Losing my mind and patience

I have been cycling this tank for over 4 weeks now. I am doing a fishless cycle. Seeded it with a half a sponge from another tank that had not fully cycled yet but was almost done. Also threw in TSS+. Tank began converting ammo into nitrites almost immediately. Got nitrates pretty quickly as well. However, for these past four weeks the nitrites refuse to go down! For some reason that part of my cycle is not picking up.

I did a few large water changes thinking that would maybe help out a bit, but it has not. In fact, I did a 50% water change last night and my levels of both nitrites and nitrates are still off the charts.

Full disclosure, when I did one of the water changes a few weeks ago I forgot to dose prime. Perhaps that killed a bit of my BB. But, my ammo is still being quickly converted to nitrites (generally 2ppm down to 0 ppm in about 12-24 hrs). I have also been dosing stability the past week.

I have a developed a great deal of patience with this whole thing, but I am starting to lose it. Plus I am having a going away party on Friday and I really wanted to have fish in the tank, but I am starting to think that will not happen and I will have to explain to people who don't understand the nitrogen cycle why I have an empty tank.

 

If you did a water change at any time during the two weeks after you added TSS, it may have hurt your progress. And did you wait 24hrs after using Prime to add the initial bottle of TSS?

Having done the water change without using Prime may have also harmed the BB.

So, where are you right now in your water parameters (exact numbers please including pH and temp)? Have you dosed ammonia today?

 

I did wait 24 hrs after Prime before adding in TSS. I also did not do a water change at all until about the third week. I just dosed ammo for today. I am not sure what the level is yet because I literally just put in in before I logged on here. It was at zero before I dosed. Nitrite is between 2 and 5ppm. Nitrate is 160 ppm. pH is 7.8-8.0. Temp is about 86 degrees F.

 

You should probably do a large water change, at least 70-80% to bring those nitrates and nitrite numbers down. Then I'd dose ammonia again to 2ppm and add more Stability.

 

Alright ill try that and update. Thanks!

 

Havent been able to do a water change yet but did another panel of tests. My pH is actually closer to 7.4. I have the seachem indicator but I can never tell exactly what color it is, so I really should do the liquid more often. Also, the ammo I doses this afternoon is already gone.

Going to do a big water change tomorrow and then redose ammo.

 

Are you talking about the Seachem ammonia alert sticker? When cycling, I would be using the liquid tests daily instead of the indicator.

 

I was talking about the pH indicator but I have the ammo alter too. I have been using liquid for ammo. Hadnt done a liquid pH in awhile.

 

Got it!

 

So I just did a 90% water change and then tested parameters. The ammonia is elevated because my tap has chloramines. But the nitrites and nitrates did not seem to drop at all! I tested my tap water just to make sure and there are no nitrites or nitrates in the tap. Why are my levels still so high when I just did a huge water change?

 

Did you use Prime? What was the ammonia before your water change? And did you dose any more? If so, how much?

 

I did use prime. I know that can mess up the readings for 24 hours but I doubt it would make them look that elevated. I did not put in any ammonia other than what is naturally in my tap water because of the addition of chloramine. My ammonia reading before this water change was 0 ppm.

Because I do not have any fish, I am of course less worried about the ammonia and more confused about why the nitrites and nitrates would not have been substantially diminished by that huge water change. It seems like it just will not drop.

 

My guess is the nitrite and nitrate levels were much higher than what's on the the card since you already said it was at 5ppm and 160ppm. This might have been enough to stall your cycle.

I would just do a 100% water change and just get all those levels down. Refill, dose prime and then post your parameters again.

I know this is frustrating. :/

 

It is frustrating but I am so happy that you are helping me

 

You'll get there. We're all here for you.

 

Hang in there, it'll all be worth it, I promise. I almost threw in the towel when I ran into problem after problem setting up my 85 and even flooding my living room, but as soon as I got some scaping done and the fish in there, it was completely worth it.

 

Thanks! Luckily my 10 gallon with the betta is keeping me motivated. I did a water change yesterday and notice today that he has made two large bubble nests. So cute.

UPDATE: SUCCESS!!! I just got the levels down to zero nitrites and nitrates. Will dose prime and ammonia and hopefully my cycle will pick up now. Also as a side note, python water changer = best investment ever.

 

Update:

My tank basically went from 0 ppm nitrite the other day to being back at the highest level. Should I do another water change? Is it possible that my heater is on too high? The water temp. is like 90 degrees F. I was under the impression that heat helped the process along, but I wonder if I have surpassed the temperature that is effective and entered into a range of temperature that is harmful.

 

What did you dose ammonia to? What was your ammonia and nitrate reading? Definitely need to do another large water change. Could you provide a log maybe of what occurred between 4/29 and today, including parameters for each day? I think that would help us and you to determine what's happening with your cycle.

 

unfortunately I cannot provide a log as I did not keep one and don't remember. I will start one today after I get home from an exam and do a large water change.

 

I would test daily and write all the numbers down even if you don't do anything to the tank.

 

Ugh I think I figured out the problem...I am a dummy. I realized today when I did my water change that I have not been dosing enough ammonia I think. When I did my first 100% water change on this tank, I check the ammonia levels in the tap which are usually around 0.5-0.75. Then I dosed the difference to get to 2 ppm. Without thinking I have been dosing this same amount even after my tank cycled the original ammonia down to 0 ppm. So basically I have only been dosing my tank the amount of ammonia it takes to get from 0.75 pmm - 2 ppm as opposed to the amount needed to get from 0 ppm to 2 ppm.

Could this be the problem?

 

Then I guess you were blindly adding more ammonia without first testing to see where the ammonia was that day? ??? If so, yes that might explain the high nitrite.

Can you provide your water parameters as they are right now - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate?

 

No I just wasn't adding more ammonia until it went back to zero so I was always adding the same amount.

I will provide parameters soon. Not at home now.

Okay here is what has happened since last night:

At 9:30 pm -
Did a 100% water change (but there was a bit at the bottom that would not suction out). Accidentally didnt add prime until after the water change, but did add it. Also added 2 caps of stability.
Levels after water change:
NH3 - 0.5ppm (from tap water)
Nitrite - 0.25 ppm
Nitrate - about 3 ppm
Dosed 10 mL NH3
New NH3 Level - 2 ppm

I tested at 12:30 today and the results were:
NH3 - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 5 ppm
Nitrate - 40 ppm
Dosed 20 mL NH3 (should have done 15 mL)
New NH3 level - 4 ppm (opps)

 

Ok, so what I would've done is to first do a large water change this afternoon to bring the nitrite down. And THEN re-dose ammonia. If you keep adding the ammonia, the nitrite is going to go off the charts and you'll wind up stalling your cycle.

 

I thought I needed to add ammonia when I got to zero to keep the bacteria alive? So should I do a large water change and get all levels down to zero and Then redose?I'm just not sure how to proceed until the bacteria are large enough to eat the nitrite

Oh never mind I see what you're saying so should I be doing water changes every time I get nitrite readings? It is weird though because it seems as though even when I start from zero level as soon as I dosed any ammonia the nitrite goes way up

 

Right, the bacteria that converts the ammonia to nitrite is now present. You're just waiting for the bacteria to colonize the nitrite to nitrates. But you don't want to let the nitrites go so high. So yes, do a large enough water change to bring down the nitrite and then redose back up to 2ppm. Add Stability if you haven't done so.

 

Ok thanks! How long do you think it will be?

 

They say the nitrite phase is the longest so I'm not sure but just keep going. Stability should be helping you so hopefully not much longer!

 

Is it normal that after dosing 2ppm of NH3 the nitrite goes from 0ppm to off the charts basically? Although I do have trouble deciphering the difference btwn the 2 purples at the highest levels of nitrite