Crashed cycle while trying to fix ammonia

Ok this is going to be a novel and I'm going to apologize in advance for every newbie mistake I made or did while trying to fix everything.

Important note: tanks are 29 gallon with fluval HOB filter and fluval flex15 gallon. both are semi-planted with plants IN POTS in the tank - not directly in substrate.

I got into this hobby last summer and started with a 29 gallon tank. I didn't quite know about cycling a tank, but figured I could learn along the way. I didn't purchase a testing kit until a few months ago and realized that I had either crashed or never had a cycled tank to begin with. I discovered this after setting up 3 additional tanks because when I find a hobby I like, my ADHD makes me get a little obsessive and impulsive... and now I feel like a complete idiot.

So fast forward to the last 3 weeks, I've had major ammonia spikes in two of my tanks (29 gallon and 15 gallon) killing off basically every fish (pretty sure both were overstocked - yes I am aware dumb move on my part). I am now trying to fix my dumb choices by getting the tanks to cycle again (or for the first time because honestly I had no idea what I was doing when I started most of them). I keep getting a ton of conflicting advice so I wanted to get some help on how I can keep my remaining fish alive, plants alive, and create a cycled tank without going insane (my boyfriend is already not pleased with how much time I've been spending on this the last few weeks and my obsession with trying to fix this is becoming borderline unhealthy).

Anyways - here's everything I have done so far:

29 gallon - 50% water change at first 8ppm ammonia spike, got it to half of that and then lost every single fish except for 3 Pristella tetras. Dosed with Prime once but I read it's not good for plants so I'm afraid to use it again. Added a wonder Shell. Did another 75% water change because ammonia spiked again and I panicked. Cleaned all filter media in tap water per someone's suggestion because I was told I had BAD bacteria colonizing?? Removed all dead plants and replaced with new ones. Added Fritzyme ( but it smelled awful so I'm pretty sure bacteria was DOA). Started dosing with Ammo-lock but then read it will counteract the goal of Fritzyme so I stopped doing that. Measured everything and Ammonia was at 2ppm today and Nitrites and Nitrates 0 (which seems to be the only consistent thing in my tanks at the moment). pH was 6 but I added baking soda to get it to a safer range. I did a bunch of other things, but I honestly don't remember all of it because I was literally just throwing everything at the wall hoping something would work...which leads me to now - I'm very confused on how to remedy this and actually get my tank to cycle.

15 gallon - pretty much the same protocol as above, but this tank got a dose of Fritzyme from a bottle that didn't smell putrid, but then I stupidly dosed the tank with ammo-lock before reading that it wasn't good for the Fritzyme (lots of mistakes were made I'm really not proud of any of this). This tank also has 3 Pristellas remaining (weird that they seemed to be the hardiest fish I had in both tanks)

OK SO
I'm here to ask for help because I clearly have zero idea what I am doing and would really love to stay in this hobby but I'm a bit lost at sea at the moment...

((Sorry again for this disaster of a post))

 

OK Welcome to Fishlore and breathe............ahhhhh

All I seen in your post was throw everything but the kitchen sink at your tanks. Only a waste of money IMO.

Prime is NOT bad for plants. Who ever told you that was not correct.

The best thing for counter acting anything in your tank is water changes. No ammo lock....that was good advice. WCs and dechlor like prime is all you need.

A good test kit would help measure your parameters so you know when they are getting out of line.

 

OK Welcome to Fishlore and breathe............ahhhhh

All I seen in your post was throw everything but the kitchen sink at your tanks. Only a waste of money IMO.

Prime is NOT bad for plants. Who ever told you that was not correct.

The best thing for counter acting anything in your tank is water changes. No ammo lock....that was good advice. WCs and dechlor like prime is all you need.

A good test kit would help measure your parameters so you know when they are getting out of line.

Right, so what do I do now? What if the ammonia spikes again? Do I just do another water change - what percentage? Can I add Prime daily? How do I create the beneficial bacteria? I use API products - Quick Start, aqua essential, stresszyme, stress coat - if that matters at all? Will the water changes inhibit the cycle from starting? And can I vacuum up waste from the gravel without possibly taking good bacteria out?

I'm so sorry I just have so many questions and I'm all kinds of turned around...

 

Do water changes whenever ammonia is high. Do whatever percentage to get it lower. You can do 2 a day if need be. Ammonia is bad for fish so it needs to be done. Under .50 or less with the Prime is a good goal. Water changes will not affect your bacteria.

The bacteria should be colonized after this long. Are you over cleaning your tanks?

Vacuuming the waste will help with your ammonia levels.

 

Do water changes whenever ammonia is high. Do whatever percentage to get it lower. You can do 2 a day if need be. Ammonia is bad for fish so it needs to be done. Under .50 or less with the Prime is a good goal. Water changes will not affect your bacteria.

The bacteria should be colonized after this long. Are you over cleaning your tanks?

Vacuuming the waste will help with your ammonia levels.

Before all of this I was doing weekly water changes at 25% or maybe a little more including vacuuming. Not sure if that's considered overcleaning? But my Nitrates and Nitrites are zero in every single tank so I'm almost positive there's no bacteria in there or at least not the bacteria I want?

 

What are you using to test? This long in your tanks with fish you should be seeing nitrates.

 

Pristellas are a great fish for cycling a tank. They are very hardy and adaptable. I think after these fish help you cycle your tanks you can look into the fish's natural life and see what makes them so hardy. Great fish! You will want to give them a great home to live in with lots of fishy stuff that they like.

That is a cool part of aquariums - brings the natural world into your world so you can appreciate and be at peace and learn about the natural world that we are actually a part of.

A little ammonia is not going to hurt these guys! They are tough. Give them a good home that they deserve and be at peace with them. Excellent choice!

 

Before all of this I was doing weekly water changes at 25% or maybe a little more including vacuuming. Not sure if that's considered overcleaning?

no, like StarGirl hinted, you could not really overdo it as long as you use prime to condition and don’t shock fish with big temperature changes. Do as many water changes as you can, big ones, and clean often. The substrate, filter media, and hardscape can all hold onto Ammonia and Nitrate with some latency… as you pull these compounds out with water changes it’s as if some mysterious new source is constantly being introduced. I experienced this when I overdosed ammonia directly during a fishless cycle.

 

What are you using to test? This long in your tanks with fish you should be seeing nitrates.

API Freshwater Master Test Kit. I am consistently getting zero nitrites and nitrates
Ok I just read somewhere that I shouldn't be changing the water every day if I want the cycle to start...so how do I battle rising ammonia levels and keep the fish unharmed?

 

Keep ammonia below 0.5ppm for your fish. The tank will still cycle. If the ammonia is already at that level, skip the water change that day. The tank will still cycle with that level of ammonia. You should not be trying to achieve zero ammonia while cycling.

Simply use the ammonia test to tell you if you need to do a water change today.

 

Keep ammonia below 0.5ppm for your fish. The tank will still cycle. If the ammonia is already at that level, skip the water change that day. The tank will still cycle with that level of ammonia. You should not be trying to achieve zero ammonia while cycling.

Simply use the ammonia test to tell you if you need to do a water change today.

Thank you that clears up a ton of confusion as I’ve been trying to get it to zero.

 

As I gather the situation
2 tanks
1x29g and 1x 15g.
6x pristella tetras.

The issue = tank not producing nitrites or nitrates and stalled cycle, it just builds up ammonia.

What we need from you:
-Water testing for both aquariums.
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, and if you have the tests also, GH and KH.
-Water testing of your source water. 1x immediately, 1x after 6 hours of sitting, 1x after 1 day of sitting.

This will tell you how to proceed, but ideally both tanks will have similar parameters if getting similar water changes and using the same source water.
You say that the pH is 6 on the 29g, is it also pH6 on the 15g? If the pH is that low, ammonia isn't what's killing your fish unless you let the ammonia run up to 5+ppm, the vast majority of the ammonia is lockup by the pH as ammonium and is too big of a particle to affect the fish. Now if you increased the pH, it will unbind the ammonium back to ammonia and it becomes deadly again in much lower amounts.

I suspect with your 6pH, you have low to no KH. wondershell will add carbonate and maintain the KH and counter the acidity of the water, so KH doesn't deplete but it wont increase KH or pH, but the baking soda will increase the pH, something you really don't want to do because of the ammonia, you want the ammonia locked up by the pH as ammonium.

You don't need to cycle the aqaurium if your pH is low and stablized by the minimal KH. Plants will do their thing and use nitrogen compounds (nitrates, nitrites and ammonia, whatever form it's in) and over a long time it will just be cycled for the low pH. But the ammonia won't be toxic with the pH6.

I would suggest as others have water change to get the ammonia to safe levels of 0.5 or lower, THEN test water to know what you are dealing with, your starting point, how it acts with the air above it as it sits and absorbs carbon dioxide or oxygen, and what your tanks are doing.

I'd also recommend that it's safe to "fish in cycle" with 1 small fish per 10 gallons of water. Do not increase the stocking at all at this point, and have 4x pristella in the 29 gallon, and 2x pristella in the 15 gallon. That is a better stocking ratio between the tanks to make it easier on the water changes once it's under control if you have a tank that is cycled and not any problem it would be safest for the fish to put them there if it can handle the load. If you can do 1 fish in the 15g and 2 in the 29g, theres always risk in a fish in cycle.

Now, with low pH (6 or maybe even lower) it's going to take forever to cycle. 3-6 months maybe even longer. You are building a "low pH" colony compared to a standard colony, they are much slower to populate and function differently than normal pH nitrifiers. If the pH is low though the ammonia is in ammonium form and not toxic unless it gets to extreme levels because only a very tiny amount is free ammonia the vast majority is bound.
The pH protects the fish in this case. No need to increase the pH or use additives, with the low pH even the bottled bacteria won't establish and just die off and create ammonia/ammonium. The bottled bacterial aren't meant for low pH they are grown at higher pH and can't function at low pH.

Not for nothing, and not bashing at all, but you ADHD would be better used reading and studying and learning on these processes that affect aquariums instead of diving head first blindly into an entire fishroom.
No offense meant, just saying this hobby isn't instant or even fast, it requires patience and that has to be learned, so if you can redirect it towards the learning aspect before the actual doing, you'll be in a better position to be successful when you get to the doing.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope you find a balance with the hobby and your personal life so neither is in the way of the other.

 

As I gather the situation
2 tanks
1x29g and 1x 15g.
6x pristella tetras.

The issue = tank not producing nitrites or nitrates and stalled cycle, it just builds up ammonia.

What we need from you:
-Water testing for both aquariums.
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, and if you have the tests also, GH and KH.
-Water testing of your source water. 1x immediately, 1x after 6 hours of sitting, 1x after 1 day of sitting.

This will tell you how to proceed, but ideally both tanks will have similar parameters if getting similar water changes and using the same source water.
You say that the pH is 6 on the 29g, is it also pH6 on the 15g? If the pH is that low, ammonia isn't what's killing your fish unless you let the ammonia run up to 5+ppm, the vast majority of the ammonia is lockup by the pH as ammonium and is too big of a particle to affect the fish. Now if you increased the pH, it will unbind the ammonium back to ammonia and it becomes deadly again in much lower amounts.

I suspect with your 6pH, you have low to no KH. wondershell will add carbonate and maintain the KH and counter the acidity of the water, so KH doesn't deplete but it wont increase KH or pH, but the baking soda will increase the pH, something you really don't want to do because of the ammonia, you want the ammonia locked up by the pH as ammonium.

You don't need to cycle the aqaurium if your pH is low and stablized by the minimal KH. Plants will do their thing and use nitrogen compounds (nitrates, nitrites and ammonia, whatever form it's in) and over a long time it will just be cycled for the low pH. But the ammonia won't be toxic with the pH6.

I would suggest as others have water change to get the ammonia to safe levels of 0.5 or lower, THEN test water to know what you are dealing with, your starting point, how it acts with the air above it as it sits and absorbs carbon dioxide or oxygen, and what your tanks are doing.

I'd also recommend that it's safe to "fish in cycle" with 1 small fish per 10 gallons of water. Do not increase the stocking at all at this point, and have 4x pristella in the 29 gallon, and 2x pristella in the 15 gallon. That is a better stocking ratio between the tanks to make it easier on the water changes once it's under control if you have a tank that is cycled and not any problem it would be safest for the fish to put them there if it can handle the load. If you can do 1 fish in the 15g and 2 in the 29g, theres always risk in a fish in cycle.

Now, with low pH (6 or maybe even lower) it's going to take forever to cycle. 3-6 months maybe even longer. You are building a "low pH" colony compared to a standard colony, they are much slower to populate and function differently than normal pH nitrifiers. If the pH is low though the ammonia is in ammonium form and not toxic unless it gets to extreme levels because only a very tiny amount is free ammonia the vast majority is bound.
The pH protects the fish in this case. No need to increase the pH or use additives, with the low pH even the bottled bacteria won't establish and just die off and create ammonia/ammonium. The bottled bacterial aren't meant for low pH they are grown at higher pH and can't function at low pH.

Not for nothing, and not bashing at all, but you ADHD would be better used reading and studying and learning on these processes that affect aquariums instead of diving head first blindly into an entire fishroom.
No offense meant, just saying this hobby isn't instant or even fast, it requires patience and that has to be learned, so if you can redirect it towards the learning aspect before the actual doing, you'll be in a better position to be successful when you get to the doing.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope you find a balance with the hobby and your personal life so neither is in the way of the other.

Ouch. Yes I know I’ve totally screwed it all up…didn’t need to rub it in.

Tanks are in two different locations - my place and my partners. I am at the one location right now so I’ll get the water parameters for the one I am currently at. Will have to wait on the other. Also I would like my pH to be in the ideal range so I have been using the baking soda to raise it while doing the suggested water changes. The fish seem to be more active when not in the acidic range.

 

Ouch. Yes I know I’ve totally screwed it all up…didn’t need to rub it in.

Tanks are in two different locations - my place and my partners. I am at the one location right now so I’ll get the water parameters for the one I am currently at. Will have to wait on the other. Also I would like my pH to be in the ideal range so I have been using the baking soda to raise it while doing the suggested water changes. The fish seem to be more active when not in the acidic range.

They might be more active appearing but they won't spawn unless the pH is 5.5-6.5 and 80-82F degrees and I'd think spawning is about as natural a behavior and a sign of ideal conditions as you can get. They can be kept at pH 7 or 8 even, but won't reproduce.

They are "summer spawners" kind of prefer the warmer temp and lower pH of the midsummer water conditions in the wild and spawn at sunrise when the water has cooled over night and the light cracks on them.

Anyways they are tolerant of a wide pH range, and going low isn't going to hurt them, if anything it might lead to babies. Pushing the pH up with baking soda is asking for trouble honestly unless it's absolutely necessary. Consistent and stable with minimal drastic changes is usually the best approach.

Oh. So these tanks aren't in the same place. The source water in both locations may be different enough to make it impossible to use the same care strategies for both, only water testing can tell you though, save the testing results, write em down or take pictures of it so you can identify what the test was and where so it can be compared.

Best of luck!