I'm just about ready to return the fish to the store and sell the aquarium. It's a 50 gallon that now has an Aquaclear 70 and an Aquaclear 50 running full blast.

My ammonia continues to spike to 1ppm and requires at least a 50% water change every day. Nitrite is still 0, Nitrates remain around 5ppm and never change. I pulled everything but the sponges and little cylinders of media out of my filters and put my entire established Aquaclear 50 on it three days ago. This has had absolutely no effect on the water quality.

The pH continues to plummet to 7.4 every time I change the water, it then rises to 8.2 over the next 24 hours.

I got the API test kit for gH and kH, but my results were completely off the chart so I have no idea what I'm dealing with. I do know that the kH test took 20 drops to change the color, and the gH test took 30. The tap water tested the same.

Is there any way to fix this, or do I just give up now? The guy at the lfs said the cycle will never progress unless I let the ammonia spike up and kill the fish, so I should stop changing the water for a few weeks. My little red oranda got sucked into the filter intake last night, I may move all four fish into my 20 gallon and let the 50 gallon cycle by itself.

I don't know for sure, but I am sure an expert will come soon

I am sorry that you are having such a hard time. All that work and things don't change at all. I can only imagine that is so maddening.

I am no expert, but I have found AmQuel+ very helpful as I cycle my 55 gallon aquarium. It detoxifies the ammonia so that it is safe for your fish and is still available for the beneficial bacteria that you are trying to grow. It gives you peace of mind through a challenging stage of aquarium-keeping.

Best of luck!

I'm using Amquel+ and aquarium salt. I used most of a bottle of Seachem buffering stuff and it didn't help stabilize the pH at all. It feels like I might as well be pouring all the chemicals and stuff down the toilet for all the effect they have.

Don't listen to the guy at the lfs! No matter how desperate it may seem, you definitely do not have to sacrifice your fish to cycle your tank. It sounds to me (in my very limited experience) that you have a cycle but the bacteria just aren't growing enough to get rid of all the ammonia. I've heard too much salt can harm a growing (but not an established) cycle. How much do you put in?

What's the pH of your tap water? If it's in the 7.4 range, that would explain the drop after a water change. You could try raising the pH before adding it to the tank. An off-the-chart KH would bring it back up around 8 very quickly, which may be what's happening.

Also, how many fish do you have, and did you add them all at once? The cycle may be having a hard time adjusting to several new fish at once, that's a lot of extra ammonia.

Good luck!

The tap water is around 7.4, which explains why the pH of the tank drops so much when I add water. I was going to try crushed coral but I don't know if that is helpful for super high kH. How do I lower kH if my tap water is already off the charts? I've been using a Python for my water changes now because after lugging 25-40 gallons of water every day for two weeks I was in serious pain.

The tank ran for about 3 days before I added one fish. A week later I added two more, and a week after that I moved one of those to my 20 gallon hospital tank. I have a ryukin and an oranda in there now, each less than 2" long nose to tail.

Hello,

You seem to be going through quite a time. I'm no expert when it comes to pH. My only thought for that might to be add some baking soda to the water to raise it before adding it to the tank.. but since you use a python, that's not possible. I'll have to think on that one for a bit.
You've been cycling the tank for almost 3 weeks - correct?
Did you seed the new tank with anything from the 20 gallon when you started it?
If you're salting to .3%, then it may interfere with your cycle, as salt can kill certain bacterias.
Have you tested your tap water for ammonia and nitrates - before and after adding the Amquel?

I'm pretty sure that others have had this problem with the pH, and they have to let the water sit out so the pH will come up to proper numbers before adding it to the tank. The crushed coral raises the KH to keep the pH steady in the tank. Since your problem is the pH from the tap, I don't think it'll be of much use.

Have you searched the forums for similar problems? In the meantime, let's hope someone with experience with this can chime in.
But cycling a tank can take 2 months. It's not unheard of. Hang in there.

Debbie

I seeded the new tank filter with media from the filter on the 20 gallon with no effect. A few days ago I moved an entire intact filter from my 20 gallon to the new tank, still no change.

I checked the dates, and this tank has been running for exactly a month today, with no change whatsoever in the water parameters. The ammonia is always at 1ppm, no sign of nitrites, and nitrates around 5ppm, exactly the same as the tap water. Kh and Gh are super high from the tap and the tank, but the pH of the tap is 7.4 and the tank is 8.2. I truly do not have the space to let several dozen gallons of water sit out at all.

I'll stop adding salt for a while and see if that helps the cycle move along, right now we're just standing still. It's like I haven't even started yet. I'm moving the fish to my 20 gallon tonight, they'll be overcrowded but at least they'll probably survive.

I'm so sorry that it's giving you so much trouble. You sound so dejected.
Here's what I'm thinking... and it may not be a good idea - but others will let us know.

You have 4 fish, correct? If they are in a small tank for the short amount of time it takes to let the large tank cycle,they should be fine. You can do a fishless cycle on the large tank! You will be able to do smaller water changes once it's done and the pH difference may not be so great.
With the 20 gallon, you'll need to do water changes everyday or every other day, to keep the bacteria levels down. The 20 gallon is cycled, correct? The bacteria can grow fast, so it's best to keep putting fresh water in. Everyday changes - again- could mean less water transferred, so the pH change won't be as great. You could possibly even let this sit out.
I have 3 gallon sized water jugs that I keep water in for my changes. I started doing this with my ten gallon, and still use them for my 55 gallon. (I'm afraid of pythons!! ) Maybe you could do something like this for the 20 gallon?

What do you think?

Debbie

The 20 gallon tank is cycled and established, so it should be able to support all 4 of the little guys for a while. I also have the space to age water there, the 50 gallon is at my fiance's tiny apartment, the 20 gallon is at my parents' house. The wedding is in 20 days, hopefully we'll have everything cycled by then.