ruthiesmom

Started tank with safe start on Jan 31, My tank readings are as follows
ammonia- 4
nitrItes-0
nitrAtes-0
Why? should my tank have not cycled by now. I do use the API kit. It is not expired.
My fish are actullay healthy lookingand eating, but I just don't understand this cycle?
Can I be getting false readings some how? This is becoming very perplexing. I have done a little water change, but only about 3 gal. and I did give them some prime.
It has been 3 weeks waht is the problem. I thought safe start was supposed to be instant.
Thanks for all the help again.
Tina

agabr123

how much of the safestart did you add? did you do that water change during the first week?

that's really strange that it's so high, is there an expiration date on the TSS bottle?

it's been so long that i'd say you should switch to daily water changes until you get through it, that ammonia is way too high and you're not even seeing any nitrAtes so something has definitely gone wrong....

Dozey

Your TSS may have very well been defective. Even if within the expiry date we have all purchased milk, cheese, sour cream and other products that went bad well before the expiry date suggested.

And IMO TSS does not “instantly” cycle a tank. In fact even the manufacture doesn’t believe it instantly cycles a tank despite what they print on the bottle. The manufacture does suggest that TSS greatly lowers toxin levels and cycles a tank in 7 to 10 days, but that of course is if you don’t have sour milk straight from the grocery store.

ruthiesmom

I used 1/3 of the bottle just like the bottle said. the expiration was good check beore I bought it. No I did not change any water until yesterday.

ruthiesmom

So should I just start water changes or just let it alone since fish seem to be fine.

Jonah

As you have fish in the tank and TSS seems not to have done the cycle by now I would be inclined to do 25% water change and add Prime to the water to ensure that the the fish are not being harmed by the ammonia. The prime will protect the fish for 24 hours but it will leave the ammonia available to the bacteria to keep the cycle going.

I would probable keep doing the water changes daily untill I got the Nitrates into the tank and had the ammonia down to 0

jdhef

Since you only used one third of the bottle, I would do a 50% water change then dump the other two thirds of the bottle in the tank.

I could have sworn that the instructions on my bottle said to add the entire contents of the bottle and that it was not possible to overdose.

shih-tzu mom

Hi: i know nothing of TSS- but have you tested your tap water? and i would do water changes as well bella

Jonah

That would depend on the size of the bottle, but having said that your suggestion is also a good idea.

bryan87

what are you using to treat your tap water? also i think your pH maybe too loo which can kill your bacteria. i also had that problem the first time i used tss. do you have any driftwood in your tank. that and peat will lower your ph. what are your tap water readings. tts also is to be used with their water conditioner...

Redvelvetsword

If you can, you should add something from an established tank to help with the cycle process. I used a piece of driftwood in one. In another, I placed some gravel from an established tank in a mesh bag and let it sit in a tank to help with the cycle.