Why isn't my fish tank cycling after a month with a booster?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Fish | Unknown - Fish
I’m trying to cycle a 10 gal fish tank. I have been adding your biological booster for a month now and nothing is happening. The ammonia is holding steady at .5 ppm and I’m not seeing any nitrites. Is there a way I can test to see if there are actually live bacteria in the booster. I’ve checked everything else I can think of.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 5th, 2018
Unless you submit a water sample for culture or microscopic exam, you won't be able to determine if there are beneficial bacteria. With ammonia at the current level, there are bacterial populations. It takes time and patience to cycle a tank, sometimes up to 6-8 weeks. I'm not a fan of the "boosters", since you don't know how long they have been on the shelf or if the biologics are even active. Sprinkle some flake food in the tank and allow nature to run its course. The bacteria will feed off the flakes and populate the tank. Perform a 10-15% water change using conditioned water as needed during cycling.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on January 2nd, 2018
48 hours is not long enough for a tank to properly cycle. Several weeks to a couple months are needed for beneficial bacteria to populate the substrate and filter. These bacteria break down wastes (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates) that are harmful to fish and can promote bacterial blooms resulting in cloudy water. The overfeeding likely contributed to the bacterial bloom. You can cycle with or without fish, however cycling with fish will increase the risk of loss. You'll need to monitor chemistry using a liquid test kit. The kits with strips are not as accurate. Perform partial water changes, no more than 25%, every few days or if ammonia levels begin to affect fish. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Feed them every other day. Normally, you would add one fish at a time but that isn't possible for you now. Monitor chemistry and perform water changes until ammonia and nitrites are 0.25ppm or less and nitrates are 40ppm or less. This can take, on average, 6 to 8 weeks. Be prepared for the possibility that you may lose some fish during this process. Some fish are hardier than others and can survive a cycling tank.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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