I wouldn't add any ammonia when you top the water up; let's wait for what there is to start moving before we put any more in.

Can you test the kH in the tank tonight, too, and let me know what it's showing, please?

Sure thing! I'll do that when I get home around 4.30ish - should take delivery of the air pump and airstone strip between 6-10pm. I'm excited to get some oxygen in the tank!

Hi FL,

Just tested it there and it is 6°dKH or 107.4ppm

Hmmm.....I was kind of hoping it was lower as it could have explained the problem.

I'm actually getting to the stage where I don't know what to suggest. Try adding your air pump, make sure the temperature is up at 28C or so and cross your fingers.

If you can get a bit of filter sponge from your friend that would be most likely to help.

I'm so glad it isn't just me! I've been reading plenty of old threads etc and I just can't seem to crack it at all. I'm hoping it is just the lack of oxygen that is stopping them grow quicker.

I've put the heater on to 28-30. The thermometer says it is sitting between 24-26 but it is one of those black strip ones that I got pretty cheap online so I'm not sure I trust its accuracy...It said the same when I had it set to 25.

Hi FL,

Got my 30cm airstone and it is ploughing air happily through the tank now. Had it on for a couple of hours last night and got it on again for a couple just now. Ammonia is at around 2ppm (I suspect the drop from 3 is because of adding 4L of water to the tank) and nitrites are still at 0ppm.

Fingers crossed that it gets going now. Test again in 24 hours. Good luck

Hi FL!

So I think I might be down to about 1ppm ammonia now. Always hard to tell with these colour comparisons and a willful mind! 0ppm nitrites though...

Sounds promising! Sometimes when a cycle is slow to get going, the nitrite munchers can arrive and start work on the first little bit that's produced so you can get a drop in ammonia without a corresponding spike in nitrite. Hopefully, that's what's happening in your case. Test again tomorrow and if it's dropped a bit more, top up to 3ppm.

I've got all my fingers crossed! Maybe it was the introduction of the airstone. I'll keep you posted on what the next couple of days bring.

:)