[musho3210]

I have had my 20 gallon tank for two weeks now. I am currently cycling it with 5 zebra danios. For two weeks my stats have not changed. My ammonia is either.25 or .50. I do a 25% water change when its at .50 and a 10% water change when its at .25. The ph is always 6.8 and the nitrite and nitrate are always at zero. Is their something wrong because the ammonia is not changing. I use two filters, one penguin biowheel filter and one top fin power filter. My fish seem fine and i have had no casualties yet. I feed them 1-2 a day but for the last 3 days i have not fed them. And yes, i do use a dechlorinator that gets rid of chlorine and chloramines (my water company doesnt use chloramines though)
I have not been using any medications.

Photos are down the page

Here is my ammonia tests in order from day 1-15
"0
0
0
.25
.25
.25
.25
.25
0
.25
.25
.50
.50
.25
1.0!!!
.25 Phew
.50
.50
1.0 OMG IM SO ANGRY

"All nitrite is at zero, all nitrate is at zero" (since no one has read this i will have to put it in table form!)

Nitrite:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Nitrate:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0



I was using dip and read test strips from mardel. These past few days i have been using API freshwater master test kit that uses liquid tests.

 

[Nick]

Hmmm some tanks tank longer to finish the cycle process then other. It may take up to a month to finish cycles to get ammonia 0, nitrite 0, and nitrate under 40. Just have to sit tight.

 

[crazie.eddie]

Did you record your nitrite and nitrate levels also?

 

[Lupin]

Also what test kit were you using?

 

[musho3210]

todays test says the ammonia is at 1.0!! I think somethings very wrong here, im gonna do a major water change

 

[St6_Devgru]

my ammonia is zero at like 3 days old

i have yet to take readings for no3 and no2

 

[crazie.eddie]

Include ALL your readings of ammonia, Nitrites, AND NitrAtes. It's hard to tell where you cycle is at with just ammonia readings. We could just make an assumption that your cycle hasn't stablized yet, but NOT until you include the nitrites and nitrates also

 

[St6_Devgru]

..........*sniff* ok.......

 

[musho3210]

if you have read the whole thing you would see i have tested the nitrites AND Nitrates, i also test PH, i test everything once a day and sometimes twice a day, tell me how i can fix or help this problem, i use liquid test today and it came at 1.0 for ammonia and zero for everything else. READ THE WHOLE POST BEFORE YOU REPLY

 

[jones57742]

todays test says the ammonia is at 1.0!! I think somethings very wrong here, im gonna do a major water change

I have been following this thread and have noted that you have modified you your original post 5 times in response to questions.

Yes: you are correct that there is something wrong.

At 14 days you should observe a nitrite concentration since you have observed an ammonia concentration.

I am not familiar with you filtration products or test kit which you are utilizing but from the information which you have posted either:

1) the biological filtration in the filtration products is not functioning or

2) the test kit is old and yielding inaccurate results.

From the extent of your diligence I would speculate 1).

It would really help me to help you if you could post a photograph of your aquarium and the filtration products which you are employing.

Please note that IMHO at an ammonia concentration of 1.0 your fish suffering.

TR

 

[musho3210]

Here is my equipment. Tommorrow im going to my lfs and getting a different water dechlorinator incase the one i have isnt working. As many people have suggested i will probably get PRIME. I will also get those products that add bacterial strains to try and boost my bacterial growth. This might just work

Here are the photos

This is my main filter. The wheel is spinning. It is a Marineland, Penguin 100, Bio-Wheel power filter

Here is the same filter but with the hood off so you can see the wheel itself.

Here is the filter media for my main filter, it has filter floss and activated carbon

Here is my other filter, it works as a back up or when im using a quarantine/breeding tank. It is a topfin model 20 power filter

This is the filter media in my back-up top fin filter. It contains activated carbon

Here is my test kit. It uses liquid testing.

here is my fish food. I have frozen food but i havent used those yet

Here is the salt i use. A small fingernail sized pinch per 10 gallons, its about half a teaspoon

Here is my water conditioner. I am getting a new one tommorow because i dont think this one is working, thats my diagnoses on why my biological filter is not establishing. I will probably switch to PRIME.

Heres the whole tank

 

[Lupin]

Have you use any medicines to treat the fish? Some meds appear to harm your biological filtration thus resulting to ammonia and nitrite spikes.

 

[musho3210]

nope no medications. All that goes in the tank is water, dechlorinator, and some salt

 

[Lupin]

Have you seeded your tank with an established filter media or anything else like decors, gravel? If you haven't, you may not have enough bacteria to break down the ammonia into nitrites and finally to nitrates. At the moment, ammonia can't be much too toxic at low pH although you still need to get rid of the ammonia.

 

[musho3210]

i dont know anyone that can lend my anything to "seed" the tank, thats why im planning to get those bottles that contain strains of bacteria and see if they help.

 

[Lupin]

i dont know anyone that can lend my anything to "seed" the tank, thats why im planning to get those bottles that contain strains of bacteria and see if they help.

Try to ask your lfs for a filter media in one of their tanks. Make sure the tank where you get the media has healthy stocks. Diseased fish will naturally infect your own fish which could cause you troubles.

 

[fish_4_all]

The actual problem could be the test strips. I used to use them and had the same problem. Low results for nitrates and nitrites and ammonia would fluctuate with tests not 30 minutes apart.

I personally would recommend the liquid regent tests from either Aquarium Pharmaceuticals or another descent manufacturer. I think Redfin is recommended for nitrates and another company for phosphates but I don't remember which one.

Something else that might help is to treat the water before adding it. Also, not feeding the fish for 3 days could have caused a drop in waste from the fish and over a couple days the concentration, not quantity, of their waste caused a spike in ammonia. Have patience and keep up with the water changes.

Make sure you biowheel is always wet and turning, as I a am sure you already know, and that you are rinsing the filter media in tank water and ot tap water otherwise you are killing the beneficial bacteria.

Best of luck, keep asking quesitons and try to be patient with it. Sooner or later you will have your tank up and running.

 

[musho3210]

ok i'll try that tommorow, are their any other tips?

 

[musho3210]

Todays reading is .25, its a good drop from yesterday. Nitrite and Nitrate are still at zero though

 

[musho3210]

I just bought prime dechlorinator and stress zyme to see if these help.