Tank Not Cyling? Help Please

[Hawaireefer]

Hi, I've been having some trouble with my tank cycling. When I first set up the tank, It wouldn't cycle for 5 months. I eventually gave up, and added a few fish to see what would happen, and they didn't die. It's now been over two years. Some of the fish I have added have died, but most seem to be living for a long time. Right now there is two in there, and they seem perfectly fine, as well as a bunch of crabs and a shrimp. However, I've been testing, and there is still ammonia to this day. I tested the RODI water that I make myself, and it has ammonia, even after I replaced the filter and flushed it out, which I thought was impossible. However, when I tested another source, it said no ammonia, so the kit is working. I've been adding prime to make it non toxic(or at least it claims to). However, I decided not to change the water for a few weeks, to see if the filter would convert it to nitrites and nitrates, but there are no visible nitrates. I tested my water again and the ammonia is high still about 2 PPM. I thought that if it was cycling, even if the RODI water had ammonia, the filter would have converted at least some of it by now, but there is no sign of that. I don't understand why I could go two and a half years without cycling, or why I can have ammonia in my tank but the fish are fine, but I don't want to risk hurting my fish, so if anyone knows why I would appreciate it.

 

[jDoSe]

You need to provide more details/pictures. Are you using liverock? Bottled bacteria?

Also, please don’t test with live fish…

 

[Lavey29]

I doubt you have any measurable ammonia in your tank after 2 years with fish. Your test kit has a plus or minus error rate, your tests are bad, kit expired or operator error. Now that is not to say ammonia is not introduced to your tank via fish but it is instantly converted to nitrite then nitrates so if you have nitrates reading in your tank then it is processing the ammonia through the nitrifying bacteria process.

 

[Hawaireefer]

Ok update, I just found a dead cowrie in the tank which may be the cause, however it doesn't explain how the ammonia is getting through the RODI, or why I've found it in past tests, unless it's maybe residual from the ammonia in the RODI water(I didn't know it had ammonia at the time). Also if my test kit is bad, why does it constantly show the same ammonia result for my water, but say no ammonia from a different source.

 

[Lavey29]

Ok update, I just found a dead cowrie in the tank which may be the cause, however it doesn't explain how the ammonia is getting through the RODI, or why I've found it in past tests, unless it's maybe residual from the ammonia in the RODI water(I didn't know it had ammonia at the time). Also if my test kit is bad, why does it constantly show the same ammonia result for my water, but say no ammonia from a different source.

Do you have nitrates in your tank?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi, I've been having some trouble with my tank cycling. When I first set up the tank, It wouldn't cycle for 5 months. I eventually gave up, and added a few fish to see what would happen, and they didn't die. It's now been over two years. Some of the fish I have added have died, but most seem to be living for a long time. Right now there is two in there, and they seem perfectly fine, as well as a bunch of crabs and a shrimp. However, I've been testing, and there is still ammonia to this day. I tested the RODI water that I make myself, and it has ammonia, even after I replaced the filter and flushed it out, which I thought was impossible. However, when I tested another source, it said no ammonia, so the kit is working. I've been adding prime to make it non toxic(or at least it claims to). However, I decided not to change the water for a few weeks, to see if the filter would convert it to nitrites and nitrates, but there are no visible nitrates. I tested my water again and the ammonia is high still about 2 PPM. I thought that if it was cycling, even if the RODI water had ammonia, the filter would have converted at least some of it by now, but there is no sign of that. I don't understand why I could go two and a half years without cycling, or why I can have ammonia in my tank but the fish are fine, but I don't want to risk hurting my fish, so if anyone knows why I would appreciate it.

Prime locks up ammonia rather than eliminating it and may be causing false/low reading numbers

 

[Biglew11]

I answered this in your other post.
2 ppm is probably total amonia. Wich means that free (the bad) amonia is very low to almost nothing. Your tank is definitely cycled.

Do you have carbon blocks in your rodi?
When was the last time they were changed?
Does your water utility use chloramine? The amines may show as amonia.

 

[Hawaireefer]

Prime locks up ammonia rather than eliminating it and may be causing false/low reading numbers

I've only been using it recently, and I've had high ammonia before that

 

[Hawaireefer]

Prime locks up ammonia rather than eliminating it and may be causing false/low reading numbers

I've only been using it recently, and I've had high ammonia before that

 

[Hawaireefer]

I answered this in your other post.
2 ppm is probably total amonia. Wich means that free (the bad) amonia is very low to almost nothing. Your tank is definitely cycled.

Do you have carbon blocks in your rodi?
When was the last time they were changed?
Does your water utility use chloramine? The amines may show as amonia.

Thanks a lot! Also, what does that mean as far as testing, and moniteoing ammonia in my tank, if I see that there is ammonia detected and it's not harmful, how will I know if there is harmful ammonia?

 

[Hawaireefer]

Thanks a lot! Also, what does that mean as far as testing, and moniteoing ammonia in my tank, if I see that there is ammonia detected and it's not harmful, how will I know if there is harmful ammonia?

Also I guess I thought that if there was still ammonia in the RODI water, the filter would have taken care of it already.

 

[Dan_P]

Hi, I've been having some trouble with my tank cycling. When I first set up the tank, It wouldn't cycle for 5 months. I eventually gave up, and added a few fish to see what would happen, and they didn't die. It's now been over two years. Some of the fish I have added have died, but most seem to be living for a long time. Right now there is two in there, and they seem perfectly fine, as well as a bunch of crabs and a shrimp. However, I've been testing, and there is still ammonia to this day. I tested the RODI water that I make myself, and it has ammonia, even after I replaced the filter and flushed it out, which I thought was impossible. However, when I tested another source, it said no ammonia, so the kit is working. I've been adding prime to make it non toxic(or at least it claims to). However, I decided not to change the water for a few weeks, to see if the filter would convert it to nitrites and nitrates, but there are no visible nitrates. I tested my water again and the ammonia is high still about 2 PPM. I thought that if it was cycling, even if the RODI water had ammonia, the filter would have converted at least some of it by now, but there is no sign of that. I don't understand why I could go two and a half years without cycling, or why I can have ammonia in my tank but the fish are fine, but I don't want to risk hurting my fish, so if anyone knows why I would appreciate it.

Elevated ammonia after 2.5 years is strange. A reading of 2 ppm total ammonia corresponds roughly to 0.1-0.2 ppm unionized ammonia which might not be lethal but can cause gill damage and early death of fish.

You should buy a Seachem ammonia monitor for your system immediately. This device will give you a direct measure of unionized ammonia.

A photo of your aquarium would be interesting to look at.

By the way, Prime is totally useless for ammonia removal.

 

[Dburr1014]

Thread 'RODI not removing ammonia' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/rodi-not-removing-ammonia.935515/

You should let one of these threads die so you don't get all confused.
I also posted in this other thread. If you are having ammonia in your tap water, you will need to look at the di Resin. How old is it? Is it exhausted?
I agree with Dan_P, ammonia badge for the safety of the fish and your tank is cycled.

I think it is in the tap and everytime a topoff or water change is done, you are adding ammonia.
The cation/anion/mixed bed setup may be the best course of action for you.
But let's see if everyone can pin this down for you as I am certainly no expert on source water.