Confused new Aquarium Hobbyist

Hello, to whoever is reading this! I am relatively new to this fish keeping hobby and seem to be in a repetitive snag. For years I've tried to keep fish as pets but unfortunately, I think I have brown thumb with them. Apparently, every time I kept a fish it would usually die from ammonia and I can't seem to figure out why it keeps happening or how to keep it down. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, I acquired a 29-gallon aquarium and started the cycling process for the new tank. To accompany the process (This was a dumb idea I know) I brought a pair of Zebra Danios' to help the process along. Since then I've been constantly watching the Nitrate, Nitrite, pH, and Temperature for two weeks. The Nitrate and Nitrite gradually raised (as it's supposed to) but apparently it stabilized at 10-20 ppm and the ammonia levels were 0ppm. Everything was doing well (I even stocked the Danios' to five) that is until I bought two Mollies. After I bought them, slowly the ammonia levels began to rise and since the past week, it's been stuck at .25ppm. Fast-forwarding to today now, after a 25% water change one of the Mollies died (It was ammonia poisoning since there was a red spot on his body) and I'm not sure what to do now. I've checked the water ammonia and it's still at 0.25 ppm and I also checked my local tap water ammonia which is at 0.50 pm. While doing the water change I also added Nitrifying bacteria to encourage the cycling to continue (I also did it once when I got the tank setup up in the first place.)

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

 

Weclome to fishlore.

First stop adding fish, then give you tank the time it needs to grow beneficial bacteria colonies and settle out through the cycling process. Patience is the key here.

 

Weclome to fishlore.

First stop adding fish, then give you tank the time it needs to grow beneficial bacteria colonies and settle out through the cycling process. Patience is the key here.

Yeah, you have a point, but I'm still confused. Isn't the nitrate and nitrite levels supposed to rise and the ammonia level supposed to fall during the process? I'm confused since it's just been stuck and not much seems to be changing. Also, should I keep using the nitrifying chemical to help the process or no? And one more thing, since the process is clearly still going on, should I be changing the water or waiting until the process is completely finished?

 

Well one thing - if you are watching your nitrite and it is not 0 then you have a problem because in a cycled tank nitrite is always 0. not sort of 0. not kinda 0. not between 10 and 20ppm. It is 0.
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Ammonia will show up as 0 unless there is a source of ammonia. My guess is when you added the fish the tank was not cycled and there was not an adequate source of ammonia so it didn't show up.
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Btw most of the 'ammonia' eating bacteria will be in the filter so it is best to not clean the filter.

 

Yeah, you have a point, but I'm still confused. Isn't the nitrate and nitrite levels supposed to rise and the ammonia level supposed to fall during the process? I'm confused since it's just been stuck and not much seems to be changing. Also, should I keep using the nitrifying chemical to help the process or no? And one more thing, since the process is clearly still going on, should I be changing the water or waiting until the process is completely finished?

First off yes since you have fish in, you should change water every day. You understand the cycle correctly, but you started adding fish before it was complete. Now you just need to keep up on water changes until it's made it all the way.

 

Yeah, you have a point, but I'm still confused. Isn't the nitrate and nitrite levels supposed to rise and the ammonia level supposed to fall during the process? I'm confused since it's just been stuck and not much seems to be changing. Also, should I keep using the nitrifying chemical to help the process or no? And one more thing, since the process is clearly still going on, should I be changing the water or waiting until the process is completely finished?

What is needed is an understanding of the two different bacteria colonies needed to complete an aquarium cycle. First Nitrosomonas bacteria must colonize to a strong enough level to process ammonia to nitrite. Then the Nitrobacter colonizes to convert nitrite to nitrate. During the process in cycling an aquarium these two grow and die back at different rates according to their food source. If all of a sudden there is a bounce up in ammonia the Nitrosomonas colony will have to take the time it needs to increase and consume that extra ammonia. Hope this helps.

 

Okay! Thanks for all the replies in this thread. I feel a little more prepared for doing this now. I'll just have to wait until the cycling is finish (luckily I didn't touch the filter for this exact reason). One final question would be how often should i change the water now so I don't disturb the process anymore?

 

Okay! Thanks for all the replies in this thread. I feel a little more prepared for doing this now. I'll just have to wait until the cycling is finish (luckily I didn't touch the filter for this exact reason). One final question would be how often should i change the water now so I don't disturb the process anymore?

Changing you water will depend on your tests of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You will need to do so for any levels of ammonia and nitrite. Or if nitrates get above 20ppm. Water changes will not effect your cycle process.

 

Changing you water will depend on your tests of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You will need to do so for any levels of ammonia and nitrite. Or if nitrates get above 20ppm. Water changes will not effect your cycle process.

Okay thanks again!

 

buy dr tims ammonum chloride for fishless tank. follow directions, dose enough to get a reading of 3ppm ammonia, wait.....test next day. keep it at 3ppm wait... repeat wait for nitrite spike. repeat until you can turn 2-3ppm ammonia into nitrates within a 24 hour period then fish you add should be safe for the foreseeable future provided you keep your tank clean etc.

 

Don't add ammonia if you have fish in the tank.

 

So I was forced to do a fish-in cycle in the quarantine tank for the Betta. This meant 20-50% daily water changes until the cycle was complete in the little 5gl tank, and both Nitrite and Ammonia are consistently 0.
In a bigger tank you can get away with less % of water change, but you still want to do it daily to reduce the stress and danger for your fish.
I would not add bacteria as you feed the fish and they produce what is necessary.
The last and important ingredients are consistency and patience.