My tank been setup for 5 weeks already and my test kit are still reading like .25 ammonia, .5 nitrite, and 15-20 nitrate. I have been doing 25-30% water change every 3-4 days. I use Prime as water conditioner, sometimes I even double the dose of Prime, but I'm still getting ammonia. Is there anything that I'm doing wrong? Why is there still ammonia in my tank? Please help.

I can't offer any advice here, but I might make you feel a little better. I also am in my 5th week of cycling and I still don't have any nitrites!!! I use Prime and do 70% water changes about every other day. I know how you feel! Hang in there.

Haha Thanks! I guess we are in the same situation . Hope your nitrites will come soon and good luck!

If you have no ammonia/nitrite/nitrate in your tap water, then your readings can mean that your cycle is starting. Since you are using Prime, depending on what test you use, you are reading only that which is not bound by the Prime - one reason why the readings may be lower.

If you have the beginnings of a cycle starting - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!. It takes a bit of time to grow the colonies of benenficial bacteria large enough to process all the waste the fish produce - but you are well on your way.

Ok..it's either my tap water have ammonia or something is wrong with my test kit. It's reading around .25 ammonia or less, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, around 200 GH, 80 KH, and 7.8 pH. Oh.. I'm using the test strips by Jungle. It's so hard to match the color. I also got the drop test for ammonia by API. I'll test the ammonia with it later.

The drop test result came out as 0 ammonia. Um.. it looks yellow to me.. so I guess its 0.

I used the test strips too when I first started and they were terrible. The API drop test is really good. I would suggest getting the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. It has the most important param tests and seems to be very accurate.

My friend has an even worse problem her tank has been cycled for approxiametely 5 to 7 months and her ammonia is constantly between 2 and 5 and she always has nitrite but her tank is cycled, her tap water has 0 ammonia and nitrite, do you know what could be wrong with her tank. She used to overfeed her fish but thanks to me she doesnt anymore lol