# Disaster Struck...cycle Help



## thbstwthn (May 15, 2007)

Ok guys,disaster struck and my last 2" red belly died (3 died last week),i take full resposibility as i decided to cycle with the new fish.Even so i set up the tank at the end of december...its a 30 gallon, gravel substrate, artificial plants i have an aqueon 55 running with 2 cartridges.This is the way it happened:
dec.. 28 (day 1),set up tank with 4 1" rbp...added stresszyme,stress coat,and vitachem
jan..8 ammonia hit 2 and major bacterial bloom
jan 10th...bloom disappears and ammonia down to 1
jan 17th...ammonia .25, ph 6.5,nitrite and nitrate 0...temp 76
jan 25th....ammonia at .50,ph 6.5,nitrite and nitrate 0...temp 76
Feb 1st...decided to eliminate water changes to speed things up and just added treated water when needed.
Feb 7th...3 of the 4 rbp have cloudy eye and tail rot...raised temp and added salt and stresscoat .Ammonia up to 1,ph 6.5, nitrite and nitrate 0.
feb 11th ...rbp doing better,cloudy eyes gone..tails look fuller....ammonia still at 1 no nitrites or nitrates.
feb 13th...rbp look a little better.....but decided to add api's fungus cure to help speed things up....everything went downhill from here.
Feb 18th...did 30% water change...amm still at 1, nitrite and nitrate 0..ph 6.5,temp 80
feb 20th...rbp's symptoms get worse and 3 die..have 1 left.
feb 25th...ammonia..1.5 ,ph 6.5, nitrite and nitrates ..0,temp 80
march 1st...Fed up with ammonia reading so i empty a whole 8oz.bottle of stresszyme...
march 5th...Ammonia climbing up to 3..everything else the same
march 10th...Ammonia steady at 3....everything else the same
march 15th..empty a whole 8oz.bottle stability 
march 17th...last piranha dies..obviously from ammonia...i thought it would atleast drop by this time.
Yesterday...ammonia still at 3..ph,6.5...nitrite and nitrate 0..temp 76.
OK im stuck and have no idea why ammonia isnt dropping....the tank isnt polluted,theres barely anything on the gravel as the last 3 weeks i barely fed the rbp as they werent even eating.Thinking of adding more stability and giving it a week....
sorry for the long post,,,just wanted to make everything clear.Wont put new rbp till tank is cycled....what do you guys suggest?
I was thinking if no change in a week..i would start everything over...
thanks guys!


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

1 you should not have used piranhas to cycle your fish, 2 you are adding way to many chemicals/crap that are probably neutrilizing your ammonia and not letting it cycle properly.

After three weeks you should def be showing nitrites normally.
Also IMO was a waste of time to add meds when all the fish really needed was a clean cycled tank, meds dont help if the ammonia is still poisoning them.

I would leave things alone, dont add fish, do a 50% waterchange, and continue on with a fishless cycle using piece of shrimp or tilapia, and no chemicals other than water conditioner.

Also did you at anytime replace the pads in your filter?
Does your filter have another form of housing Beneficial bacteria like a bio-wheel or something?

Test your levels weekly to see where things are at using a quality test kit.

Once ammo, nitrites are 0 and nitrates are present then you should be ok to add fish.

Also I forgot to mention, one bite sized cube of either the shrimp or tilapia will be enough for the cycle and replace it every few days.
If you add more ammonia source than your filter can produce/house beneficial bacteria then you will always have ammo and possibly nitrites present with constant higher nitrates


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## thbstwthn (May 15, 2007)

I never replaced the filter cartridges...and yes theres some room to include a biowheel....will do


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