goldfish tank cycle

Question
My 30 gallon goldfish tank has been set up for 3 months now, but has not completed its cycling process. It contains three fancy goldfish, each about 4 inches long.  Every day I use strips to test the ammonia level.  Unless I change the water each day (about 30%), the strips indicate a "harmful" ammonia reading.

The filter hangs on the outside of the tank.  I only rinse the filter once a month, but change the charcoal cartridge pad every 2 weeks (with rinsing in between)  The tank has been producing brown algae for the last month, which I remove from the tank and plant fixtures regularly.

I know cooler water tanks take longer to cycle than warm, and that goldfish tanks take longer because they create more waste than other fish.

The fish themselves are doing great so far.  All 3 were only a little over 1 inch in length when I got them, so their growth over the last 3 months is an indication that they are thriving.

I just don't know why the tank is so slow to cycle.  Am I cleaning too much water too often? I am feeding the fish too often & too much? (I feed them 2x a day; sinking pellets in the a.m. and flakes in the p.m.; I watch them eat & try to give them only as much as they'll eat)

Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Susan.  

Answer
Hi Susan;

You poor girl! Changing so much water so often must be making you bonkers! Good for you to be willing to do it though. It's hard to get most hobbyists to change that much water every week. You do it every day. Wow. Let's see if we can help you stop having to do that.......

Tanks that continue to have a high level of ammonia are usually overfed. When feeding them, only give enough for them to consume from all areas of the tank in 5 minutes once a day. They will eat more but it isn't good for them because when they get so full they can't digest it properly. Much of it is put out as waste and it causes the ammonia to rise. Goldfish will eat until it won't go in their mouth anymore. If you still want to feed twice a day, give them what they will eat in 2 to 3 minutes. Basically it cuts the time in half so they get about the same food in two feedings a day that they would get in one feeding a day of 5 minutes.

It is also possible your test strips aren't accurate. You might want to try the tablet or liquid drop kit. Keep in mind that if you have ever used an ammonia remover in your aquarium it will give a false positive on some kinds of ammonia tests. Ammonia removers are products like "AmmoLock", "AmQuell" and other similar chemicals. Testing the water with that kind of stuff in there tells you there is ammonia when you really don't have any. Avoid those that say on the label "Nessler Reagent". Other tests like nitrate, nitrite or pH aren't a problem. Only the ammonia kits are what you have to watch out for.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins