Help with chemistry!

[FelixCFS]

Hi,

I am new to this hobby but very enthusiastic. I do not take up and drop things very easily.

I have started out with a 29gal planted freshwater tank.
This tank was started 1/27/11. I am having some issues with cycling and specifically my PH and ammonia. I think my PH issues may have been resolved as I found out the the North Eastern US has very soft water and therefore I did not have sufficient buffer (Ca) in the water. I have been recommended the proper additive for this and now my PH has stabilized at 6.4
The ammonia in the tank keeps creeping up and is at .50ppm at the moment and I am not sure why. Nitrates and Nitrites are both at 0ppm. I feed twice a day but only very small meals. I have been changing my water quite frequently, about 25% every other day but now I am trying to do it a bit less frequently as I am afraid that I am not allowing my biological filter to develop. I even have been vacuuming the gravel at risk to plant roots to try to combat the ammonia issue. I have:
1 beta
6 red eye tetra
3 Schwartz Cory
1 Oto cat (prized fish)
3 Nerite snails
and about 10 shrimp (amano, red cherry, ghost)

My tank is heavily planted and also has a very large piece of Mopani wood in it. My substrate is specifically for plants and I have very good filtration. I condition my water with AmQuel before changing it. I have recently have some shrimp death and I just can't figure out what is wrong. Perhaps another clue is that I also have a lot of algae in the tank (not green water but still a good amount). I would really appreciate some help with figuring out what is going wrong here. I recently got a second filter so now I have a hang on the back type and a Eheim 35 gal canister filter. Could this have made my tank cycle again? But my NO2 and NO3 levels are still 0ppm. I love my little fish dearly (especially my piggy Beta) and I want to give them the best environment possible. Any suggestions?

 

[mus]

It seems like you have too msny fish in a new tank. I have half the size of your tank but i used 3 fish to cycle the tank and even then my ammonia followed nitire levels were sky high. It will cycle eventualy.

 

[James_in_MN]

The ammonia in the tank keeps creeping up and is at .50ppm at the moment and I am not sure why. Nitrates and Nitrites are both at 0ppm.

Your tank is cycling; that's why your ammonia is creeping up. It's normal for that to happen.

It's normally recommended that you fishless cycle your tank so you don't harm any fish while making your tank suitable for them. Since you already have fish, I recommend reading the following link.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now-116287.html

 

[BigJim]

Did your tank complete a cycle before you added fish? If not, read through the link James_in_MN provided. It sounds like your tank is still cycling, but you've got enough plants (algae is a plant) to keep your ammonia levels from going out of control. Still, you don't want your ammonia levels above 0.25ppm, so you'll have to do PWCs to keep it down.

 

[andreahp]

Hi,

I am new to this hobby but very enthusiastic. I do not take up and drop things very easily.

I have started out with a 29gal planted freshwater tank.
This tank was started 1/27/11. I am having some issues with cycling and specifically my PH and ammonia. I think my PH issues may have been resolved as I found out the the North Eastern US has very soft water and therefore I did not have sufficient buffer (Ca) in the water. I have been recommended the proper additive for this and now my PH has stabilized at 6.4
The ammonia in the tank keeps creeping up and is at .50ppm at the moment and I am not sure why. Nitrates and Nitrites are both at 0ppm. I feed twice a day but only very small meals. I have been changing my water quite frequently, about 25% every other day but now I am trying to do it a bit less frequently as I am afraid that I am not allowing my biological filter to develop. I even have been vacuuming the gravel at risk to plant roots to try to combat the ammonia issue. I have:
1 beta
6 red eye tetra
3 Schwartz Cory
1 Oto cat (prized fish)
3 Nerite snails
and about 10 shrimp (amano, red cherry, ghost)

My tank is heavily planted and also has a very large piece of Mopani wood in it. My substrate is specifically for plants and I have very good filtration. I condition my water with AmQuel before changing it. I have recently have some shrimp death and I just can't figure out what is wrong. Perhaps another clue is that I also have a lot of algae in the tank (not green water but still a good amount). I would really appreciate some help with figuring out what is going wrong here. I recently got a second filter so now I have a hang on the back type and a Eheim 35 gal canister filter. Could this have made my tank cycle again? But my NO2 and NO3 levels are still 0ppm. I love my little fish dearly (especially my piggy Beta) and I want to give them the best environment possible. Any suggestions?

Changing the water doesn't affect the biological filter but NOT changing it will allow ammonia to build up. You should be increasing the frequency of PWC's to get the ammonia level down so your fish aren't affected by it. I only feed my fish once a day - more frequent feedings leads to more poop and more ammonia. You will know the biological filter is progressing when you see the nitrite level go up and down and the nitrates go up. Algae won't affect the tank cycling either - perhaps you are keeping your light on too long or the tank is near a source of light? Getting another filter isn't bad because your 1st filter doesn't appear cycled anyway - it's only bad if your 1st filter was cycled and then you toss it in favor of the new one without transferring the old media to it.

 

[ejaramillo01]

Getting another filter isn't bad because your 1st filter doesn't appear cycled anyway - it's only bad if your 1st filter was cycled and then you toss it in favor of the new one without transferring the old media to it.

+1 to andrea, totally agreed