Ammonia Spike

[Romona]

I lost 2 African cichlids this morning from the 75 g. I did a water check and the ammonia went from 0 on the last check to 5.0. I did a 50% water change last night. I just changed the bio filter pad and added some more prime.

 

[Gourami Swami]

5.0 is a ton. When did you last check? How long between water changes? How long has tank been running, and did you complete the nitrogen cycle?
When you say you removed bio filter pad- the bio media in a filter should never be removed. Usually it's ceramic tubes or little brown balls. You have bio media? This isn't what you removed, is it?

 

[Davidiator]

morning from the 75 g. I did a water check and the ammonia went from 0 on the last check to 5.0. I did a 50% water change last night. I just changed the bio filter pad and added some more prime.

5.0 is a ton. When did you last check? How long between water changes? How long has tank been running, and did you complete the nitrogen cycle?
When you say you removed bio filter pad- the bio media in a filter should never be removed. Usually it's ceramic tubes or little brown balls. You have bio media? This isn't what you removed, is it?

I agree with Gourami Swami
This is a HUGE amount of ammonia

 

[Romona]

I change the water once a week. I'm thinking Wednesday or Thursday. I always check the water the day after the change. Yeah the tank is cycles. My last reading ph 7.8, am 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10, gh 0 and kh 2 drops. It stays consistent. The boi pads that are in front of the water fall. I don't have the canister filter. There were only 7 fish all about 3 to 3.5 in.

 

[Romona]

Im going to check my tap water. I just did a change in the 29g and its up in there too and I just checked the water in that one a couple of days ago.

 

[Romona]

Is there anything else that I can do?

 

[Davidiator]

test the 29 gallon

 

[Coryloach]

I lost 2 African cichlids this morning from the 75 g. I did a water check and the ammonia went from 0 on the last check to 5.0. I did a 50% water change last night. I just changed the bio filter pad and added some more prime.

Sorry to hear that.

I wanted to mention you need to up your game on the water changes. One 50% water change when ammonia is 5ppm means you got 2.5ppm left in the tank, still deadly.....

The filter bacteria must be toast and the bioload too big to handle...Up the water changes, two fin level ones a day if needs be. If you don't kill all fish, you will get a disease after disease outbreak throughout the course of next 5-6 months if not up to a year. Surviving fish will be very weak....!

 

[Davidiator]

and when you get new filter pads you get rid of most of the beneficial bacteria so it is a good idea to replace one pad at a time

 

[Coryloach]

I agree with David. Right now you shouldn't change any filter media, not for the next 3-4 months....