I Am So Confused Right Now!

So I got my tank back in March and all was normal, I waited about a month or so and my cycle finally finished. Diatoms started to appear so I went and invested in a nerite snail (the cutest little thing). Then a month and a half later my cycle completely restarted. While I was showing 0 Amm, 0 Nitrite, and 5-10 Nitrate, I showed 0 everything.

I tested the water for a couple of days just to be sure it wasn't just a hiccup, because hey I'm new to this. However, the only thing that started to appear was Ammonia. So I groaned, but I'm patient and I've been waiting out my cycle again.

A yesterday I was jumping with joy when Nitrites started to appear! So this morning I tested my water ( I always test before my water changes) and now everything is at 0 again.

The level of confused and frustration I am at right now is off the charts. I've had this tank for 5 months and I can't seem to get a stable cycle.

The only thing I can think of, is that there are butt loads of tiny snails in my tank (that I'm sure came from a plant I bought) and I swear they won't go away, but I'm going to try and find out how to remove them by starting with removing the plant. However would they be the cause of this abnormal cycle?

 

Fish in or fishless?

 

How clean are you keeping this tank? Did you change your filter media (cartridge if that is what you use)? or did you clean it in something other than water removed from the tank? Your tank is one thing in your home that you don't want to keep spotlessly clean. You want clean fresh water but you want your filter media kinda grungy. That is where most of your cycle (bacteria) lives so you want to disturb it as little as possible.

 

How clean are you keeping this tank? Did you change your filter media (cartridge if that is what you use)? or did you clean it in something other than water removed from the tank? Your tank is one thing in your home that you don't want to keep spotlessly clean. You want clean fresh water but you want your filter media kinda grungy. That is where most of your cycle (bacteria) lives so you want to disturb it as little as possible.

I agree 1000% were to ingrained with this "house" has to be clean to be healthy mentallity but the aquarium is more akin to our intestinal tracks. Its HAS to have a plethora of beneficial bacteria to function properly and healthily. Dont over clean. Lots of the biological flora fauna lives in the substrate.

I usually try and limit vacuuming to every other or every third water change and only doing half the tank at a time.

This is the one time you can claim something dirty better! Embrace it.

Good luck!

 

Fish in or fishless?

Sorry for the late reply! Fish in cycle.

How clean are you keeping this tank? Did you change your filter media (cartridge if that is what you use)? or did you clean it in something other than water removed from the tank? Your tank is one thing in your home that you don't want to keep spotlessly clean. You want clean fresh water but you want your filter media kinda grungy. That is where most of your cycle (bacteria) lives so you want to disturb it as little as possible.

Sorry for the late reply! No I haven't messed with any of the media, I've just been doing 25% water changes every other day. I don't want to wait too long because prime only works for 48 hours, and I'm not ready for a sick fish.

I agree 1000% were to ingrained with this "house" has to be clean to be healthy mentallity but the aquarium is more akin to our intestinal tracks. Its HAS to have a plethora of beneficial bacteria to function properly and healthily. Dont over clean. Lots of the biological flora fauna lives in the substrate.

I usually try and limit vacuuming to every other or every third water change and only doing half the tank at a time.

This is the one time you can claim something dirty better! Embrace it.

Good luck!

Sorry for the late reply! I will definitely try and limit the vacuuming, at this point I've just been doing 25% water changes every other day and vacuuming any poop I find.

 

It is good that you haven't been over cleaning your filter media. I would suggest, instead of so many water changes you just add prime whenever you see an ammonia reading. As long as it is below 1 the prime will keep your fish safe.

With so many water changes you may not be leaving enough ammonia in there to feed the bacteria (the bacteria is your cycle). At this point I wouldn't be doing more than one water change a week and would gravel vac less often. Maybe no more often than every other week. If the poop is unsightly you can remove it with a turkey baster between water changes.

Of course should the ammonia get above one you would want to do a water change to get it back below one and add prime to neutralize what is left.

I am thinking this tank is in fact cycled but by doing so many water changes you are depriving the bacteria the food they need to thrive Thus the occasional nitrite spikes. The water changes are also removing the nitrates so a zero reading isn't too surprising.