Ammonia!!!

[CRUSHER]

just got an API ammonia test kit... what my water reads is 0.50 on ammonia, is that good? Just did a 50% water change day before yesterday...

 

[CRUSHER]

PH is 7.0

 

[Mumma.of.two]

just got an API ammonia test kit... what my water reads is 0.50 on ammonia, is that good? Just did a 50% water change day before yesterday...

No 0.5ppm isn't good. Is the tank suppose to be cycling? In a cycled tank ammonia and nitrite are suppose to be 0.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi! Is this a new tank? How long has it been set up? What size tank?

If you have fish in the tank then .5 ammonia is not good. It either means your tank is new and not cycled yet or something caused the tank to go into a mini-cycle.

I'd do a 60-70% water change ASAP with a good dechlorinator (Prime is best but whatever you have on-hand is fine) to get that ammonia down <.25. You'll want to test daily and any time ammonia rises to .25 or above do water change(s) to keep the levels down.

If you can answer my questions above it'll help me be able to give you further info on why this is happening.

 

[CRUSHER]

well yes it is a new tank, 100 gallon. i dont use dechlorinater... i have a new water filter from HD that i hook up between the tank and the faucet.
fish... 2 - oscars, 1- jack dempsey, 1- green terror, 1- featherfin cat. i did use medoa from an older tank and some gravel from an outdoor pond... i did a 50 % water change day before yesterday... water was real cloudy... still is a bit.
i'll have to do another water change when i get home from work tomorrow... i'll do a 60% water change

 

[steez]

You can't get a cycle without using a good water dechlorinator. The chlorine will just kill off the bacteria you are trying to produce.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

well yes it is a new tank, 100 gallon. i dont use dechlorinater... i have a new water filter from HD that i hook up between the tank and the faucet.
fish... 2 - oscars, 1- jack dempsey, 1- green terror, 1- featherfin cat. i did use medoa from an older tank and some gravel from an outdoor pond... i did a 50 % water change day before yesterday... water was real cloudy... still is a bit.
i'll have to do another water change when i get home from work tomorrow... i'll do a 60% water change

Does the water filter remove trace elements from the water?

 

[CRUSHER]

yes, the filter does remove trace elements.

 

[CRUSHER]

the below is spec's for the green ended filter:

The GE Single Stage Replacement Filter replaces a Single Stage filtration system to reduce MTBE, VOC, mercury, lead, cysts, chlorine, asbestos, sediment and rust in your water. This durable filter has a 6-month or 750-gallon performance life.

• Reduces mtbe, voc, mercury, lead, cysts, chlorine, asbestos, sediment and rust in water
• For use in ge single stage drinking water filtration systems
• Fits most major brands
• 6-month or 750-gallon performance life
• MFG Brand Name : GE
• MFG Model # : FXUVC
• MFG Part # : FXUVC

 

[Mumma.of.two]

yes, the filter does remove trace elements.

Do you add anything back in to replace what you are removing?
Is there a reason why you don't use your tap water and a dechlorinator?

 

[CRUSHER]

Do you add anything back in to replace what you are removing?
Is there a reason why you don't use your tap water and a dechlorinator?

i do use tap water... straight from the kitchen sink faucet... through the refill hose... through the filter i added in the line and to the aquarium. the filter removes all the bad stuff from the water... there is no chlorine by the time the water gets to the aquarium due to the in-line filter... no need for dechlorinater.

 

[librarygirl]

Does it also remove trace minerals? If so you're going to have to add those back in with something like RO Rite or Seachem Replenish. Fish need minerals.

You're also overstocked. You're going to need a larger tank for all of those fish. How big are they now? Are they full grown? They also may get aggressive as they age particularly in a tank of that size.

A new uncycled tank that's overstocked is going to accumulate ammonia very quickly. You're going to need to do very large (50-70%) water changes (maybe even more than one) daily for at least a month or two if you want your fish to survive. The link in my signature below (new tank with fish) will guide you through.

 

[CRUSHER]

Well, I figured out where all my ammonia was coming from so quickly after a 75% water change...the faucet water.... i put some straight from the faucet in a bucket, put some conditioner in it... waited 10 minutes then did an ammonia test on it... the reading for it was 0.50... same as my aquarium water...

 

[librarygirl]

Well, I figured out where all my ammonia was coming from so quickly after a 75% water change...the faucet water.... i put some straight from the faucet in a bucket, put some conditioner in it... waited 10 minutes then did an ammonia test on it... the reading for it was 0.50... same as my aquarium water...

In a fully cycled tank the bacteria in the tank would process the tap water ammonia pretty quickly so if there's ammonia lingering in your tank it tells me it isn't properly cycled yet but it's new so that's normal, it'll take some time. There's a link in my signature called: new tank with fish, it'll guide you through the process of cycling with fish. In the meantime if you can get some Prime to use as your water conditioner it'll help detoxify the ammonia between water changes (not to be used in place of water changes) so it won't be as toxic to your fish. I highly suggest trying to get some seeded media from an established tank to help your cycle along. If you can't get some locally there's a site that sells seeded (active) sponge filters: Sponge Filters for aquariums Just make sure you buy one that says "active" next to it or else you're just buying a plain filter.

What water are you using in your tank? The filtered water or tap or a mix? If it's all filtered I wouldn't think there would be ammonia in it?