Need help with cycling

[Danroo]

Hi, I’m new to the saltwater hobby and almost a month in.I started a tank (20 gallon) with fish in and bottled nitrifying bacteria with a dry rock and rinsed sand.

I had some question regarding the cycling process for my tank I did a lot of research but I’m still puzzled so I started my tank on the 24th jan and got my fish on 27th the nitrifying bacteria. The bacteria was perfectly fine but due to me not putting up the filter properly. Making it go backwards for some reason on second day my filter started going crazy the change filter light keeps blinking, and for some reason I thought it was the filter not working properly and change it entirely among all this my fish got lethargic ( two clownfish) avoided the pallets for a single week. Ordered two more fish with mysis shrimp. This is 22 February now and my fish are eating fine but the tank is still not cycled I’m still seeing ammonia. Part of my mistake was adding fritz turbo to make the ammonia and nitrites low the test was always showing ammonia and nitrites but recently I stopped adding it cause my fish were not being lethargic and test it again with my surprise no ammonia but still having nitrite and after 2 weeks same thing with lethargic behavior. So I dosed the tank with prime and now ammonia is back. Ordered Fritzzyme 9 nitrifying bacteria will this help my tank or is it just a waste of money and my tank will take longer to cycle?

 

[Jekyl]

What test are you using? How much are you feeding? How much dry rock do you have? You say rinsed sand, was it new or did it come from another tank?

 

[lapin]

I would take the fish back to the store. You do not want to kill more fish.
There are a lot of unanswered questions
Where do you get your water?
Where did the bacteria come from? (was it old)
What test kit are you using?
Are you adding ammonia some other way (overfeeding)
Whats in your filter?
And the questions above?

 

[onewooten]

Am I reading that correctly when you say you got your tank on the 24th and got fish on the 27th? What kind of filter are you running?

 

[Danroo]

What test are you using? How much are you feeding? How much dry rock do you have? You say rinsed sand, was it new or did it come from another tank?

I’m using the salifert test kit. One feedings a day which does gets left over cause the male clownfish is not to fast on catching every bite hence string poop. 20 pounds of sand and rock. The sand was bought named arag-alive special grade reef sand

 

[Danroo]

I would take the fish back to the store. You do not want to kill more fish.
There are a lot of unanswered questions
Where do you get your water?
Where did the bacteria come from? (was it old)
What test kit are you using?
Are you adding ammonia some other way (overfeeding)
Whats in your filter?
And the questions above?

No fish died just a bit slow.
bought the fish from liveaquaria (online)
the water is treated tap water with fritz complete.
the bacteria came from dr tum one and only the expiration date was till March.
I have been feeding the same as always just the ammonia starts to show up when I treat the water with fritz complete. After 3 weeks.

 

[Danroo]

Am I reading that correctly when you say you got your tank on the 24th and got fish on the 27th? What kind of filter are you running?

I set up the tank on 24th was two day delivery through air. The filter I am using is Aquinon quietflow 20

 

[Jekyl]

There could be ammonia in your tap water

 

[Danroo]

There could be ammonia in your tap water

Haven’t done any water changes except at the start of the week where my male clownfish was looking like it’s about to die( which he didn’t) . I was dosing Fritz complete and after 2 weeks ordered two more fish with some frozen mysis shrimp after they became lively and started eating a bit of pallets. Third week went to a LFS to get some Clean up crew they tested my water telling me I have a bit of nitrite and no ammonia, 10ppm nitrate and the pH was 8.2 recommended me to not add anything and let the cycle be complete.

 

[lapin]

Fritz complete can effect Nessler-type ammonia tests. (Yellow color)
Maybe your test results are bad and it is unknown why your first fish died.
If you got a second test and it was "0" then your fish prob did not die from ammonia.

 

[Danroo]

Fritz complete can effect Nessler-type ammonia tests. (Yellow color)
Maybe your test results are bad and it is unknown why your first fish died.
It says it binds ammonia. If it is like Prime it will release that ammonia in 48 hours.
I would find a home for the fish until you get the the tank stable.

Oh no. All of my fish are alive the male clownfish became lethargic for first few weeks staying on the sand band less movement normal breathing and string poop was coming out the second week the female one was energetic but started doing string poop. Lack of eating maybe? Cause all of my fish refuse to eat mysis shrimp pallets.

 

[Jekyl]

I would stop using tap water as soon as you can. Also how many fish do you have now? Seems like it should be at least 3?

 

[Danroo]

The dying part that I was talking about was the one and only dr Tim bacteria which I kept for awhile in my basement where the temperature could be a bit cold for awhile, but seeing how putting my filter backwards and the change the filter indicator goes off on the second day makes me think I had bacteria in my filter but I threw it away and added a new one instead think the whole filter was faulty cause pet I told me it might not work properly.

 

[Danroo]

I would stop using tap water as soon as you can. Also how many fish do you have now? Seems like it should be at least 3?

4 fish 2 clowns one damsel and a dottyback.

 

[lapin]

It sounds like they have parasitic worms.
First try feeding them real food like frozen mysis shrimp until you see them eat.
Next try something like Prazzi Pro treatment for the worms.
Another treatment is Metroplex and Focus soaked food.

 

[Danroo]

It sounds like they have parasitic worms.
First try feeding them real food like frozen mysis shrimp until you see them eat.
Next try something like Prazzi Pro treatment for the worms.
Another treatment is Metroplex and Focus soaked food.

They just refused the pallets but are snatching the frozen mysis shrimp from each other. Tried giving the pallets on the first day to the damsel and dotty back both spit it out.

 

[lapin]

Throw the pellets in the trash

 

[Danroo]

so will the bottled bacteria boost the cycle that I’m gonna receive tomorrow by adding more nitrifying bacteria to my tank. Or is it not gonna do much and my parameters will change normally? Forgot to mention my nitrates went 25ppm before I dosed fritz complete day before yesterday and yesterday it went back to 10 ppm. Ammonia is 0.05ppm nitrites are 1ppm( which I was trying to lower through fritz complete)

 

[Jekyl]

You just went too fast. 4 fish is the max for that tank and should have taken months to get there. Get RoDi water or at least distilled from the grocery store and keep up on water changes.

 

[Danroo]

You just went too fast. 4 fish is the max for that tank and should have taken months to get there. Get RoDi water or at least distilled from the grocery store and keep up on water changes.

I did two water changes in a single week when both of my clownfish arrived and the male one laying on the bed with every water change it was active before but after the water change it just stayed on the sand bed for awhile with minimal movement but right now all of them are swimming. Plus after the water change I tested my water it only lowered my nitrates to 0 but still had the same nitrites and ammonia. Not sure if I should do a water change or try doing it with the nitrifying bacteria.