IMEDEATE HELP! Please

[Nathan879]

Ok so I'm doing a cycle, its working out great Im almost done. But lately I found some sort of bacteria or something! I am freaking out! There mostly at the top but the tiny ones are at the bottom in the gravel and they have like tails! The big ones are round they look EXACTLY like bubbles but there not. You can poke them with something and thell act like jello. I'm took a small sample to school today to look under a microscope and my science teacher said it was some kind of amoeba ( I forget the name she said, something like kaos kaos.) Today after coming home I noticed the big ones. I beg you please help me.

[Nathan879]

Originally Posted by Nathan879

Ok so I'm doing a cycle, its working out great Im almost done. But lately I found some sort of bacteria or something! I am freaking out! There mostly at the top but the tiny ones are at the bottom in the gravel and they have like tails! The big ones are round they look EXACTLY like bubbles but there not. You can poke them with something and thell act like jello. I'm took a small sample to school today to look under a microscope and my science teacher said it was some kind of amoeba ( I forget the name she said, something like kaos kaos.) Today after coming home I noticed the big ones. I beg you please help me.

btw its a fish less cycle

[ZeroSystem]

Not sure what it could be. A Hydra maybe? Or Nemetodes? Never heard of anything quite like what you're discribing... Although I'm sure it would be difficult with something that small, maybe try taking a picture of it?

[Nathan879]

Originally Posted by ZeroSystem

Not sure what it could be. A Hydra maybe? Or Nemetodes? Never heard of anything quite like what you're discribing... Although I'm sure it would be difficult with something that small, maybe try taking a picture of it?

There diffidently neither of those. This is a bit embarrassing... but the big ones are actually bubbles. But the almost microscopic ones my teacher said are some kind of amoeba that shouldn't be harmful. She also said that something should eat that amoeba up There to small to take a picture of, even with our good cannon camera. Some more information: The "amoeba" kind of makes the surface of the water look oily.

[ZeroSystem]

Strange! I've experianced the oily water surface thing before, but that was solved by decreasing the amount of food going into the tank and increasing water surface aggitation. If it doesn't seem like anything harmful, I wouldn't worry about it. Like your teacher said, it'll likely get gobbled up once you add fish to your tank.

[Nathan879]

Originally Posted by ZeroSystem

Strange! I've experianced the oily water surface thing before, but that was solved by decreasing the amount of food going into the tank and increasing water surface aggitation. If it doesn't seem like anything harmful, I wouldn't worry about it. Like your teacher said, it'll likely get gobbled up once you add fish to your tank.

Thanks. And my ammonia is down to zero, but my nitrites keep staying above 10ppm for more than a week. Is this normal?

[ZeroSystem]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just let things run it's course and I'm sure it'll all work out in the long run. If it continues to remain high without any sign of NitrAtes after several weeks than we may want to investigate what may be going on, but I don't think that'll be the case.

[Nathan879]

Originally Posted by ZeroSystem

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just let things run it's course and I'm sure it'll all work out in the long run. If it continues to remain high without any sign of NitrAtes after several weeks than we may want to investigate what may be going on, but I don't think that'll be the case.

It shows I have alot of nitrates, but ive just been keeping constant Nitrites

[Nathan879]

Originally Posted by ZeroSystem

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just let things run it's course and I'm sure it'll all work out in the long run. If it continues to remain high without any sign of NitrAtes after several weeks than we may want to investigate what may be going on, but I don't think that'll be the case.

Im really sorry for bothering you so much, but can you check if I'm doing this right. Every day I check my Nitrite, Nitrate, Ph, and Ammonia (BEFORE I add the pure ammonia.) Then everyday I out in 2-3 drops (before it was 5) into the tank. And everyday I have about 40-60 ppm Nitrate and above 10ppm Nitrite. Should I not add ammonia until my nitrite goes down? And how do I make my PH slightly lower, its at about 8.4 I believe. Thank you SO much, really.

[Judge]

You want to continue with keeping the ammonia at 05. Eventually the Nitrites will go to 0 and Nitrates will go way up. At that time you will know the cycle is complete and do a large water change which will lower your Nitrates. I would not concern myself too much with the ph until then.