Fish In Cycle Seems Stalled

Hello everyone, I relatively new to the hobby but have read up and have been closely following these forums. I’m feeling a bit stuck with my cycle.

I have a 38 gallon bow front with a Penguin 200 Biowheel. I’ve had 6 zebra danios in the tank for 5 weeks and have yet to get any nitrites or nitrates. I have been using the API Freshwater masterkit for testing. In the beginning I was only feeding the fish once a day but I wasn’t registering any ammonia. So after a couple weeks I started feeding twice a day. Now for the last 2-3 weeks I’ve been getting readings of 0.25-0.50 ppm ammonia. I’ve been doing 20-30% water changes weekly. Last water change was 3 days ago, just tested ammonia just less than 0.50 ppm, nitrites 0, nitrates 0, ph 7.4, temp 77.

Do I just be patient and keep at it? Should I let the ammonia go higher than 0.5 ppm? Is it safe/should I add more fish?(I think I know the answer to that one) I have been using API Stress Coat for conditioning and did use the bacterial starter Stress Zyme for the first few weeks. I’m sure I had a bacterial bloom at one point, but we’re clear now. Do I switch to Prime and Stability?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

I'm a big fan of Tetra SafeStart myself. So if it were me I would make sure it has been at least 24 hours since my last use of a water conditioner (very important) and add an entire, well shaken, appropriate sized bottle of Tetra SafeStart+. Then do nothing except lightly feed your fish for the next 14 days. On day 14, test your water and if all worked correctly...you've got a cycled tank.

 

yeah, it does sound a bit stalled doesn't it? you may have actually stunted that yourself by adding bacteria by the bottle progressively over the course of a few weeks. the bacteria consumes the ammonia, then you add more bacteria then there's competition, resulting in no established bacteria, so on and so forth.

however, if you added it once, then you probably would have been cycled by now!

when I was starting up my cichlid tank, I found a half empty bottle of nutrafin BB in a bottle so I chucked it in the tank so I could dispose of the bottle taking up space, and I cycled in like 2 weeks.

listen to jdhef, add some BB in a bottle ONCE and then continue as you have been with feeding etc.

dont add more fish.

also try not to add more products than necessary, add the BB and leave your tank alone, fiddling with it will only cause problems.

 

Try not to worry so much just let the tank run feed the fish you already have once a day don’t add anymore for the time being and do your weekly WC’s

 

You could do any of the following:
1. Stay the course
2. Use Stability
3. Use TSS+
You are actually a good candidate for TSS+ since it requires a lightly stocked tank. However that also makes you a good candidate for Stability & Prime. Or you can just keep on, it will cycle eventually & at levels like this your fish are not in danger. Let us know what you decide!

 

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TANK YOU HAVE I HAVE THE UPPER MODEL. okay your filter I know the filter you have because I had the same one you NEED to get a new filter because the penguin 200 sucks. The problem with it is that it's a cartridge filter and they cause all sorts of problems. I highly suggest if you can get your hands on it aquavitro synthesis and put it in the filter media but PLEASE follow the directions and don't overdose like I did because you'll have a psycho cycle like I do now with super high nitrites and nitrates

 

I don't think the danios are producing enough waste imo

 

I don't think the danios are producing enough waste imo

I was wondering if that was the issue.

Try not to worry so much just let the tank run feed the fish you already have once a day don’t add anymore for the time being and do your weekly WC’s

You could do any of the following:
1. Stay the course
2. Use Stability
3. Use TSS+

I like these answers because they’re the simplest and just require me to be patient . I may see if I can find the TSS+ at my LFS but I will keep you posted.

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TANK YOU HAVE I HAVE THE UPPER MODEL. okay your filter I know the filter you have because I had the same one you NEED to get a new filter because the penguin 200 sucks. The problem with it is that it's a cartridge filter and they cause all sorts of problems. I highly suggest if you can get your hands on it aquavitro synthesis and put it in the filter media but PLEASE follow the directions and don't overdose like I did because you'll have a psycho cycle like I do now with super high nitrites and nitrates

The Penguin 200 also had a biowheel, I thought the biowheel would be good for bacteria to colonize. (?) I could put more media in the space in the filter. I just bought this Marineland kit a couple months ago, I’d hate to have to start replacing components already.

 

The Penguin 200 also had a biowheel, I thought the biowheel would be good for bacteria to colonize. (?) I just bought this Marineland kit a couple months ago, I’d hate to have to start replacing components already.

The penguin isn't actually all that good it doesn't filter correctly as I found out with my tank going green then I bought the seachem tidal 55 filter switches to filter sponges and my tank water is crystal! All I have right now is a small nitrite and nitrate problem but that's my own fault

 

I cycled my first tank (36 gallons) with 4 danio's. Of course that was pre-FishLore and I did it the way the salesgirl at PetSmart told me to do it, which was to just put 4 danio's in there and wait until you get 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrites and some nitrates. There was noting in there about water changes sadly. So two of the danios died during the cycle and the other two died a few weeks after the cycle completed. No doubt from toxin exposure.

But my main point was 4 danios should be enough to cycle your tank.

 

yeah if ammonia is readable then you have enough fish lol. just don't allow ammonia to get too high and you should be on your way.

 

6EDDC391-87C4-48D0-81D1-3746F9FDF6A9

• FishyMishy
• Jun 23, 2018

Water Test June 23, 2018

We’re finally getting somewhere!

After a few more days of trying to be patient but still only registering Ammonia, I went out and purchased some Marineland Aquarium Bacteria. (I wasn’t able to find TSS here) I added it to the tank 2 days ago and here are my results. <0.25 ammonia, ~0.5 nitrite and almost 5.0 nitrate.

Do I need a water change? Today I would usually do my weekly water change. Or just add some Prime and let it run it’s course?

In other news, I’m starting to get some diatoms on my artificial plants.

 

I added a bacteria starter after I tested for nitrite (about 3weeks in) and my tank finished cycling in 24 hrs.
I would dose prime for the tank volume and change some water.

edit: I don't know why there's so much "hype" about using TSS when it seems there are better and cheaper products that can be used with prime, etc..

 

I cycled a 36 with 6 zebra danios, TetraSafeStart + and no water changes in 14 days.

All 6 are still with me 8 months later.

Reason I posted was to say 5 zebras are enough ammonia.

Doing a water change would make it safe for your fish so I would do one since it’s your regular schedule anyways.

With tts you aren’t supposed to check parameters for 14 days. They say parameters will be all over the board and they don’t want you to do a water change for 14 days. But in your case, I would.