Serious help with ammonia issue...Please...
- Thread starter Mizzy
- Start date
It's about 5 days since I started this thread and here's the update,....
there is no update
My ammonia still spikes to 5 everyday evening after doing 25% water changes, and I still have not registered a single Nitrite...
How long should it take for me to start seeing Nitrites? that is the first sign that the cycle has definately started, correct?
Is there possibly something wrong with my filter? It looks like its running fine...
there is no update
My ammonia still spikes to 5 everyday evening after doing 25% water changes, and I still have not registered a single Nitrite... How long should it take for me to start seeing Nitrites? that is the first sign that the cycle has definately started, correct?
Is there possibly something wrong with my filter? It looks like its running fine...
Mizzy;729608; said:It's about 5 days since I started this thread and here's the update,....
there is no update
How long should it take for me to start seeing Nitrites? that is the first sign that the cycle has definately started, correct?
Is there possibly something wrong with my filter? It looks like its running fine...
I still offer the same advice for the health of your fish
Bderick67;718423; said:
You are dealing with an uncycled tank, you may want to take the fish back to the LFS until you get it cycled.
I am a huge noob but could it have something to do with your source of water? are you using a garden hose to get the water into the tank?
Againt, I have no clue what I am talking about, it just seems awkward to have such a high ammonia reading when you have done so much maintenance.
Againt, I have no clue what I am talking about, it just seems awkward to have such a high ammonia reading when you have done so much maintenance.
I 100% agree with the method Bderick67 posted, you MUST get the ammonia below 0.25-0.3, change as much water as you have to. High ammonia (above 0.5), or prolonged exposure to lower levels causes permanent damage to fish's girls, which are their lungs, liver, and kidneys.
Seed your filter, some of the bio media (20% of what's in the 55 wouldn't hurt.) Adding the "crud" from the filter might help, but generally that's just waste that hasn't broken down fully, and will just add more ammonia to the tank as it decomposes.
Also that water conditioner is a good mention, when you add water directly to the tank without dechloring it prior you have to add conditioner based on the tank volume, not what you're adding. Get Prime, Amquel Plus is also good, ends up costing more as it's not as condensed.
Agitate the surface as much as possible, move the spraybar above the surface, blowing length wise. The extra oxygen added to the water will help the bacteria, as well as outgas some (not much) of the Ammonia.
But do as Bderick67 said, and please change as much water daily as it takes to keep the Ammonia (NH3) below .3. The cycle will take longer but your fish won't die an early death or suffer long term health problems.
Most of the advice has been good, time and lots of water changes is the only safe way to sort this out. Good luck!
Oh, once the ammonia drops your nitrItes (NO2) will spike, you'll need to do frequent water changes then also, as well as adding aquarium salt to reduce nitrite toxicity (which causes brown blood, often fatal.) Once NH3 and NO2 are 0, and nitrates are showing it's time to slowly get into a routine of two 20-40% bi-weekly or one 50% weekly water changes.
Seed your filter, some of the bio media (20% of what's in the 55 wouldn't hurt.) Adding the "crud" from the filter might help, but generally that's just waste that hasn't broken down fully, and will just add more ammonia to the tank as it decomposes.
Also that water conditioner is a good mention, when you add water directly to the tank without dechloring it prior you have to add conditioner based on the tank volume, not what you're adding. Get Prime, Amquel Plus is also good, ends up costing more as it's not as condensed.
Agitate the surface as much as possible, move the spraybar above the surface, blowing length wise. The extra oxygen added to the water will help the bacteria, as well as outgas some (not much) of the Ammonia.
But do as Bderick67 said, and please change as much water daily as it takes to keep the Ammonia (NH3) below .3. The cycle will take longer but your fish won't die an early death or suffer long term health problems.
Most of the advice has been good, time and lots of water changes is the only safe way to sort this out. Good luck!
Oh, once the ammonia drops your nitrItes (NO2) will spike, you'll need to do frequent water changes then also, as well as adding aquarium salt to reduce nitrite toxicity (which causes brown blood, often fatal.) Once NH3 and NO2 are 0, and nitrates are showing it's time to slowly get into a routine of two 20-40% bi-weekly or one 50% weekly water changes.
Epic Fabrications;738635; said:
If his/her tap water has chloramines (Chlorine+ammonia[a lot of cities are starting to do this]) instead of plain chlorine then the process of breaking it down produces ammonia, which is why products like prime that render ammonia non toxic for 24-48 hours (long enough for a cycled tank to covert ammonia usually) are great. Also, if your tap does have chloramine, make sure your dechlorinator states it can remove them, otherwise it doesn't.
New garden hoses usually have mold inhibitors and rubber softeners from manufacturing, but that's for a different post.
