Amonia won’t go lower than 0,25

[CrazyFishLady1201]

Hey everyone! I’m new here but i’ve been reading the threads on this forum for a while.

So I think I may have overstocked the aquarium in my excitement for having finally had it set up and now the amonia won’t go under 0.25 ppm.

I did a fishless cycle with seeded media from my LFS that lasted about a month. The tank has been set up for about 3 months now. Its a 125 gallon aquarium (the only one i have listed).

My water parameters are 0.25ppm amonia, 0 ppm nitrite, 5 ppm nitrate. I did a 50% water change yesterday and do 10% water changes daily.

What should I do?

 

[tlindsey]

Hey everyone! I’m new here but i’ve been reading the threads on this forum for a while.

So I think I may have overstocked the aquarium in my excitement for having finally had it set up and now the amonia won’t go under 0.25 ppm.

I did a fishless cycle with seeded media from my LFS that lasted about a month. The tank has been set up for about 3 months now. Its a 125 gallon aquarium (the only one i have listed).

My water parameters are 0.25ppm amonia, 0 ppm nitrite, 5 ppm nitrate. I did a 50% water change yesterday and do 10% water changes daily.

What should I do?

What do you have in it and how large are they?

 

[tlindsey]

Welcome aboard

 

[CrazyFishLady1201]

What do you have in it and how large are they?

I have 1 - 3 inch angelfish, 2 - 2.5 inch angels, 1 - 2.8 blood parrot cichlid, 1 - 2.5 inch EBJD, 5 zebra danios as dithers, a 7 inch common pleco and 1 otocinclus (i know they should be kept in groups, he’s a rescue and they don’t have anymore at the LFS).

 

[CrazyFishLady1201]

Welcome aboard

Thank you!!

 

[tlindsey]

I have 1 - 3 inch angelfish, 2 - 2.5 inch angels, 1 - 2.8 blood parrot cichlid, 1 - 2.5 inch EBJD, 5 zebra danios as dithers, a 7 inch common pleco and 1 otocinclus (i know they should be kept in groups, he’s a rescue and they don’t have anymore at the LFS).

A 125 should be fine for that stock with the exception of the common pleco which will contribute the most to the bioload. If you feed more than once a day I personally would feed them only once for awhile to see if the ammonia stabilised. If no change add another filter or bio media and stay consistent with water changes weekly.

 

[robham777]

When adding fish it can take time for the bacterial colony to catch up with the additional bio load. Did you add all the fish at once or gradually? Was your ammonia reading 0 after the fishless cycle?

 

[tlindsey]

A 125 should be fine for that stock with the exception of the common pleco which will contribute the most to the bioload. If you feed more than once a day I personally would feed them only once for awhile to see if the ammonia stabilised. If no change add another filter or bio media and stay consistent with water changes weekly.

Also forgot to add make sure you use a good water conditioner such as Prime.

 

[CrazyFishLady1201]

When adding fish it can take time for the bacterial colony to catch up with the additional bio load. Did you add all the fish at once or gradually? Was your ammonia reading 0 after the fishless cycle?

The amonia was reading 0 after the fishless cycle, And i added them over the course of a month.

 

[CrazyFishLady1201]

A 125 should be fine for that stock with the exception of the common pleco which will contribute the most to the bioload. If you feed more than once a day I personally would feed them only once for awhile to see if the ammonia stabilised. If no change add another filter or bio media and stay consistent with water changes weekly.

The common pleco is the sole reason for that tank. My youngest brother bought him when it was just 3 inches long and we had him in a 20 gallon with a betta for 5-6 years. He obviosly outgrew that tank but we are already emotionally atached to him hahaha. His name is Benjamin