The tank that just won't cycle

[nix70c]

Ever had a new tank that just won't cycle? I picked up a 20 long at the Petco sale and it is driving me crazy. I treat the water with a double dose of Prime but I'm beginning to wonder if all the chloramine they are dumping in the water supply is inhibiting the good bacteria. I've seeded it multiple times from established tanks and not even seen nitrite yet, just plenty of ammonia.

[Mugwump]

Ever had a new tank that just won't cycle? I picked up a 20 long at the Petco sale and it is driving me crazy. I treat the water with a double dose of Prime but I'm beginning to wonder if all the chloramine they are dumping in the water supply is inhibiting the good bacteria. I've seeded it multiple times from established tanks and not even seen nitrite yet, just plenty of ammonia.

Instead of Prime which can give a false positive in test kits....age the water in a few fivers with an air stone and a live sponge overnight...squeeze the snot out of the sponges and toss in the bucket....and see what you get......I'm guessing that either your sponges weren't 'live' enough, or your tap water's messed as you suggested.....have tried hang on tank dirty filter media???...just squeeze it the new tank water, the sponges will absorb and house the baceria from there.....I, myself, don't care what they say...you get better results squeezing the media in the water then tossing in the sponges....than just plopping seasoned sponges in....the water needs to get dirty before it'll clear for you....I can have a tank ready overnight doing it that way......from muck to pristine boomba.....

[Rjb3]

Try a foam filter that's been in another tank for a while. That's what I did for my new tanks. I still have a few extra foam corner filters in some of my small tanks. I would even bag foam filters in water and send them home with people for new start ups. If I was starting a big tank I'd take the foam or the charcoal elements out of an Aqua Clear 70 and swap them to the new tank's filter. Worked like a charm.

[Mugwump]

Try a foam filter that's been in another tank for a while. That's what I did for my new tanks. I still have a few extra foam corner filters in some of my small tanks. I would even bag foam filters in water and send them home with people for new start ups. If I was starting a big tank I'd take the foam or the charcoal elements out of an Aqua Clear 70 and swap them to the new tank's filter. Worked like a charm.

I agree that most filter media will get it done over time...but really, squeezing the media out first and busting up the bacterial colonies...does it better and quicker....then by letting the filter/sponge media be recaptured it acts like a cycle itself......

[b125killer]

I do like Jon and squeeze the living poop out of the sponge filters. It makes a big mess but it clears up quickly. Setting up big tanks i like to use a dirty canister and the sponge squeezings. When i set up my sisters new tank i didn't squeeze the sponge filters and the canister was cleaned a week before i set up her tank. It went through a mini cycle.

[nix70c]

Yep I've put 3 or 4 different sponges in, added some lava rock I kept in my big guppy tank, dumped in gravel from several different tanks, even did a 10g water change with water from an established tank. Last night marked 2 full weeks, I dug out an old hob filter and put in a dirty filter insert from my cichlid tank. No change yet. If I don't get anywhere I guess I will drain it and fill it completely with old water this weekend. Just can't believe how much effort this one tank is taking.

[LizStreithorst]

Like Mug said, Prime will give an ammonia reading in the water when no ammonia is really there and you double dosed it.  If you see no nitrite and and an ammonia reading in this tank I think that the tank is cycled already and you are worrying about nothing.

Toss a worthless fish in the tank and see how it does.  The fish will tell you whether or not you have a problem.

[ghonk]

Has the tank only been set up 2 weeks,if that's the case it's probably why you aren't seeing any nitrites yet.

[Mugwump]

Has the tank only been set up 2 weeks,if that's the case it's probably why you aren't seeing any nitrites yet.

..blinked and missed it.... ....it likely could have been ready overnight.....

[nix70c]

Yes, up and running for 2 weeks with some fish, seeded multiple ways as I mentioned previously. I totally spaced out that Prime would cause a false positive for Ammonia. I will test the Nitrate later and see where I'm at. It just doesn't smell like a cycled tank. But then again there's probably enough Prime in there to fool my nose now.

[BallAquatics]

I can't remember the last time I cycled a tank.....

Dennis

[ilroost]

Is your test kit outdated or old? I am like dennis i can't remember the last time i cycled a new tank.
I just fill up the tank put in a sponge from another tank wait a hour or two the put in fish. Never had a problem

[BillT]

Using prime may remove the ammonia and nitrates that the bacteria need to grow, in order for the tank to cycle.

Squeezing the sponge filters could break up large bacterial colonies freeing up lots of individual bacterial cells which could go on to form new colonies on other surfaces.

If bacterial colonies get too large they can be self limiting in how much ammonia they can process. This can happen when the colonies become too large for oxygen and/or nutrients to diffuse into the center fast enough to support the cells metabolism. Breaking them up into smaller pieces might reactivate the cells that were deeply buried in the colony.