What is an cheap and easy way to lower Ammonia and nitrite?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
live plants - water changes - carbon
 
Regardless of how everyone does it, you have the tank set up, and you have the fish in it, so you're in the middle of a fish-in cycle whether you want it or not lol.

So keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrites, do regular water changes when you notice either going up, and in a few weeks you should be down to 0 for ammonia and nitrite, and the nitrates should be controlled by your water changes from that point.


Depending on how hardy the fish you got are, the ammonia spikes can be a little higher if your fish are hardy, but if you have anything delicate, I would keep the levels to a minimum and change water often.
 
Your gonna need 1/3 to 50% water changes every day to keep levels down. Test your water every day. Adding some established/active filter media and or water will speed up the cycle. Keep on top of it so you don't kill your fish.
 
Ya i am picking up a dat fairly soon and from what i have heard they are pretty delicate so I might hold off on him untill i get my levels down unless you guys think otherwise.
 
the most effective way to get things going is to get some cycled filter media from an established tank, whether it be from a friend who has a well established tank, or from a LFS that you trust keeps their tanks in good condition.
 
Well 70 percent of the water and filter were from my previous tank so it was 70 percent cycled with tons of used filter media. I think right now just keeping on top of the water changes will keep me down. What does everyone think about the Dat situation?
 
a proper aquarium should have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and <20 nitrate reading. if you are getting anything over 0 amm/nitrite then your beneficial bacteria colony is not keeping up with the bioload for some reason.
 
Hold off on it, I tried putting a dat in my 4 week old tank and it almost died until I put it in my 55g
 
tyndall72;4108354; said:
Well 70 percent of the water and filter were from my previous tank so it was 70 percent cycled with tons of used filter media. I think right now just keeping on top of the water changes will keep me down. What does everyone think about the Dat situation?

i strongly suggest you hold off on adding anything until you get the ammonia situation sorted out, even low ammonia and nitrite levels long term have permanent detrimental effects on fish.
 
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