Cycle will not happen

Hey everyone my tank has been set up and running almost 3 months and still has not cycled. My ammonia reading is off the chart, and my nitrates and nitrites are a solid 0. I was testing every other day, now I'm testing twice a week. It's a 29g tall with two 30g HOB filters. I'm using tap water with stress coat. Over the last 3 months I've added plants, driftwood, and put in food or dead shrimp at least once a week. I've also used fishless fuel, 2 bottles of fitz turbostart, a bottle of microbelift special blend, a bottle of seachem stability, and a small bottle of instant ocean bacteria for good measure. I don't mess with my filters except to add some oyster shells. I do a 30% water change every Saturday. My filter bags and purigen are brown and disgusting, and there's white algae or mold on my driftwood. What on earth is taking so long?? There's no one around me to get seed media from, and at this point I'm afraid that wouldn't work either. I wondered if my test kit was the problem so I bought a new one, there's been no change.

 

Do you have ammonia in your tap water? What are your tap readings?

The Nitrates should have some kind of reading after 3 months. Are you positive you did the test correctly? It is the tricky one.

 

My tap readings are 0/0/0. I'm always careful to shake the bottle for a minute and slap it against my hand to loosen it up. I've read those instructions so much I could see them in my sleep.
I did see a tiny spike in nitrites one day but it may have been wishful thinking. My ammonia just keeps climbing. I'm so frustrated.

 

Have you tested your pH level? If it is too close to 6.0, the tank will not cycle.

 

How are your plants doing? Are they growing well?

[EDIT]

I'll just expand on my thoughts. Plants utilize nitrate, so it is possible you are seeing zero nitrate because of the plants. And given all the fish food and shrimp and stuff you added, ammonia can just be so so high that even if it is decreasing you would not know. And you may have nitrite oxidizers already to handle the nitrite produced, hence seeing no nitrite readings.

It is a possibility, but not something definite right now.

To test this theory, I suggest doing a 100% water change, or until you can get as close to a zero ammonia reading as possible. Then dose 2ppm ammonia with the fishless fuel, and measure your parameters over the next days. If ammonia decreases, that's a good sign.

 

My ph was 7.6 today. My plants are questionable, but I've never had any luck with aquarium plants. My anubias looks ok, though i spot an occasional floating leaf. I lost my hornwort. My java ferns look wilted, and my java moss seems to shed.

 

My ph was 7.6 today. My plants are questionable, but I've never had any luck with aquarium plants. My anubias looks ok, though i spot an occasional floating leaf. I lost my hornwort. My java ferns look wilted, and my java moss seems to shed.

Oh well, there goes my theory I editted in my last reply. XD

Though doing a 100% water change and dosing 2ppm ammonia is still not a bad idea. If ammonia is not through the roof, it is easier to figure out what's going on.

Btw, what type of and how much biomedia do you have?

 

How are your plants doing? Are they growing well?

[EDIT]

I'll just expand on my thoughts. Plants utilize nitrate, so it is possible you are seeing zero nitrate because of the plants. And given all the fish food and shrimp and stuff you added, ammonia can just be so so high that even if it is decreasing you would not know. And you may have nitrite oxidizers already to handle the nitrite produced, hence seeing no nitrite readings.

It is a possibility, but not something definite right now.

To test this theory, I suggest doing a 100% water change, or until you can get as close to a zero ammonia reading as possible. Then dose 2ppm ammonia with the fishless fuel, and measure your parameters over the next days. If ammonia decreases, that's a good sign.

So you're saying I may be cycled even though I've never seen either of the Ns and my ammonia is just high from the amount of food and debris I've been trying?
I actually gave up on fishless fuel and just started adding food.
Media is filterplus, theyre like really porous rocks. Both filters are full of it, plus a purigen packet. They're tetra whisper HOBs.

 

Also, if your water temp is pretty low, that can really slow a cycle down.

 

Also, if your water temp is pretty low, that can really slow a cycle down.

I'm at 75F

 

I'm at 75F

That should be fine.

 

So you're saying I may be cycled even though I've never seen either of the Ns and my ammonia is just high from the amount of food and debris I've been trying?

Yes but only if something is consuming the nitrate. Unfortunately seems like we do not have evidence of that here.

Media is filterplus, theyre like really porous rocks. Both filters are full of it, plus a purigen packet. They're tetra whisper HOBs.

I am not super familiar with the biomedia you mentioned, but have seen them mentioned before. They should be fine.

 

I agree with Azedenkae 's recommendation. At this point I would change out most of the water. Be sure you add your water conditioner to the fresh water this time and every time you add any water to this tank. While doing the water change siphon out any buildup of food. If it is easy to get out go ahead and clean the driftwood off in some of the water you've pulled from the tank. This isn't necessary but it will just make the tank look better.

Pull the purigen out of the filters. We don't want to be running any kind of chemical media for now. Rinse the other media in some of the water you've pulled from the tank if it is covered in slime. You are basically starting with a clean slate but by using tank water any bacteria that may have grown will be preserved.

Once done add enough ammonia to get it up to no more than 2ppm. Don't add anything other than the ammonia. I will recommend you raise the temp in this tank. Bacteria grows faster at higher temps. I recommend you get it up to at least 80.

 

It has seemed to me that a lot of people using Stress Coat+ have a harder time cycling their tanks. I found this thread on here that would totally confirm this theory. I would switch to Prime until you are cycled.
If you use stress coat + PLEASE read..... | Cleaning and Maintenance Forum | 45513

 

I have heard that a very high ammonia can stall a cycle. I cycled my tank with dead prawns and was struggling until I got my ammonia down to a reading that I could decipher.

 

I had the exact same problem as you.

I started a new tank back on July and it still is not cycled.

Heres the thread I started on it. I will keep updating it until the tank is cycled.

Going Nuts Over Fishless Cycle | Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Forum | 511161

 

Hey everyone, I drained the tank completely and refilled it last week. On Wed, I drove 1.5 hrs to a Petco and bought prime and stability, and accidentally also the most energetic Betta I've ever seen (you know how it is). Tonight I'm reading tank at 78F, ph 7.5, ammo 0, nitrites .25, and nitrates about 15. I always swore I would never fish-in cycle, but it looks like that's what I'm doing and it's going to work. The little man's fins and gills look wonderful. Thanks for y'all's help, now I just hope my plants survive.

 

I always swore I would never fish-in cycle, but it looks like that's what I'm doing and it's going to work

You and your little guy will do just fine. Just test and water change as needed and he should never be in any danger.