am still getting 4.0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite. My ph in the tank is coming in at 7.5-8.0. I have tested the tap water and the pH is 7.5 and there are no traces of ammonia or nitrite. The filter has two sponge pads and a container for biomax. also i think this filter is supposed to have carbon but i cant find it anywhere!

The water temp is at 30 degrees as i read this helps promote bacteria growth. Is there anything that i have missed that may result in my tank taking forever to show results. If everything is fine then ill just be patient but to me it seems like its stalled. I did see a slight drop from 5.0ppm to 4.0ppm (i think) within the first few days.

I dont have a KH test kit, could the hardness of the water slow it down? also im not sure if i put enough chlorine remover in when i first filled it up. does the chlorine remove itself after a while or should i just put more in to be safe?

I have 2 airstones running and the filter on full flow as i think this increases the oxygen that is removed due to the increased heat of the water.

Im completely new to all this but having read other fishless cycling topics most people seem to be seeing some sort of results after the 2 weeks.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dogson]

Hi Fishnoob,
I have pretty much the same setup as you and I'm still on with my cycle also after 2 weeks although i'm processing ammonia in 12 hours my nitrite spike is still off the chart! and has been for a week. What test kit are you using? If you have a complete kit (api freshwater test kit or similar) what are your full results? If you're ammonia is down from 5ppm to 4ppm something is happening albeit slowly. I regret starting a log on here from day one maybe as your results are in its infancy stages you should try and keep this thread open as I will certainly visit it often in case you overtake me and i've done something wrong myself
It took me a week top process my first batch but in saying that i did add some mature biorb media to my setup so from what you have posted you may be on track but as with everyone cycling it's a matter patience albeit frustration!

Keep with it tho

 

[Amunet]

What ammonia are you using? Make sure that there is nothing else listed on the bottle other than ammonia and maybe water.
If surfacants are listed, then you've been using the wrong kind of ammonia.

If ammonia is fine, then just a bit unlucky that it's taking a long time to start up. Maybe try to find a LFS that's willing to give you some mature filter media.

 

[Jabba]

In the absence of mature filter (actually a practice I discourage) there are a number of filter starters on the market well worth looking at.

Interpet number 14 and Tetra safestart to name but two, sometimes new aquariums can be just too clean and need a helping hand.

Why do I not encourage transfer of filter media - simple - because that might not be all that you are transferring, nothing gets into my aquarium without 3 months quarantine, everything in quarantine gets treated - this is not filter bacteria friendly - deliberately.

Most real diseases are actually added to the tank by livestock or plant materials.

The best ammonia currently in the UK is Jeyes 'kleen Off', you need to be real careful with some so called ammonias because they are not just ammonia and water, they contain other stuff 'surfactants' and such that will do things in the tank no good at all.

 

[FishNoob85]

Hi everyone, thanks for the quick replys, I'm using boots household ammonia which someone reccommended on here. I've looked on the bottle and I'm pretty sure it's just water and ammonia (9.5%) it is White with a blue cross on it. I am also using the api master kit and my results have been exactly the same from day 1. Apart from the slight drop on day 3, which may have just been me reading the chart wrong. Them colours are hard to match up when it's the higher end of the scale.

I got some cycle with my tank but heard on here it was no good so didn't bother adding it. I have now as I thougt it couldn't do any harm. See if anything happens over the next couple of days.

has anyone used the boots ammonia? An also would the chlorine problem I mentioned earlier have an effect on my cycling?

Thanks again

double checked bottle and it says - ammonia 9.5% w/w. Does that mean with water? Nothing else is listed on the ingredients

 

[Jabba]

Generally chlorine will disappear naturally over 24 to 48 hours - especially if you are running air through it.

Never used the Boots stuff so can't say, if it contains anything else then it should be declared on the bottle.

As for the 'cycle' is no good I have also heard that Hagen Cycle isn't particularly good but you need to remember that what you get here are the opinions of fishkeepers, mostly amateur ones, I am one of those and mine is an opinion only. A lot of people condemn things that they themselves didn't use properly, it is often easier not to look to ones own failings - far too few bother to read labels or instructions. You can't lose anything by trying something for yourself, read the opinions here by all means but take other opinions too and make up your own mind, that is how to learn and progress.

I haven't had to cycle a tank for a long time but I used Interpet Number 14 then and it did seem to speed the whole thing up, I use it every year to kick start the pond filters and it seems to work well for that.

Interpet tend to be pretty good products on the whole though

 

[degsod]

The boots amonia is fine, sometimes it takes a bit longer for anything to happen. Providing your filter is working then bacteria should start to grow.

 

[FishNoob85]

Thanks again everyone,

ill keep doing tests and hopefully i should see some results soon. When i started all this i suppose i thought i would just be the lucky one and have it all set up in three weeks, haha. But it seems I'm doing everything right (i hope) Ill keep you all posted with how it goes and if anyone else has any advice to add it will be most appreciated.

 

[OldMan47]

Fishnoob, the w/w means that the percentage is by weight rather than a percentage by volume. As Jabba implied, I am a rank amateur with no expertise in these matters but sterile products that manage to get a filter ready in 6 to 8 weeks don't strike me as particularly useful. I so use a mature filter from my own tanks to jump start all new filters and get a full cycle in less than a week, but I guess that is just my imagination too. It is very unscientific of me to believe that a healthy tank that I have had in use well over a year doesn't need a 3 months quarantine before using its filter to jump start a new tank. I will take the risk since I never have diseases with my loose approach to not sterilizing everything before putting in a fish that will be swimming in its own wastes.

 

[Jabba]

OldMan47 You really are a bit touchy aren't you.

YOU know YOUR tanks, YOU know your tanks have had no ISSUES so transferring media isn't an issue, you can never be sure of that from A.N. OTHERS tanks. FishNoob85 is new to the hobby why would you suppose he had three tanks to play with or was starting a second.

Stop being so touchy - if I was wagging a finger at you trust me I would leave no doubt - stop assuming that you are the only fishkeeper here with a valid opinion or that the opinions of others are a personal slander or attack.

PS Three months quarantine is a good period over which to quarantine NEW STOCK or PLANTS !! - you need to read more and post less.

 

[Rediahs]

OldMan47 You really are a bit touchy aren't you.

YOU know YOUR tanks, YOU know your tanks have had no ISSUES so transferring media isn't an issue, you can never be sure of that from A.N. OTHERS tanks. FishNoob85 is new to the hobby why would you suppose he had three tanks to play with or was starting a second.

Stop being so touchy - if I was wagging a finger at you trust me I would leave no doubt - stop assuming that you are the only fishkeeper here with a valid opinion or that the opinions of others are a personal slander or attack.

PS Three months quarantine is a good period over which to quarantine NEW STOCK or PLANTS !! - you need to read more and post less.

Jabba, just a note, I've been reading this thread and OldMan's posts, and he doesn't seem to be touchy whatsoever...

Nothing he's posted is hostile, just informative.

Also he's a well-respected member of the community who has been here awhile, I don't think it's a good idea to attack him out of the blue. I don't mean to belittle you or anything. But are you having a bad day? Don't take it out on the forum members.

He also admits to being only an amateur, encouraging other people to post and not to simply rely on what he says... does this go for you too?

 

[Craster]

also i think this filter is supposed to have carbon but i cant find it anywhere!

In a U3 there should be two thin pads that aren't in the little plastic containers. They are white on one side and black on the other. The white side is floss, the black side is carbon.

 

[Jabba]

I found his tone offensive and personal.

No problem - I don't need to waste my time here.

 

[Rediahs]

I found his tone offensive and personal.

No problem - I don't need to waste my time here.

That's really interesting 'cause I didn't. To be honest I think it's just you. If you think this forum is a waste of time then whatever, but I think it's full of plenty of practical advice and helpful people. I'd encourage you to change your mind but you can do as you wish, of course.

 

[Jabba]

[

As Jabba implied, I am a rank amateur with no expertise

This indicates he took it personal, and is indicating this

Also he's a well-respected member of the community who has been here awhile

Oh - I've been here longer what does that make me.

For those of us who grew up with the UGF, it is a well known fact that it is one of the best available biological filters, Jabba

Implying somehow that I am a young novice whose opinion counts for nothing, whilst he has more viable knowledge, it is not a well known FACT either just his opinion.

If you think this forum is a waste of time

Not at all, forums are a good way to spread knowledge as long as those spreading it don't think that their opinion is the only valid one, and that those receiving it use it only as part of their own learning process.

does this go for you too?

Read any of my posts and you question will be answered, I am never conceited enough to think I am more qualified than anyone else.

I state that I don't agree with transferring filter media from another tank and why - for me this means a strangers filter media - the question is from a person who I think unlikely to have more than one tank. I also advised a three month quarantine period for fish etc and this is for good reason where the stock / media is of unknown origin.

Whilst maybe there is no issue in what is said, it is more the implication of what isn't by what is.