Presently fish less cycling a 20 gallon community tank

Presently fish less cycling a 20 gallon community tank. It has only been one week but looks like the ammonia might of stalled on the tank. I do realize that fish less cycling sometimes can take well over 4 weeks to complete if not longer but I have done the fish less cycling process before many times in the past but this time it seems to act a little different then past experiences. I have the API Master Test Kit. I also have the heater set to 78 this is a preset only reason I don't have it set higher then that.

Only readings I have had for 7 days now is the p h is 7.0 ppm and Ammonia is 4.0 ppm nothing else showing as of yet. Will give it a few more days for the ammonia to maybe budge a little if it won't I will do a water change and maybe try something else besides the ammonia in a bottle this time. Thing is I have always used just ammonia in a bottle before and the ammonia at least dropped some of the ppm within a week in the past. Thank You

 

Sounds like a good plan to me based on what I've read about cycling freshwater tanks I'm no expert though

 

Do a partial water change and see what happens. You clearly know what your doing how much ammonia did you dose at one time?

 

be patient..its the best advice that is often over looked...and if your new to the hobby it gives you time to learn how to use your API test kit and become familarized with the important water parameters

 

be patient

^AGREED.

Just make sure you're using pure ammonia - no surfactants, no additives, no foaming when you shake it.

It's unrealistic to think you'll have huge changes in 7 days. Just be patient. No water changes right now. Let things work on their own time.

For reference from my recently cycled tank, which also started at 4 ppm ammonia: Day 9 the ammonia started creeping down and I had a hint of nitrites, Day 12 ammonia hit 0 and I redosed to 3 ppm from that point onward, Day 30 I hit 0 nitrites.

 

^AGREED.

Just make sure you're using pure ammonia - no surfactants, no additives, no foaming when you shake it.

It's unrealistic to think you'll have huge changes in 7 days. Just be patient. No water changes right now. Let things work on their own time.

For reference from my recently cycled tank, which also started at 4 ppm ammonia: Day 9 the ammonia started creeping down and I had a hint of nitrites, Day 12 ammonia hit 0 and I redosed to 3 ppm from that point onward, Day 30 I hit 0 nitrites.

I am using the Ace Janitorial Ammonia which I have also used many times in the past with good results. Yeah I understand about the patience just was a little concerned because I have had ammonia jump a little in as little as just a few days before in the past maybe the ammonia was a little different back in those days then it is now. I will give it another week. If the ammonia won't budge then maybe I will redo the tank and use a shrimp instead. Thank You

 

It's probably not a problem with the ammonia source - It just depends on what the bacterial composition in the tank is. Previously, maybe you got a jump start from something in the tank or just lucky that the ammonia-converting bacteria showed up sooner. You aren't using a bottle bacteria supplement are you? You could try to jump start things that way...

 

It's probably not a problem with the ammonia source - It just depends on what the bacterial composition in the tank is. Previously, maybe you got a jump start from something in the tank or just lucky that the ammonia-converting bacteria showed up sooner. You aren't using a bottle bacteria supplement are you? You could try to jump start things that way...

I used a little gravel from another tank that was already established with bacteria in it and put it in a stocking was not able to fit it in the filter so just placed it in the bottom of the tank itself but other then that no nothing else has been added to the tank.

Think I am on day 8 right now and have been using the API freshwater master test kit readings still p h 7.0 ppm and high range p h is 7.4 ppm ammonia is around 4 ppm and nitrites and nitrates both 0 ppm still. Thank You