kenwilson

ive had my tank for about 1 year but there is still ammonia and nitrite readings and the nitrate level doesnt increase. i try not to overfeed my fish and do 25% water changes every week and put in nitrifying bacteria after every water change but theres algae growing, pleases help, im clueless

Lucy

Hi Kenny, welcome to Fish Lore

What are you adding to the tank?

sirdarksol

Also, check the test kit you're using and the dechlorinator you're using. Some test kits react badly with dechlorinators, giving false positives or false negatives.

When you're doing the nitrate test, are you shaking up the second bottle really, really well? (I shake mine for a minute or more)

kenwilson

i use the tetra aquasafe before i add the water and i add the stuff thats supposed to add "beneficial nitrifying bacteria" that has to be refrigerated
i feed them 2-3 times a day of frozen brine shrimp and tetra flakes

Lucy

What test kit are you using?

What's the name of the "beneficial nitrifying bacteria" that you're adding?

Sorry for all the questions.

kenwilson

no thats ok im just glad ur trying to help its by microbelift and it says it contains nitrosomonas nitrospira and nitrobacter

kenwilson

it also has a few plants i forgot to mention, but i doubt they're the cause , they're supposed to help

Lucy

Ah, is it called bio-spira? It contains the right kind of bacteria and bio-spiro needs refrigeration.

I've never used it, but if I understand it correctly, you only have to add that once at the start of your tank, then add fish, you don't have to keep adding it.

I wonder if that's why you're in a perpetual cycle?

Also what test kit are you using? Strips are notoriously inaccurate. The liquid tests are very reliable. I use the API Master kit.

Do your fish show any signs of being ill?

kenwilson

fish seem fine, its called nite-out II and i use the liquid test by red sea and API, this has been going on for a while so i got the bacteria

Lucy

Weird, huh?

Have you tested your tap water?

kenwilson

not yet, ill do that now and maybe itll give me some answers

Shawnie

hmm very weird kenny...I hope things get better..here's some of my thoughts...the plants might be eating the nitrates..so that could be why theres none...check the test kit to make sure its not outdated, we had another member have an outdated one in another thread...and also after you use bio spira, you are not suppose to do any water changes or test the water for at least a week - 10 days...so if you continuously are changing the water and adding bs again and again, its causing the cycle to be outta wack and give you strange readings...I remember right after adding my bs, 4 days later my ammonia was off the chart..skeeered me to death!! goodluck with everything!

Lucy

I just looked up the profile for Giant Danios, they can grow up to 4"
and it's recommended they have a minimum tank size of 30g because it's very active and needs swim room.
Add 2 cories
What kind of an algae eater do you have? If it's a common pleco, they get huge and should be in a 55g tank.

It could be you just have too much of a bio load for such a small tank.

kenwilson

i think the tests might be a little off because its from red sea so im gonna stick with API from now on, i and think i do have a too large bio load so im gonna get a larger tank. thanks for all the help!

Lucy

Your welcome and good luck.

cognizant

Ken, are you changing the filter cartridge when you do the water changes? Sometimes changing the filter cartridge can also cause a mini cycle. A lot of members have suggested cutting the carbon out of the filter cartridge and reusing the same one until it is nearly ready to fall apart.

jdhef

Yes, that a good point by cognizant. Most of the benificial bacteria lives in the filter media, so if you replace it, you lost most of your benificial bacteria.

Lucy

Very good point.