a friend of mine is having problems getting her tank to cycle. if anyone could help with suggestions, we would greatly appreciate it. she has had her 10 gal tank set up since Jan 15th and has followed everything she has read but it just wont cycle for her. she started out with 1 female betta and 2 platys. Since the tank stalled in the middle of cycling, after 6 weeks, she added 2 platys and 3 dalmation mollys. She has lost 2 mollys but none of the others. She knows she overstocked but still cannot get it to finish cycling.

Take over your test kit...We need to know where it stalled!.. Ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. Plants? Substrate? Water Changes? Or.. have her take a water sample back to the shop that sold her the fish. They'll try to tell ya ammonia is what killed the fish but ask for a full range test.. and don't let them use a Multi-test strip. If they resist, find a local fish shop or invest the 25.00 in your own kit. BIll

ammonia is off the charts, so we know that is what killed th mollys. she has been using ammonia block and doing 30% water changes but has bumped that up to 50% since it is so high. the rest are 0. she has plastic plants with gravel. she uses liquid test for the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. she isn't sure what the ph is.

you got pm...

try yo use some stability by seachem it will jump start the bacteria

You don't happen to have an established tank you can take your filter media out of do ya?.... Some Prime would help considerably.. good luck getting it under control!~... Some live plants would suck up a ton of ammonia.. I've not encountered levels that high!

The only things that stand out from what you have said is the ammo lock. Now I don't know for sure but if this product locks up ammonia completely it would starve the bacteria that is trying to use it.

So you will still read high ammonia but it is not being consumed by the bacteria and thus never cycles. Then when the ammo lock wears off the ammonia spikes again and kills the fish. Like I said before not familiar with that product but it is something to look into.

Like bill said "I" would use prime for ammonia control (it converts to ammonium) leaving it available for the bacteria to use but is less harmful to fish. I use it all the time to cycle fresh tanks.

Another thing I don't think anyone asked way when she added the water/did partial water changes did you use a water conditioner prior to adding the new water to treat for chlorine?
Also you said her cycle stalled? how long did she wait and what was the indications that it stalled? Nitrite never developed? Ammonia never went away? just curious how that conclusion was made.

The established filter idea would be a great way to get things going. If you are using HOB filters and could spare one established pad (as long as the other is also good) it would help to kick start things.

If you don't... then
I'll also second what discuskent said. I have used stability with great success. In my use it did not finish the cycle BUT it completely established the ammonia fixing bacteria and all that was left was a fairly short cycle of nitrite.

Another alternative to the filter media is to scoop up a couple of handfuls of YOUR substrate, keeping it moist and dump it into her tank. If she's concerned about the color or texture change, put it in a pantyhose or socket.... your soil will give it a bacteria jump start too!..

Yup that is another great point Bill. That being said if you use a mesh bag or pantyhose method I would throw it in the HOB filter. The more contact the established bacteria has with the new filter media the better. An added bonus of this is the increased oxygen contact in the filter should only intensify what is already established.

Same thing I do when establishing new canister filters. Just take old out and put it on the top basket of the new ones. Let the water flow through each basket starting at the established one. My thinking is that if any bacteria is going to be transferred this would only aid in it.

I don't think anything could be added to that last post!.. So why am I posting?... beats me!... PM coming STM.

http://www.fritzpet.com/turbo-start-700/

This stuff works like a dream. I use it to cycle new tank all the time.