Ammonia spike! Help!!

[pleechford]

I jut had an ammonia spike of 4ppm. How can I reduce this!!

 

[OasisKeeper]

Do a large water change. Right now.

 

[jcolon]

I jut had an ammonia spike of 4ppm. How can I reduce this!!

If you have fish in the tank, then a LARGE pwc right away! Looking at least 2 75% pwc's to get it down to .25ppm at minimum.

Do you have seachem prime? If so dose to lock up the ammo into a less toxic form while bacteria help to consume the ammo.

 

[pleechford]

If you have fish in the tank, then a LARGE pwc right away! Looking at least 2 75% pwc's to get it down to .25ppm at minimum.

Do you have seachem prime? If so dose to lock up the ammo into a less toxic form while bacteria help to consume the ammo.

Sure do. Thanks for the help!

 

[OasisKeeper]

Step 3 is figure out what happened. When you get a breather, give us the background.

 

[LyndaB]

+1

The water change is a bandaid on a broken leg. Knowing why it happened and how to prevent it in the future is the cast.

 

[jcolon]

Step 3 is figure out what happened. When you get a breather, give us the background.

+1 as well, but there's probably not too much to figure out. Large ammo spikes are usually the result of one of the following or in some combination

1. Overstocking
2. Too few PWC's while cycling
3. Filter media was replaced without seeding, or washed with chlorinated water.
4. Decaying matter
5. Excess food

 

[pleechford]

+1 as well, but there's probably not too much to figure out. Large ammo spikes are usually the result of one of the following or in some combination

1. Overstocking
2. Too few PWC's while cycling
3. Filter media was replaced without seeding, or washed with chlorinated water.
4. Decaying matter
5. Excess food

Okay so this is what I believe happened. I've been using RO water but the past week I decided to see if my tap water would suffice. Stupid me should have checked the levels in the water prior to putting it in the tank. Just checked the tap levels and the ammo was 2.0ppm! Couldn't believe it. So I'm going to have to go back to RO water from now on.

 

[jcolon]

Ouch .... that's a good amount of ammo in your tap ... from chloramine I'd wager which more and more municipalities are using. However .... sticking with Seachem Prime should lock it while your bacteria consumes it.

I'm assuming btw your using the API test master kit? If your using strips, chances are the numbers may be off to begin with.

 

[jcolon]

Ouch .... that's a good amount of ammo in your tap ... from chloramine I'd wager which more and more municipalities are using. However .... sticking with Seachem Prime should lock it while your bacteria consumes it.

I'm assuming btw your using the API test master kit? If your using strips, chances are the numbers may be off to begin with.

Note to mods ... Sorry ... No idea how this duplicate happened, the WIFI went crazy for a second.

 

[pleechford]

Ouch .... that's a good amount of ammo in your tap ... from chloramine I'd wager which more and more municipalities are using. However .... sticking with Seachem Prime should lock it while your bacteria consumes it.

I'm assuming btw your using the API test master kit? If your using strips, chances are the numbers may be off to begin with.

Note to mods ... Sorry ... No idea how this duplicate happened, the WIFI went crazy for a second.

Yes I have the master test kit

 

[pleechford]

Yes I have the master test kit

It is amazing!

 

[pleechford]

What is te best way to keep the ammonia down? Would putting the ammonia remover filter media in my aquaclear 30 help. I don't know how effective that media is

 

[pleechford]

What is te best way to keep the ammonia down? Would putting the ammonia remover filter media in my aquaclear 30 help. I don't know how effective that media is

Anyone?

 

[jcolon]

What is te best way to keep the ammonia down? Would putting the ammonia remover filter media in my aquaclear 30 help. I don't know how effective that media is

I read that ammonia removers soaks up ammonia which sounds fine on the surface, but then you end up starving the bacteria to death, once that happens nitrite stops being produced and those bacteria end up dying and your stuck with what we all start with ... an un-cycled tank. The link below gets into ammonia-removers / detoxifiers.

Ammonia and Nitrite - The First Tank Guide - Using Chemicals to Remove or Neutralize Ammonia in a Fish Tank

I'm going to say continue using seachem prime, it should detoxify ammonia long enough for to keep fish safe and the bacteria to still consume it.