Need Help - High Ammonia

[soteria]

Hi- am new to aquariums and have a 29 gal tank that was given to me complete - has 2 mollies, 3 catfish and a couple of tetra-like fish. the problem is - the tank has had off-the-chart high ammonia levels from the day I got it. It has an undergravel filter and a AQUAEL UniMax Pro Canister Filter that I can't seem to find any info on so I added a hang-on-the back filter about 5-6 weeks ago. I do frequent water changes and vacume monthly and the levels have remainded consistently high. It also has aqua gems plastic substrate gravel - could that be the problem - does this stuff allow for a decent bacteria growth? I had used ammonia lock at first but haven't lately - how long does it take for ammonia lock to wear off? Any and all advice is welcome as I am at a loss to figure this out. Thanks so much!!

 

[bs6749]

Your catfish are the problem and you are most likely over feeding. I don't have any experience with ammo-lock but I think it converts the ammonia into ammonium which is harmless to fish and the bacteria will still use it. Your tank is not properly cycled and/or one of the above things that I mentioned it the cause. With catfish you should probably be siphoning and gravel vacuuming every week rather than every month. You should do whatever you can to get the ammonia down to nothing even if it means taking all the fish out, dumping the water and lightly rinsing the gravel and then filling the tank back up with water suitable for your fish. If you have chlorine in your water you will need to add dechlorinator or else you will be killing off all of the beneficial bacteria that you want in the tank to take care of ammonia and nitrites.

Also, undergravel filters are known to be a trap for wastes and they are useless in my opinion. I'd rather have a sponge filter in my tank rather than an undergravel filter because with a UGF you can't see how much waste is accumulating in the gravel and that is why your ammonia is so high. The catfish and uneaten food are producing so much waste that there's a constant level of ammonia in your tank.

 

[soteria]

Hi- thanks for the reply - how are the catfish a problem? I thought they were supposed to be a help in a tank. I have defintiely cut back on feeding - only a small amount every other day as the previous owner was definitely overfeeding. I have two other 10 gal tanks and no ammonia problems with either and one has two catfish in it. I have to agree that the undergravel is probably the problem but wouldn't an additional filter have rectified this? I have noticed that I see much less waste coming up from the gravel when I vacume than I do in the other two tanks. So if all the waste is accumlating under the undergravel filter, why isn't the large (gigantic) cannister filter taking care of this?

 

[bs6749]

The excrement will be trapped in the undergravel filter and that's why they are no good IMO. They hide all of the waste and the tank looks clean as far as the gravel goes but once you get down to the UGF part there is tons of built up waste just sitting there and turning into ammonia. An additional filter isn't going to do much for the tank as long as there is still waste in the tank. The only thing it might do is provide more surface area for the beneficial bacteria to grow on but that's it. If you don't clean out the filter often then you are bound to have problems.

Catfish produce a lot of waste and that's most likely the source of your problems. If you clean the tank out like I suggested and either get a new type of filter and/or gravel vac much more frequently you won't be having problems with your ammonia. Until then, I suggest that you buy a product called Prime, which is a dechlorinator and it neutralizes ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates into forms that aren't harmful to your fish but the bacteria can still consume them. But first, you really should clean the tank!

 

[Menagerie]

WELCOME TO AA
Wow, all these fish have been okay through this ordeal?! Since you have added a new filter, I would remove the UGF.

 

[soteria]

Hi Menagerie - thanks for the nice welcome

Actually no, I lost several mollies, a catfish ans some fry. the interesting thing is - the rest are still going along fine although the ammonia register is very deep blue and tells me they should have all been dead long ago.

So how do I go about getting this wretched undergravel filter out? do I have to break down the entire aquarium or can I just pull the stupid thing out as is?

Thanks again

 

[ashepler]

Your ammonia test kit may actually be giving you a false reading. If it is indeed that high your fish would not be alive. Also realize that with each water change it is possible to be adding ammonia (bound to chlorine (as chloramine)) and with your treatment, converting to a non toxic form but still registering with your test kit.

 

[DSenn]

Under Gravel Filters are garbage. Period. I guarantee that when you pull it out, your ammonia problem will be visible in the form of turds. Get rid of that and start over.

 

[Alaris]

So how do I go about getting this wretched undergravel filter out? do I have to break down the entire aquarium or can I just pull the stupid thing out as is?

You don't want to pull it out while your fish are in there because it will cause a terrible ammonia spike. Do you have another tank to put your fish for a couple days?

Here's a recent thread with the procedure one member took to remove the UGF from a 29g. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/breaking-down-my-tank-and-cleaning-ugf-107005.html

After removing the UGF and cleaning the gunk out, your tank will probably (hopefully) turn cloudy white. This is a bacteria bloom and it's not going to harm your fish. You'll want to test your water everyday for about a week just to make sure that ammonia and nitrItes don't go to .50ppm or higher. If they do, do a 50% water change.

Good luck!

 

[CaptainAhab]

Learning how to properly clean and maintain any filter is the first step to making sure they perform properly. UGF filters are great FW filters when maintained properly. Those who opine that they are garbage are uninformed and continue to propagate the myth that these filters can not be an integral part of any aquarium filtration system. PERIOD

 

[Purrbox]

Okay folks. I know that some are very pro UGFs and other are very much against them. Let's keep it to suggesting alternatives and/or giving help on how to maintain them. It's an individual decision that everyone has the right to make, so let's keep it friendly give Soteria the necessary information to make an informed decision.

 

[RJRofFL]

Hello soteria.

Sorry to hear of your problems. I truly agree on the pro/con issues and feel a need to address the specifics and set opinions aside.

From what I have read so far, IMO your fish are not the problem. That is indeed an adequate size tank for your bioload.

If I may, please allow me to inquire about a few things to offer clarification where by more informed decisions/suggestions can be offered.

How old is test kit?
What type of test kit (i.e. strips or liquid)?

(strips degrade rapidly once exposed to air)
(liquid test kits expire after 1 year, often earlier)

What are the exact readings, in numbers, of Ammonia, NitrIte, NitrAte, pH?

How often do you test?

How often and how much of a W/C do you perform? (i.e. weekly, 25%-50%)?

How are the fish reacting? Do they gasp for air at top? Stay on the bottom? Do they eat actively? Any signs of aggression? Signs of physical damage?

Just a brief reply to the above would help immensely in allowing for a pattern to be seen and/or enable a much more precise evaluation to be made.
Then a more accurate procedure can be formulated.

Thanks a lot, and I feel certain we can all collectively get you through this.

Bob

 

[Alaris]

the tank has had off-the-chart high ammonia levels from the day I got it.

When did you set up the tank? Did you cycle the tank fishless? Have you always had an ammonia level? What is "off-the-chart" levels (specific amount)?

What are your current readings for ammonia, nitrItes, and nitrAtes? What chemicals do you currently use in the tank? What do you use for a dechlorinator? Have you ever tested your tap for ammonia?