Question: Cycling issue

[ashmor604]

So I've had my two lotls in my 20 gallon long tank for a few days short of 4 weeks and I can't seem to get the tank to cycle. My parameters are:

ph = 7.6
ammonia = approx. 1.0 ppm
nitrites = 0.0 ppm
nitrates = 0.0 ppm

The ammonia has fluctuated from .5 to 1.5 over the past five days but I still haven't seen a spike in nitrites and I test daily with an API master test kit. I also recently got a live Java Nana plant (figured it couldn't hurt) and have had two moss balls in there. I clean their poop out religiously and have recently changed them from blood worms to earth worms. Both lotls seem happy and healthy.

What am I doing wrong?? I've researched this so much online and still can't seem to figure out why it's not cycling. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Edit: I also do a 10-20% daily water change with 24 hour old de-chlorinated tap water of the same temperature (67F)

 

[Boomsloth]

Sometimes cycling can take a while to really get started. Since your axolotls are in the tank while you're cycling I would really try to keep the ammonia as low as possible. Are you just letting the water sit for a day to dechlorinate? I'm only asking because this usually isn't enough to get all the chlorine out. Keep the water changes going until you see nitrite spike up. It'll happen eventually.

 

[Kaini]

Cycling can take longer at lower temperatures (such as the temps you have to keep lotls at) because the cold slows the bacteria.

You could try finding some already established filter material to speed up the process (from a friend with a cycled tank or from a local fish store) just remember to transport it in tank water and that it only has a life of about an hour outside an oxygenated tank (or so I've heard).

Also as Boomsloth pointed out, letting the water sit for 24 hours doesn't really get all the chlorine out. it's an antiquated way of doing it and doesn't remove chloramines either, or heavy metals. You should buy an aquarium de-chlorinator from your local pet store (such as seachem prime or API stress coat).

The chlorine could be killing your beneficial bacteria.

 

[ashmor604]

I use Aqueon Water Conditioner to treat the water I use for water changes and then let it sit for 24 hours. I do daily water changes, like I said. Is there anything else I should be doing? I have ammonia neutralizer from the same company (Aqueon) but I'm hesitant to use it unless things get worse. Does anyone have experience with that? Should I let the tank run its course or treat the ammonia that hasn't seemed to go away?

 

[Kaini]

I use Aqueon Water Conditioner to treat the water I use for water changes and then let it sit for 24 hours. I do daily water changes, like I said. Is there anything else I should be doing? I have ammonia neutralizer from the same company (Aqueon) but I'm hesitant to use it unless things get worse. Does anyone have experience with that? Should I let the tank run its course or treat the ammonia that hasn't seemed to go away?

Ah, okay. If you're using Dechlorinator there is no reason to let it sit that long. A few minutes is fine, aquarium dechlorinator works instantly.

I wouldn't use the ammonia neutralizer, it might halt your cycle.

There's nothing else you can do (unless you take my earlier advice and find some established media) the process is just slow because of the cold.