Tank not cycling

aaabbbb

My sister got a new 300L tank last week, set it up and has started a fish less cycle in it , adding food each day. However, a week later the ammonia levels are still 0 (liquid test kit). The nitrate and nitrite have been tested too just to see and they're 0 also.
I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions why and how I can fix it?
Thanks

Berserker

How much food and what type of food are you adding? Is the any ammonia at all, even the slightest amount. The cycle will take upwards of a month, so you'll need to be patient.

bogman

I would be inclined to add one or two "small fish" to your tank, their excrement should speed up the cycle process , id add one more fish weekly until the tank has fully cycled.

aaabbbb

Berserker wrote: »

How much food and what type of food are you adding? Is the any ammonia at all, even the slightest amount. The cycle will take upwards of a month, so you'll need to be patient.

Using both those frozen shrimp/alge blocks from seahorse (1 a day) and pellets (like a handful- way more than you would actually feed) and nope it still says 0

Berserker

aaabbbb wrote: »

Using both those frozen shrimp/alge blocks from seahorse (1 a day) and pellets (like a handful- way more than you would actually feed) and nope it still says 0

Any change on these params?

aaabbbb

Berserker wrote: »

Any change on these params?

Still nothing (as of yesterday evening) I'm gonna head over to seahorse during next week with a sample and see if they can see whats up

Berserker

aaabbbb wrote: »

Still nothing (as of yesterday evening) I'm gonna head over to seahorse during next week with a sample and see if they can see whats up

Good idea.

aaabbbb

Berserker wrote: »

Good idea.

I went to seahorse today and it just seems that the kit we had had gotten old and wasn't accurate anymore

Berserker

aaabbbb wrote: »

I went to seahorse today and it just seems that the kit we had had gotten old and wasn't accurate anymore

Glad to hear that. You've got some positive readings now?

aaabbbb

Berserker wrote: »

Glad to hear that. You've got some positive readings now?

Yep finally! The ammonia was 4ppm a few days ago and when I checked it today they were:
Amonia 0.5ppm
Nitrite 0.5ppm
Nitrate 80-160ppm (the colour was in between )

Given the high nitrate readings I'm not sure if this means it's cycled or not as it still has Amonia and nitrite?

I also managed to see the original tank where the fish are atm and it's really really filthy! (It's in my sisters room so I don't usually get a good look at it and it seems she hasn't been keeping it as well as I thought ). I did a water change and tested the water which was:
Ammonia 1ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

She's had this particular tank for 2+ years so it should be well established so I'm not sure why there's no nitrite or nitrate. I'm going to test again this evevening and see.

I was wondering that given the state of the old tank (and it's Amonia levels) would it be better to just do a water change in the new tank to clear the nitrate and immediately transfer the fish to the (much cleaner) new tank even though it still has still 0.5ppm Amonia and nitrite as at least thsee are lower than the current tank the fish are in?

Berserker

aaabbbb wrote: »

Yep finally! The ammonia was 4ppm a few days ago and when I checked it today they were:
Amonia 0.5ppm
Nitrite 0.5ppm
Nitrate 80-160ppm (the colour was in between )

Given the high nitrate readings I'm not sure if this means it's cycled or not as it still has Amonia and nitrite?

No, it hasn't cycled until you have ammonia and nitrite at 0 ppm and nitrate > 0 ppm. You are well on your way, judging by those readings. Once the ammonia and nitrite are 0 ppm, you can control the level of nitrate through water changes, keeping them at an suitable level for the fish you are going to keep.

aaabbbb wrote: »

I also managed to see the original tank where the fish are atm and it's really really filthy! (It's in my sisters room so I don't usually get a good look at it and it seems she hasn't been keeping it as well as I thought ). I did a water change and tested the water which was:
Ammonia 1ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

She's had this particular tank for 2+ years so it should be well established so I'm not sure why there's no nitrite or nitrate. I'm going to test again this evevening and see.

I was wondering that given the state of the old tank (and it's Amonia levels) would it be better to just do a water change in the new tank to clear the nitrate and immediately transfer the fish to the (much cleaner) new tank even though it still has still 0.5ppm Amonia and nitrite as at least thsee are lower than the current tank the fish are in?

How much water did you change in the established tank? Did you clean the filter media, gravel and ornaments? Looks looks a mini-cycle. I'd keep the fish in the old tank, check the parameters every day and change about 25% while the ammonia and nitrite are greater than zero. Given that it's an established tank, the cycle should complete quicker than the new tank.

Sleepy

If you haven't cleaned the filter media in the old tank, giving it a squeeze into the new tank would speed up your cycle (by transferring some of the good bacteria).