# My Fish Tank Won't Finish Cycling



## MXS (Jul 13, 2009)

Hey everyone, I have been cycling my 10 gallon planted tank WAY longer then I should have. It's now just starting to finish, but it won't. I have been adding ammonia for the past three days every time is drops to zero. I boost it up to somewhere between 2-4 ppm.

I'm following this - Fishless Cycling - Tropical Fish Forums - add and wait method.

I added ammonia at 8 pm last night and tested this morning at 8 to see if the ammonia was being processed within 12 hours. It's not. The strange part is that my nitrites are remaining at zero.

Any ideas why it's taking so long to finish?

I'm using the API liquid test kits for ammonia and nitrite. Current nitrite is 0. Current ammonia is about 2 ppm.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Mine took forever too (fishless). After 5 weeks, what helped me was a big old bottle of the super bacteria (may diff brand names) that my lfs had. 

What would also help if you have a really good lfs with clean tanks and healty fish is a chunk of their filter medium. My lfs gave me a glob out of one of their filters. I added it to the back of my bio-wheel filter and within a few days, my tank was cycled.

Good luck.


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## Fishin Pole (Feb 17, 2009)

use some of the filter media or a handful of gravel from your 29 gallon to help speed the process along............Just be patient till BOTH your nitrite and ammonia read zero.......Biggest mistake people make is thinking their cycle is done and add alot of fish all at once............add 2 or 3 then wait a week or 2 for the bacteria to catch up to the new bio-load, then repeat.............Good Luck!


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## MonsiuerPercy1 (Jun 2, 2008)

Aww man! So no DPs yet?


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## MXS (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks for the help guys. When you say take some gravel from the 29 gallon, do I have to leave it in there after the tank finishes cycling or can I remove it then? Do i just put in on the other gravel or could i have it in a container of some sort?


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## Fishin Pole (Feb 17, 2009)

this is what i would do with the gravel............get a cheap pair of pantyhose or womens kneehighs and put a fist full of gravel in it, place it in the back of your tank.............The gravel will contain some beneficial bacteria and help colonize the bacteria quicker, thus speeding up the cycle.............After a month or so, remove the sock and put the gravel back in your 29 gallon, or leave it go and you will always have a source for helping you cycle another tank..........I have a few of these in my tanks so i always have a bacteria source for an emergency cycle in case of needing a new tank setup.........


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## MXS (Jul 13, 2009)

Alright thanks!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Seachem's "Stability" will also do the same thing with less fuss. And Nutrafin's "Cycle" has worked for me in the past, although that is not true bacteria but it operates the same. Stability is live bacteria and last month I used it to set up a 115g and a 90g tank and they cycled immediately [with 110 fish in the 115g and 85 in the 90g]. I know it works. I would never waste time with fishless cycling.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

I agree 100% with you Byron. Never again. It was my first tank so didn't know any better. 

The live bacteria also came in handy when I had to replace my filter after a big water change. Needles to say, I had an ammonia spike so I added the bac. and within two days, ammonia was back to 0.


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## nomel (Jul 20, 2009)

I'm sure your local store would let you buy or just give you some water...dump it in...bacteria.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

nomel said:


> I'm sure your local store would let you buy or just give you some water...dump it in...bacteria.


I must point out that there is no beneficial nitrosomonas or nitrospira bacteria in water. These bacteria colonize surfaces where they then feed on ammonia/nitrite respectively and multiply through binary division if the food source warrants it.

Aside from that, using water from an existing tank is certainly going to add stuff you do not want in your tank...fish waste (urine, dissolved solid waste) and possibly pathogens and parasites. While adding the beneficial bacteria from an established tank (via wood, rocks, plants, filter media, substrate) is beneficial, adding these others things is not. If one quarantines fish and plants to keep stuff out, don't add water that contains the same stuff.

Considering the relatively inexpensive cost of a small bottle of Stability and how it prevents fish stress and saves them, it is money well spent.

Byron.


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## MXS (Jul 13, 2009)

The weird thing is that my ammonia was dropping from 3-5 ppm to 0 within 24 hours. I kept adding ammonia so the nitrite cycling would finish, it did. The nitrite is now 0 all the time but the ammonia is taking longer to go down for some reason.

BTW is this the "stability" stuff you are talking about? - Seachem Prime at PETCO


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

MXS said:


> The weird thing is that my ammonia was dropping from 3-5 ppm to 0 within 24 hours. I kept adding ammonia so the nitrite cycling would finish, it did. The nitrite is now 0 all the time but the ammonia is taking longer to go down for some reason.
> 
> BTW is this the "stability" stuff you are talking about? - Seachem Prime at PETCO


"Prime" is a water conditioner (and a good one by accounts from those who use it, I use Kordon but intend to try Prime when this jug is finished). "Stability" is a bacteria supplement primarily used when setting up a new tank, but can be used any time to add bacteria (as when something hapens to kill it off, although one doesn't plan such things). You can read about Stability on Seachem's website at Seachem Products click on "Conditioners" on the left, then click "Tank Cycling/Bacteria."

I've never cycled without fish, so I'll leave it to those who have to comment on the ammonia problem. I've never had this.

Byron.


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## MXS (Jul 13, 2009)

Would I be able to add that bacteria even though my tank has already been cycling for quite some time?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

MXS said:


> Would I be able to add that bacteria even though my tank has already been cycling for quite some time?


Yes. It is simply bacteria. You can't overdose as it does nothing but add bacteria and if food isn't available bacteria die back, just as they multiply when food exceeds their current numbers. This is not the same as fish and plants that die and contribute to the bioload; bacteria doesn't. But you need fish in the tank to produce the ammonia that keeps the bacteria alive and multiplying. I've no idea how much "ammonia" might be in your tank now; I would myself do a major partial water change to get back to basic water, add the Stability and the fish. Can't remember from the earlier posts, but if you will be buying fish to do this (as opposed to having some waiting in another tank) only get a few small ones. The bacteria has to be sufficient to handle the ammonia from the fish from the start. I don't know the amount of bacteria in a dose of Stability, but there is no point in rushing things.

Byron.


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## MXS (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks again!


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