Trying to cycle a ten gallon for the past two weeks with seeded media, tetra safe start, dosing with ammonia - the ammonia will not go down no matter what i try! I've cycled tanks using seeded media and it usually takes far less time. any suggestions?
My cycle will NOT happen :/
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one of the sponges running in the canister filter on the old tank!
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Which test kit are you using? How old is it?
The total ammonia (ammonia/ammonium) test on the API kit can have false readings. It could be bad and your tank has been cycled since day 1
What are the water parameters on both? If it wildly differs, the colonies could've gotten shocked or, in worse case, killed off.
Not every gallon from the same tap will have the same parameters. For example, 13 years ago I had a pH of 7, 0 ammonia/ammonium, 0 nitrite, and 20 nitrate. Now I have a pH of 6.8, 0 total ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 20 nitrate. Sometimes nitrite goes up to 0.5 when new houses are being constructed.
When I used to used activated carbon back then, my pH would sometimes be 7.5 - now that I don't, my established tanks often have a pH of 6.4 - 6.6
The total ammonia (ammonia/ammonium) test on the API kit can have false readings. It could be bad and your tank has been cycled since day 1
What are the water parameters on both? If it wildly differs, the colonies could've gotten shocked or, in worse case, killed off.
Not every gallon from the same tap will have the same parameters. For example, 13 years ago I had a pH of 7, 0 ammonia/ammonium, 0 nitrite, and 20 nitrate. Now I have a pH of 6.8, 0 total ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 20 nitrate. Sometimes nitrite goes up to 0.5 when new houses are being constructed.
When I used to used activated carbon back then, my pH would sometimes be 7.5 - now that I don't, my established tanks often have a pH of 6.4 - 6.6
Just have patience. Two weeks in insufficient for the tank to cycle. Ammonia typically starts going down after 3 weeks; nitrites take 6 weeks or longer. Using seeded media does speed things up, but it is not a miracle. in this case, the bacteria in Safe Start and the bacteria in the seeded filter are competing for the available nutrients.What you want is for the bactiera strains in the filter to win that competition. You might want to stop using Safe Start.
How much ammonia are you adding? I think the general consensus is that you should bring the ammonia concentration up to 2 ppm and then check it the next day. If the concentration is below 2 ppm, only add enough ammonia to bring it back to 2 ppm.
Personally, in my six decades of keeping aquariums, I have never cycled a tank with ammonia or ammonium chloride. This is a fairly new practice. Historically, the practice was always to use fish food, or a small piece or shrimp or fish. The reason I like using the older method is that you also develop colonies of falcutative bacteria that break down proteins into urea and then ammonia. It might take a few days longer, but it works well.
How much ammonia are you adding? I think the general consensus is that you should bring the ammonia concentration up to 2 ppm and then check it the next day. If the concentration is below 2 ppm, only add enough ammonia to bring it back to 2 ppm.
Personally, in my six decades of keeping aquariums, I have never cycled a tank with ammonia or ammonium chloride. This is a fairly new practice. Historically, the practice was always to use fish food, or a small piece or shrimp or fish. The reason I like using the older method is that you also develop colonies of falcutative bacteria that break down proteins into urea and then ammonia. It might take a few days longer, but it works well.
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