ammonia 0.25

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starry

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 17, 2008
15
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Wales UK
Hi, I move my fish into there new tank 10 days ago, it was not the ideal move as explained in and earlier post.
I moved them into the new tank without a full cycle, but I had no other options, I transfered all the filter medium from old tank to new filters also sand and bogwwod, the tank is 55 imp gallons, the readings I am getting are -
ammonia 0.25
nitrite 0
nitrate 0.20
ph 6.5
I have done 20% water changes everyday for the last week and did a 40% today but I am still getting 0.25 ammonia, the test kit is a new API, the fish seem ok no loss of colour appetite etc they are just over 4 inch now and are about 5 months old, what could be the problem, thanks
 
your problem is just as u say....your tank doesn't have a full cycle. Just keep doing 20% wc's to keep the ammonia down all the way through till your nitrite and nitrate levels spike and go down...then u should be fine. Jus a little heads up...this process could take a while since you had no choice but put them into a uncycled tank but this is the price your gonna pay since u had 2 go that route. U could speed up this process if u can find this stuff called bio-spira or try 2 find more estiblished filters.
 
Thanks for the reply, you just confirmed what I was thinking so will keep up the water changes, should I clean filter medium and sand whilst doing these or leave well alone ?
 
Just like 808 stated.
You can clean the sand if you wish but leave the media alone. Cut down the feedings to one or two small feedings per week.
.25 Ammonia won't be harmful at all to your fish as long as you keep it there. The more you feed, the greater the chances of that ammonia level raising will get. And it can happen fast.
Do just like what you're doing for the water changes and those levels will correct themselves before you know it.
 
personally i would not do any water changes ,touch the gravel or the media ,as any of these things can cause mini cycles also , i find it will always cycle quicker without touching anything and just cutting back on any feeding to minimum amounts. as soon as your reading zero amonia and nitrite and start to show some nitrates then you are safe to start your normal maintanace routine,

doing it this way does subject the inhabbitants to a slightly higher amonia spike (fish should still cope well with it )but for less period of time. and the shorter time they are exposed to amonia the better. but the other way that the guys mentioned will also work ,but will expose the fish for a longer period

cheers col
 
Hi and thanks for the reply, what I can not understand is that I am showing nitrates ? I thought when the nitrates were showing the cycle was complete ?
 
not tru the cycle is completed when both ammonia and nitrite reach 0 and stay there. its all good tho your old filter media should start to build more bacteria and handle your problem pretty quickly
 
I wouldn't do water changes or any other maintenance until the ammonia has sorted itself out. It shouldn't take too long.
You could add some Tetra Safestart or Nutrafin Cycle to the tank. This should speed it up no end.
 
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