Cycling Tank help

[angelus2402004]

I have a 5 gallon tank with a heater, filter, gravel, live plants and fake plants. It's been about 11 days and for about 4 or 5 days the ammonia has been around 8.0 or the darkest green on the api ammonia liquid test kit. I've been doing water changes and the like but I can't get it to go down- I've tried using Prime but it has not done anything. I also have been using: Stress Zyme and Top Fin Bacteria Supplement as well but not at the same time.

Today I checked the Ammonia and it was at 8.0 with the nitrites for the first time at .5.

Do I just leave my tank alone, change the filter, do another water change? The temperature is also at 74-76 degrees and the ph is around 7.2-7.6 its a light blue color using the API ph liquid test.

Thank you

[1fish2fish]

are you doing a fish in or fish less cycle? If your fish are in there you need to do a massive 80% water change like right now.

I would do a big water change to try to bring down the ammonia. You don't want to use ammonia killing agents like prime etc during a cycle... you want the ammonia. Its good that you are seeing nitrites coming in bc pretty soon your ammonia will start to go down.

Don't worry about your pH so much, bettas are better off adapting to subtle pH changes than you messing with the pH so its best you pretend it doesn't exist.

I'm not sure why your ammonia would be that high... can you go into your cycling process a little more?

[angelus2402004]

Oh. Sorry. I'm doing the fishless cycle

Day 1:
Ammonia: .5, added 1/2 teaspoon of ammonia

Day 2: Ammonia 1.0, added 1/2 teaspoon of ammonia and 1 capful of bacteria supplement
-Checked hours later ammonia: 2.0

Day 3: Ammonia 2.0, added some stresszyme, and 1/4 tsp of ammonia. Did a water change and added more gravel because there originally was not that much.

Day 4:Ammonia 1.0

Day 5: Ammonia 2.0, added 1/2 tsp of ammonia

Day 6: Ammonia 2.0, water change, 1 capful of bacteria supplement, and added correct ph tablet was at 7.6.
-Hours later: Ph 6.4, Ammonia 2.0. Added a raw shrimp and left it overnight

Day 7: Ammonia: 2.0, Added raw shrimp all day and night

Day 8: Ammonia 8.0, did a water change, added more plants.

Day 9-and so forth, the ammonia has been around the 8.0 range

[1fish2fish]

Hmm I'm not too familiar with fishless cycles but you should have been seeing nitrites before now.

I was under the assumption that if you did an ammonia cycle you shouldn't add food or other chemicals.. just the ammonia. I could be wrong its been a while since I read over a fishless cycle.

What I would do is a BIG water change.. like I said maybe 60-80%... see if that lowers the ammonia. If your nitrites are going up keep doing what your doing.

Its not uncommon to be 2+ weeks before seeing nitrites but I've never seen the ammonia getting that high.

[New2Betas]

You need to choose between he shrimp or the ammonia, not both. You should keep the ammonia at 5, 8 is too high. When doing a fishless cycle you do not to a water change till the very end. Here is a link that should help. http://www.tropicalfish.site5.com/tf...splay.php?f=10 Check out the stickys and the other post by members.

[angelus2402004]

Ok. I did a water change and got the ammonia down to 2.0

[dramaqueen]

I agree with new2bettas. I wouldn't use the shrimp AND the ammonia. That might be why it's so high.

[angelus2402004]

Ok. So it's been awhile and finally the ammonia is at zero. And now the nitrites and nitrate levels are super high (all are very pink on the quick dip testor). Is the cycle done yet?

[dr2b]

Have you had an algae bloom yet? The cycling is finished when you get the algae bloom, your nitrites are zero, the ammonia is zero, and the nitrates begin to rise slightly. I think they are supposed to be no higher than 20 ppm.

[angelus2402004]

Weeks ago I had the cloudy tank for a bit. Right now the nitrites and nitrates are very high and the ammonia went down to zero yesterday. Should I do a water change to lower it?