Well...my Fishless Cycle Has Gone Totally Haywire

[twistedlink]

Okay i got 8-9ppm on the liquid test a couple days ago(ammonia, when i added it into the tank, first cycle day), i tested again today, and it was 8-9ppm still.

So i did a 50% water change

8-9ppm reading

I did another 50% water change

8-9ppm

I did a 90% change

and its still coming out at 8-9ppm


What the hell is going on?

Cant i just buy a product ive seen that converts ammonia and nitrite into harmless forms that the bacteria can still survive off of and therefore have my fish and dont have to worry about cycling the tank?


EDIT:Oh also, my tap water is pH 7.5 ish

My tank water after adding stuff, ammonia, de chlorinator, is nearing pH 9, which no fish can live in, does anyone else get this with there water once theyve added de chlorinator and ammonia?

 

[Mystil]

Hello!

I am a newbie here. Could it be your test kit is faulty?

Cant i just buy a product ive seen that converts ammonia and nitrite into harmless forms that the bacteria can still survive off of and therefore have my fish and dont have to worry about cycling the tank?

From what I understand of the cycling process (and it is not much) if you add these chemicals to nutralise the ammonia and nitrite it doesnt really help because when you add the fish they produce ammonia, which means you are back to square one and dont have the bacteria in your tank to combat the different chemicals to a sufficient level.

Thats how I assume it works anyway...i am so not an expert!

Maybe someone whos got more experience can tell you what to do.

 

[twistedlink]

I hope my test kit isnt faulty, i paid nearly £25 for it!

Do these bacteria grow in pH 9?
Why has my pH gone to 9 come to think of it? ive added ce chlorinator (which is stated as "good for starting tanks" well not if it makes the pH 9 it isnt, the fish certainly wont like that kind of pH)

And it cant be ammonia, if anything ammonia should be making it more acidic.

Ugh...


Yes i know more ammonia will be made, but i just add more of the stuff-simple

 

[twistedlink]

Ugh, i might just do a 100% water change, clean the substrate, clean the filter media, and re-do it, and just buy the fish and do a fish cycle.

My uncle doesnt do fishless cycling and his fish live for years and years, so fishless cycling cant be that important

Just did another 90% water change, still 8-9ppm

I think that product could give me false readings (the de-chlorinator removes excess ammonia) but surely water changes would fix this?)

Ive spent nearly £500 on a tank, and all these little kits and chemicals, and all they appear to do is bugger you about.

they didnt exist in the 70's and 80's and people kept fish fine, so why bother using them?

 

[newfishy]

Id take the test kit back and ask for a replacment, if its not working and brand new the store should at least offer to replace it. look around on the box and see if you can see an experation date.

I personaly wouldnt do a fish in cycle, it takes about three months of daily massive water changes to not kill fish, Ive done it, major pain in the rump.

can you see if after getting a working test kit you could get mature filter media from someone to help your cycle speed up?

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Twistedlink,

Seems like you've lost all will to live already!

Ok, firstly, unless your tap water has an ammonia level of 8 - 9 ppm (which is very doubtful), you have a faulty test kit, or you are performing the tests incorrectly. Have you read the instructions carefully?

Otherwise, it would be impossible for you to do all those water changes and not remove any ammonia, unless ammonia is really 100ppm or something, and then it would still show as the top reading on your test.

8 - 9ppm is too high for a fishless cycle. You should aim for around 5ppm. A different bacteria start to grow at levels of 8 - 9ppm and compete with the bacteria which you are trying to encourage.

If you are unsure how much ammonia to add to get 5ppm in the tank, click on 'Aquarium Calculator' at the top of the page and it will calculate it for you.

Your pH will be so high because there is so much ammonia in your tank. Ammonia raises the pH, not lowers it.

You should determine whether your test kit is faulty and then get your ammonia level right and you should see the cycle begin in a few days.

Don't lose heart already, i can assure you a fish-in cycle is a lot more distressing if you want to keep your fish alive. It's also a lot more work.

Please don't fall into the trap of thinking someone else does fish-in cycles and their tanks are great. It's an attitude that many people on here work hard to abolish. Fish-in cycles can and do work, every day all over the world, but the fact is, a fish-in cycle will at best have a detrimental effect on the long-term health of your fish, and at worst, kill them.

Cheers

BTT

 

[twistedlink]

It must be a faulty test kit, i did use the calculator, i added the correct amount, im definitely doing it right i read the instructions, not to mention at uni ive done ammonia testing before, The methodology is nothing new to me.

It's not that im impatient and want fish already, i just wish itd mature without doing all these damn readings

I was getting very frustrated last night as you can tell haha, i'll go buy another master test kit, i doubt they will refund it, aged 20 I've never had anything refunded before, always got turned down, so now i don't even bother asking haha.

 

[twistedlink]

Re-did EVERYTHING.

5ppm thank god for that, though 4-5 days has been wasted doing this, grrr LOL

and pH is back to normal boundaries, 7.25pH roughly.

 

[Nim]

good. I would always refrain from doing a fish-in cycle. The fish are put under too much stress and it would not be worth sacrificing them for it.

Ammonia is very basic in nature and so will have a tendancy to raise the PH. I have never done a fishless cycle using ammonia so I dont know if it is normal for the PH to go that high but with a PPM of 8-9 it probably could.

Also, if in doubt about the test kit, test the tap water first to see if it misbehaves with it as well. Then get your water tested by a fish store (ideally not the same one that sold you the test kit) and if it is inconsistant with your test kit by a huge margin then get it tested with the same fish store that sold you the kit and if the same occurs ask for a replacement kit.

Nim

 

[ariel newbie]

Ugh, i might just do a 100% water change, clean the substrate, clean the filter media, and re-do it, and just buy the fish and do a fish cycle.

My uncle doesnt do fishless cycling and his fish live for years and years, so fishless cycling cant be that important

Just did another 90% water change, still 8-9ppm

I think that product could give me false readings (the de-chlorinator removes excess ammonia) but surely water changes would fix this?)

Ive spent nearly £500 on a tank, and all these little kits and chemicals, and all they appear to do is bugger you about.

they didnt exist in the 70's and 80's and people kept fish fine, so why bother using them?

hi im a newbie but i think your right i bought a second hand tank gave it a clean with a bit of washing up liquid rinsed the old gravel and sponge filters with tap water only filled it up with tap water , last friday and put a decent sponge filter pump in left it alone for a couple of days and water is crystal fish are as happy as larry and doing well sometimes less is more will keep you posted if anything happens to the tank or fish i.e pop their clogs or tank goes green