Cycling my first tank and having some issues

[newbettamom]

Hey everyone, I'm new and am looking for some help. I'm cycling... attempting to, at least... my first tank. it's a 10 gallon that I plan to have a Betta and a nerite snail in. I have some spider wood and some Java ferns and anubias plants in it. I plan on adding a lot more plants and hope to eventually manage getting baby tears (not dwarf, just the regular ones) and pearl weed going too because those look so pretty to me but my substrate is black diamond quartz and idk if root tabs would work with that or how I could grow anything in it since it's inert.

Anyhow, the issue I'm having though is it's been over 3 weeks now and I don't seem to be making progress as far as water parameters go, and the tank is starting to look very dirty. I've been using Dr. Tim's ammonia but have only done it a few times now as the ammonia levels have mostly just stayed the same and I have been getting 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates consistently. The ammonia has stayed between 2 and 4 ppm. The test kit I've been using is the API master one with the liquid and vials. I've done a couple water changes and have topped up the water, but aside from that have tried to leave it alone because I badly want the bacteria to get established. I have a sponge filter, an air stone, a heater, I keep the heat at 78 degrees and I only turn the light on when doing water testing. I have dosed the tank with easy green liquid fertilizer for the plants the first week and second week but not the third week yet because I wasn't sure if I should or not with all the gunk everywhere... I've watched so many videos and have been patient but am starting to feel discouraged.

 

I put in tetra safestart once at the very beginning and again after I started dosing with ammonia. I've now read a lot about it not actually being beneficial and that the bacteria die and it's a scam etc etc so I now realize I wasted my money and it was for nothing... and I use the topfin water conditioner every time I add water to the tank. 

 

There has been brown stuff all over it for a couple weeks now, but I've left it because I'm hoping stuff growing could mean bacteria is populating too. Today I noticed tons of tiny white threadlike things on the surfaces of the tank and some floating in the water. I was alarmed instantly, worrying they're worms but I've closely looked at them and none of them appear to be moving at all so I'm not sure. I wondered what I should do. Should I clean the tank? What are these white things? And is there anything I can do to help it cycle better? 

 

I've attached photos and let me know if any more info is needed. Really hoping I can get some help. :(

[nabokovfan87]

A few things to do right away.

First, scrape all the glass to get that stuff off of it.  Any rocks and leaves and stuff you can go ahead and scrape with a toothbrush.

Second, turn off whatever light you have and don't turn it on unless you absolutely need to.  (bacteria doesn't care if it's dark or not, plants can handle a 7+ day blackout if they need it.

Third is to go ahead and siphon the substrate very well.  Get as much of the junk out that you can.

Fourth would be to do water changes (no fish, so you can change all of it) until you're happy with it "looking better".  The reason for this is to remove algae spores and algae that's growing on everything.

AFTER all of that is done... then let's talk about how to cycle it and what's going wrong 🙂 .

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:07 PM, newbettamom said:

There has been brown stuff all over it for a couple weeks now, but I've left it because I'm hoping stuff growing could mean bacteria is populating too

This is great. You have brown diatoms, a type of algae. It means your tank is alive as you expected and that’s what you want. It means you are making progress.

You have ammonia because you’ve been adding that in, but your plants may be consuming the nitrites. You should hopefully start to see nitrates soon.

On 11/12/2022 at 5:07 PM, newbettamom said:

I put in tetra safestart once at the very beginning and again after I started dosing with ammonia. I've now read a lot about it not actually being beneficial and that the bacteria die and it's a scam etc etc so I now realize I wasted my money and it was for nothing...

Not necessarily. Just because someone else reported getting an expired bottle or something does not mean that yours is. It probably helped at least to some degree seed your filter. 

You can go ahead and clean the glass. As for the plants, you can lightly brush them with a new, unused toothbrush. You are well on your way.

Welcome to the forum!

[nabokovfan87]

It also looks like you have worms (those white things on the glass).  So this means you need to siphon them out.  You won't get all of them, but it also means that you have some food for something like bottom dwelling fish.   They look like normal detritus worms to me.

This just means you must verify your filtration is working, your pump is working, and you have oxygenation / waterflow in the tank.  If you don't have one, add an airstone too (if possible) which is something the worms tend to dislike.

@Odd Duck I don't know if "black diamond quartz" is similar to BDBS?  I am unfamiliar with that brand name or that type of substrate.  Thoughts?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:47 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I don't know if "black diamond quartz" is similar to BDBS?  I am unfamiliar with that brand name or that type of substrate.  Thoughts?

I’m thinking yes because sand is quartz.

On 11/12/2022 at 5:47 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

They look like normal detritus worms to me.

Agreed. You should siphon those out for aesthetics but rest assured they pose no threat to plants, fish, or your tank if they are detritus worms. Even though worms are ugly they are a living organism in your tank which is great. It means your tank is no longer sterile. Sterile tanks are bad for fish and snails.

Edited November 12, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[newbettamom]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:44 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

A few things to do right away.

First, scrape all the glass to get that stuff off of it.  Any rocks and leaves and stuff you can go ahead and scrape with a toothbrush.

Second, turn off whatever light you have and don't turn it on unless you absolutely need to.  (bacteria doesn't care if it's dark or not, plants can handle a 7+ day blackout if they need it.

Third is to go ahead and siphon the substrate very well.  Get as much of the junk out that you can.

Fourth would be to do water changes (no fish, so you can change all of it) until you're happy with it "looking better".  The reason for this is to remove algae spores and algae that's growing on everything.

AFTER all of that is done... then let's talk about how to cycle it and what's going wrong 🙂 .

Thank you! I will get it all nice and cleaned out and do a big water change. I barely have the light on, only while doing my water testing and not each time, but I will be sure to keep it off even during those times until it's okay to have it on again. 

On 11/12/2022 at 5:47 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

This is great. You have brown diatoms, a type of algae. It means your tank is alive as you expected and that’s what you want. It means you are making progress.

You have ammonia because you’ve been adding that in, but your plants may be consuming the nitrites. You should hopefully start to see nitrates soon.

Not necessarily. Just because someone else reported getting an expired bottle or something does not mean that yours is. It probably helped at least to some degree seed your filter. 

You can go ahead and clean the glass. As for the plants, you can lightly brush them with a new, unused toothbrush. You are well on your way.

Welcome to the forum!

 

On 11/12/2022 at 5:47 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

This is great. You have brown diatoms, a type of algae. It means your tank is alive as you expected and that’s what you want. It means you are making progress.

You have ammonia because you’ve been adding that in, but your plants may be consuming the nitrites. You should hopefully start to see nitrates soon.

Not necessarily. Just because someone else reported getting an expired bottle or something does not mean that yours is. It probably helped at least to some degree seed your filter. 

You can go ahead and clean the glass. As for the plants, you can lightly brush them with a new, unused toothbrush. You are well on your way.

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you! So maybe the plants are helping with that which is why it seems like I'm not making progress? I really hope that means I will see the nitrates soon then. I was worried nothing was happening. As far as the bacteria I saw people on Reddit and also on another forum talking about how the bacteria is a scam and that the bacteria you get in it are different than the ones which will ultimately populate the surfaces of the tank. They said that the bacteria will die off and that it can make cycling actually take longer. I was confused about that because I thought it was to give it a jump start and I didn't get why it would be sold and used like it is if that were the case. I've seen so much mixed information. 😞 Also when I'm cleaning the tank should I be concerned about the worms, can they affect humans? My uncle had worms and the thought of that scares me lol so I wanna make sure I take precautions if needed.

[newbettamom]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:47 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

It also looks like you have worms (those white things on the glass).  So this means you need to siphon them out.  You won't get all of them, but it also means that you have some food for something like bottom dwelling fish.   They look like normal detritus worms to me.

This just means you must verify your filtration is working, your pump is working, and you have oxygenation / waterflow in the tank.  If you don't have one, add an airstone too (if possible) which is something the worms tend to dislike.

@Odd Duck I don't know if "black diamond quartz" is similar to BDBS?  I am unfamiliar with that brand name or that type of substrate.  Thoughts?

Thank you 🙂 when I get my snail do you think he would like eating them or is it moreso just fish that would feed on them? 

https://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-gravel-and-substrate/gravel-sand-and-stones/aqua-natural-quartz-aquarium-gravel---black-5325115.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQiApb2bBhDYARIsAChHC9vuWFHLecRt4uuRHP71zbbz9mmkLG8ViAa6sdX4McmJMEwO69m2qAEaAtzQEALw_wcB

 

edited to add the link to the substrate I have 

Edited November 12, 2022 by newbettamom

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/12/2022 at 6:07 PM, newbettamom said:

Also when I'm cleaning the tank should I be concerned about the worms, can they affect humans?

Detritus worms will not harm you. When disturbed they will usually free swim and then go back down into the substrate. They do not latch onto you or anything. They are just concerned with consuming the waste in the tank. 
 

A nerite snail will not eat the worms. However, it will eat algae. The betta might eat them.

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[newbettamom]

On 11/12/2022 at 7:20 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Detritus worms will not harm you. When disturbed they will usually free swim and then go back down into the substrate. They do not latch onto you or anything. They are just concerned with consuming the waste in the tank. 
 

A nerite snail will not eat the worms. However, it will eat algae. The betta might eat them.

 

Thank you! It's good to know they're not harmful. Thanks for sharing that video too, it's very helpful! I didn't think of going by the plant growth and was only focused on the numbers from the water tests. Also glad that adding that fertilizer can help too because I was worried maybe I was adding it when I should not have been!

[modified lung]

On 11/12/2022 at 2:07 PM, newbettamom said:

I put in tetra safestart once at the very beginning and again after I started dosing with ammonia. I've now read a lot about it not actually being beneficial and that the bacteria die and it's a scam

 

On 11/12/2022 at 3:07 PM, newbettamom said:

As far as the bacteria I saw people on Reddit and also on another forum talking about how the bacteria is a scam and that the bacteria you get in it are different than the ones which will ultimately populate the surfaces of the tank. They said that the bacteria will die off and that it can make cycling actually take longer.

Some products are based on outdated science and rarely work, others work much more often. Tetra, Fritz, and Dr. Tims all have the correct bacteria. But either way they don't always work because of lot of different factors but I wouldn't consider trying to be a waste of money.

Do you know your water's alkalinity/KH? If it's too low, your bacteria won't grow and your cycle won't complete. It should be above 45 ppm or 3 KH.

[newbettamom]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:05 PM, modified lung said:

 

Some products are based on outdated science and rarely work, others work much more often. Tetra, Fritz, and Dr. Tims all have the correct bacteria. But either way they don't always work because of lot of different factors but I wouldn't consider trying to be a waste of money.

Do you know your water's alkalinity/KH? If it's too low, your bacteria won't grow and your cycle won't complete. It should be above 45 ppm or 3 KH.

That's good news because I was kind of kicking myself for buying it after some of the stuff I read. I'm glad I bought one of the good ones. I don't know the KH but the pH the last time I checked was 7.2. Earlier on it had been 7.6. Im guessing there must be a separate test kit for KH?

Edited November 13, 2022 by newbettamom
asking about testing for kh

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/12/2022 at 2:50 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Agreed. You should siphon those out for aesthetics but rest assured they pose no threat to plants, fish, or your tank if they are detritus worms. Even though worms are ugly they are a living organism in your tank which is great. It means your tank is no longer sterile. Sterile tanks are bad for fish and snails.

Kind of similar to what I went through. No predator in the tank unless we're adding something else with the betta, so I would just be vigilant to get them out.

[modified lung]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:09 PM, newbettamom said:

Im guessing there must be a separate test kit for KH?

Yep, API sells a good one.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/12/2022 at 3:13 PM, newbettamom said:

Thank you 🙂 when I get my snail do you think he would like eating them or is it moreso just fish that would feed on them? 

https://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-gravel-and-substrate/gravel-sand-and-stones/aqua-natural-quartz-aquarium-gravel---black-5325115.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQiApb2bBhDYARIsAChHC9vuWFHLecRt4uuRHP71zbbz9mmkLG8ViAa6sdX4McmJMEwO69m2qAEaAtzQEALw_wcB

Alright, so it's black gravel. Something specific about it is just branding and that's why it's "black diamond".  It's literally black gravel, not sure what it's composed of without being able to touch it.  Next time I'm at the store I'll check it out!

On 11/12/2022 at 3:07 PM, newbettamom said:

Thank you! I will get it all nice and cleaned out and do a big water change. I barely have the light on, only while doing my water testing and not each time, but I will be sure to keep it off even during those times until it's okay to have it on again. 

I didn't want to have an essay or something about how to set things up, but just those quick recovery steps.  The main thing is just to try to get it looking nice, manual removal.  One of the big things that probably happened.... do you have the light on a timer? Is it just "on"?  The other question is how you're cycling things.  Are you using bits of food or dosing the bacteria?  Is the tank near a window and that caused the algae?

There's a variety of things that cause it, but you're dealing with brown diatoms, which usually is the easiest to get rid of, thankfully.

On 11/12/2022 at 5:16 PM, modified lung said:

Yep, API sells a good one.

The store should have the tetra test strips, but the ACO ones are an option as well and you'll get a bit more of them per purchase.  If you're ok doing all the liquid tests, that's a great option as well. Whatever it is that you decide, as long as you are going to test (and it's not left in a cabinet somewhere) is the important part 🙂 .

[modified lung]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:17 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

but the ACO ones are an option

These are also very good.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:05 PM, modified lung said:

Some products are based on outdated science and rarely work, others work much more often. Tetra, Fritz, and Dr. Tims all have the correct bacteria. But either way they don't always work because of lot of different factors but I wouldn't consider trying to be a waste of money.

Just for my own knowledge and learning, is there some we shouldn't recommend because of the outdated science?  I understand wanting to not name names, but I thought I'd ask.

A better way to ask is probably... Are all the major brands viable, good options or?

[Anjum]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:05 PM, modified lung said:

Do you know your water's alkalinity/KH? If it's too low, your bacteria won't grow and your cycle won't complete. It should be above 45 ppm or 3 KH.

Not to derail this thread, but this is the 2nd time I've read this in recent days & I was previously unaware. So the beneficial bacteria need a certain amount of carbonate hardness in the water to proliferate? Likewise, they won't grow in too acidic an environment? What's the ideal pH range? 

[modified lung]

On 11/12/2022 at 5:21 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Just for my own knowledge and learning, is there some we shouldn't recommend because of the outdated science?  I understand wanting to not name names, but I thought I'd ask.

A better way to ask is probably... Are all the major brands viable, good options or?

Lol I have no problems naming names. I've only used a product by Pentair myself. A manager at an old job insisted on buying it all the time. It has the wrong bacteria and never worked at all even after using gallons and gallons of it. I actually think using it made things take longer. I know others that have been very successful with Tetra, Fritz, and Dr. Tim's. Dr. Tim is the guy who first tested for what bacteria exactly is in an aquarium. He says his graduate advisor told him he was doing it wrong when he wasn't getting the bacteria that was expected. Tetra pays him to use his formula so those two are actually the same product. I can't think of any other major brands. I wouldn't use it if it didn't specifically say it contains Nitrosospira and/or Nitrospira.

On 11/12/2022 at 5:26 PM, Anjum said:

Not to derail this thread, but this is the 2nd time I've read this in recent days & I was previously unaware. So the beneficial bacteria need a certain amount of carbonate hardness in the water to proliferate? Likewise, they won't grow in too acidic an environment? What's the ideal pH range? 

Yep. They use the carbon in carbonate and bicarbonate to reproduce. So no KH means no population growth. pH technically doesn't matter much. But with low KH comes low pH, or in other words, pH is a good indirect indicator of KH. Usually KH is too low around pH 6.7 and the bacteria almost slow to a stop. That's why people say pH needs to be above a certain level which is accurate enough. But technically you can get good nitrification down to pH 4 if you constantly microdose bicarbonates. But why would anyone bother doing that?

[newbettamom]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:17 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

do you have the light on a timer? Is it just "on"?  The other question is how you're cycling things.  Are you using bits of food or dosing the bacteria?  Is the tank near a window and that caused the algae?

Nope, it just has a switch I click on and off so what I do is I click it on while I'm filling the vials to the line and then once I've filled all 4 I click it back off. I was doing that to see it a bit better and take a glance at the tank while I'm at it since I keep it dark and I have black substrate and a black background too so it's hard to see how things are looking with the light off. When I turn the light on I would say it's on for around 2 minutes or so.  There is a window nearby although we normally have the curtains mostly closed on that side. There will definitely be some light still coming through on the one side of the tank. I'm not using any food at all, just the Dr Tim's ammonia

[newbettamom]

I just did a complete water change and scrubbed everything down with a toothbrush, cleaned the substrate and raked it, and it looks much, MUCH better. it took a while but it was very satisfying and when I was siphoning I sucked up a MASSIVE clump of the white fungus stuff from the spider wood that had settled on the bottom in the back area where I couldn't see it til I moved the wood. It was so satisfying LOL

[Odd Duck]

On 11/12/2022 at 4:47 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I don't know if "black diamond quartz" is similar to BDBS?  I am unfamiliar with that brand name or that type of substrate.  Thoughts?

As far as I can tell, the “Diamond Black” Quartz gravel is actually quartz.  It says it’s not recommended for snails or bottom feeders so it’s likely fairly sharp, crushed stone would be my guess.

On 11/12/2022 at 7:56 PM, modified lung said:

Dr. Tim is the guy who first tested for what bacteria exactly is in an aquarium.

I’m pretty sure Dr. Tim isn’t nearly old enough to be the first guy to test for which bacteria are doing the work in an aquarium.  There have been several generations of people doing that testing and gradually expanding knowledge of the species that are doing the work in an aquarium.  It definitely isn’t just one species, it appears likely to be a plethora of species.  Anybody that claims to know it’s only one or two species is selling you something.  Hmmmmmm.

I suspect there are a whole lot of different bacteria that do the work depending on the conditions present in any given aquarium.  Certain conditions likely favor certain species over others, so I suspect that has a lot to do with the discovery of different species.  I have NOT read the studies, but have entirely too much microbiology under my belt along with decades of reading various articles about what is and isn’t growing in the aquarium filters and what is and isn’t growing on the surfaces, etc.  Until somebody produces a study that tests many variables in various combinations, checks what pure cultures do vs mixtures of different bacteria and how they might interact, then somebody else repeats and confirms all those findings independently, then I’m not going to worry too much about adding anybody’s dormant, bottled bacteria into my tanks.  Especially since that bacteria may, or may not, be present; may or may not be alive; may, or may not, be the right species; may, or may not, have been stored appropriately; shipped at appropriate temps; etc, etc, etc.

If you add live plants, you’re going to colonize your tank.  Simple, easy, cheap, especially if you’re going to buy the plants anyway.  If you’re not doing planted, add a couple small ramshorn snails.  They’ll survive nearly anything and aren’t so ridiculous for a new fishkeeper to control as bladder snails would be.

Doing a fishless cycle with ammonia can be a bit tricky since it’s easy to get the ammonia high enough to potentially inhibit some bacteria.  Is it inhibiting the bacteria we need to stabilize the tank?  Who knows?  I’ve read so many different contradictory reports on how high is too high that I pretty much don’t pay that much attention to it.  If @newbettamomcan get the ammonia down at least to 0.5 with some water changes, then adding the snail should be safe enough for them as long as she drip acclimates them.

Might be we are adding only one nutrient when we should be adding an assortment of nutrients?  I personally prefer light, blind feeding and adding a few small snails to brand new tanks.  Works quickly and easily for me.  The tank/filter is cycled way before the plants are solidly rooted enough to add many fish (depending on the species you want to add).  Root tab the root feeding plants, lightly column feed the epiphytes with a good, macro and micro nutrient containing fertilizer like Easy Green, and the tank should cycle just fine.

Many species of plants can directly use ammonia, but with the ammonia between 2-4, they clearly aren’t taking in enough to stop the nitrifying bacteria from developing.

@newbettamom, if you can find someone local to you that has a sponge filter or other filter that you can get some “squeezins” out of a well-aged filter, that’s the best, fastest way I know to get bacteria in there that will do the job.  It doesn’t matter what species they are, if they’re working, they’re working.  Where are you located in this world and have you contacted any local aquarium association or club to see if someone can help you out with seasoned material?  I’ve been known to just pull out a block of foam and bag it and send it with a new aquarist.  I can always replace one block and my filters just keep on chugging without a blip.

Glad you did a cleanup.  That will help you feel better about the tank plus help leave nutrients to stimulate growth of the bacteria you want instead of diatoms eating up the nutrients.  Are you testing daily?  Nitrite spikes can be very transient but in a new aquarium will usually last at least a couple days.  The bacteria that make the conversion from nitrites to nitrates (whichever species that turns out to be in your system) always seem to be the slowest species to develop.  Once you finally get your nitrate spike, then you can do a water change to bring everything back down, then challenge your system with a final dose of ammonia to bring it back to 2 ppm.  That should convert all the way through to nitrates within 24 hours, so test twice a day until you see the nitrates bump up again (might even catch the transient nitrite spike that way, too).  That’s when you know your system is ready for fish.

With just a snail or two and a single betta, you shouldn’t ever tax your system as much again as you have been trying to get the biofiltration to mature.  Your beneficial bacteria will tend to die back a bit, so don’t assume you can add a small school of fish later without doing something to boost the bacteria back up again.  A little (very little) deliberate overfeeding can gradually bring bacteria levels back up to where you could add some small fish a few at a time if you decided to try it down the road.

Keep us posted with your numbers.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/12/2022 at 7:15 PM, newbettamom said:

Nope, it just has a switch I click on and off so what I do is I click it on while I'm filling the vials to the line and then once I've filled all 4 I click it back off. I was doing that to see it a bit better and take a glance at the tank while I'm at it since I keep it dark and I have black substrate and a black background too so it's hard to see how things are looking with the light off. When I turn the light on I would say it's on for around 2 minutes or so.  There is a window nearby although we normally have the curtains mostly closed on that side. There will definitely be some light still coming through on the one side of the tank. I'm not using any food at all, just the Dr Tim's ammonia

There's definitely something having an affect to cause the algae to show up.  Usually for this stuff it's a mix of nitrates (waste) and light.  Lowering light, almost always makes it back off.  The worms showed up for me when the filter stopped working.

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:02 PM, newbettamom said:

Thanks for sharing that video too, it's very helpful! I didn't think of going by the plant growth and was only focused on the numbers from the water tests. Also glad that adding that fertilizer can help too because I was worried maybe I was adding it when I should not have been!

Yes, it’s a little different cycling with plants. A lot of times you will find info on the cycle but the info doesn’t mention anything about the role the plants play.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/12/2022 at 10:39 PM, newbettamom said:

it took a while but it was very satisfying and when I was siphoning I sucked up a MASSIVE clump of the white fungus stuff from the spider wood that had settled on the bottom in the back area where I couldn't see it til I moved the wood. It was so satisfying LOL

I like siphoning. You can see instant results. 🙂

Also I quite like those tetra strips. You can go through a lot of drops on the gh/kH API tests. Cut the strips in half and you now have double the tests.

Since you had a lot of stuff to vacuum up, your sponge filter is likely clogged. Take the sponge off the plastic base and squish it into a bucket of tank water to clean it. This will not affect where you are in the cycle.

[newbettamom]

@Odd DuckThank you so much, that is very useful information. I'm sad about the substrate, I did not see a warning anywhere on the bag about not being snail safe 😞 when looking at in on their website though I see that. I just went and looked at my bag and it doesn't mention it. wish they would have. 😞 I don't know what to do now, I'm not sure if I should not get a snail or if I should put a layer of sand on top of the gravel, or change the whole substrate out completely. 😞 I'm stuck on what to do. 

I'm in Michigan. I have thought of calling around different places seeing if they sell cycled sponge filters at all and wondered if I could find any online but wasn't sure if bacteria would survive being shipped etc so I wasn't sure if I should/could or not! It would be nice to find something like that though to help the process.

 Oh and to answer about testing daily, I was but then without progress I started only doing it a couple times a week because I thought maybe I was testing too often and being too obsessive about it, was also feeling discouraged.

Thanks, im glad too, that makes sense about the diatoms eating up nutrients.Im hoping it won't be too long before it's ready for a Betta. Not sure what to do about a snail now though because I don't want to get one to see what happens and have him get cut on the gravel or something 😞

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea Yeah it was surprisingly enjoyable 😂 Thanks, I'll give it a good clean and hopefully that will help!

On 11/13/2022 at 12:22 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

There's definitely something having an affect to cause the algae to show up.  Usually for this stuff it's a mix of nitrates (waste) and light.  Lowering light, almost always makes it back off.  The worms showed up for me when the filter stopped working.

 

I'm guessing it must be the light coming in from the side, I think I'm gonna pull the curtain over further around the edge of the curtain rod and see if that helps completely block any light out. Would it be a good idea to put something along the side of the tank, like hang a towel over it or even wrap some tinfoil over it for the time being to block more light out completely?

Edited November 13, 2022 by newbettamom
adding answer about how often I'm testing