Ammonia spike!!!

[Arizonagrace]

Hi. I have an acrylic 29 gallon high tank. In it, I have a few danios, tetras, 2 female bettas, 3 small corys, 1 pleco (he is 5.5 to 6 inches, head to tail). I have assorted plants (3) and a medium clay pot and 2 other smaller decorations.

I have been having trouble lately with ammonia spikes. I did treat tank with tetracyclin as one of the fish had a small injury from a nipper. This was done for 3 days at 1/2 dose and he quickly recovered.

This tank has been set up for about 6 months and has had no problems before. I have not added any new fish in months. Water changes are 25% every week, faithfully with a good gravel clean each change. I did have a ghost shrimp in there that has disappeared.

When I noticed the ammonia and the shrimp gone, I immediately removed everything and graveled the entire bed of gravel and did a 50% water change. I cleaned all the decorations and replaced them. That was Sunday. Did another water change yesterday at 25% and am doing a 25% change today. I use PRIME water conditioner. After noticing the ammonia, I quickly replaced a 20 gallon filter with a 2nd 30 gallon filter (pengiun biowheel) to the tank. This gives it a total filtration of 60 gallons.

Nitrite is 0, Nitrates with the test kit come out clear/no color. Ammonia is slightly green today.

I plan on adding biospira to the tank (small amount) thinking for some reason it is recycling. I have to buy it for another new tank anyways.

Any suggestions? Could the pleco be making too much poop, as he does poop alot, and I remove it in between changes with a net at least every other day.

 

[OscartheGrouch]

It could very well be the dead shrimp causing the ammonia spike. People cycle their tanks with shrimp all the time. All those large water changes might do the trick. If you're still worried, adding something like Seachem Stability to the tank couldn't hurt.

 

[nfored]

I don't know for sure, but I wasted 30 bucks worth of bio spira on a problem like yours. I had my tank cycled, had a sick fish, add the same meds to the tank. I started having ammonia spikes, so I changed the water and put a carbon filter in to take out the meds. well the short of it was I didn't use enough carbon as it didnt get ride of all the meds. When I put in the bio spira I got no change in water, I know bio spira works, as I have used it before. I just think that tetracyclin killed my bb when I put it in the first time, and when I didn't get all the tetracyclin out before adding BioSpira; it killed that also.

I have no proof of this statment, just my personal feelings on what happend.

 

[Hawkfish3.0]

As stated above, you should have, if you didn't, used carbon to remove the treatment from your water. Meds, depending on the ingredients, can kill off beneficial bacteria over time.

Now I need a little clarification, did you remove the old filtration, or just add to it? Basically, what I'm asking, is if you have two new filters on the tank. If that's the case, you don't have sufficient beneficial bacteria established in the filters, hence the ammonia spike.

 

[Arizonagrace]

I did use the carbon to remove the medication from the tank. Also, the water changes would have removed a lot of it. I added a 2nd filter to the existing filter. So, I figure the meds must have killed the bacteria. I did buy bio-spira today and put enough for 30 gallons in there, so it should start working soon. I bought a 90 gallon pack of it and added some to all my tanks.
Thanks. I am hoping the biospira will work soon. I know I can't do a water change tomorrow until the bacteria has a chance to establish.