Is my ammonia getting too high during cycling??

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new2betas

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This is my fifth day of cycling my new tank. I tested my ammonia this afternoon and it seems really high. On the test swatch card it is running between a 4 and 8. When I open my tank it also has a smell to it...I don't know if it is from the ammonia because it doesn't smell like ammonia, but a smell nonetheless when I open it up to test the water. Should I do a partial water change if my ammonia is that high?
Also, I found some really neat dead wood in my back yard. I have been reading threads on here about putting wood in the tank and I like that idea. I brought in some small pieces and boiled them and they are now weighted down in a tub we don't use often. When can I add them to my tank? Should I wait until the cycling process is over?
Thanks!
 
you should boil your wood before you add it to your tank. wood releases a thing called tannic acid when it decays, and this will raise the acidity in your tank(in small amounts harmless to tetras, but deadly to cichlids). submerge it in water and boil it for 1-2 hours (3-4 ideal) and empty the water every 30 minutes cause it will get yellow. when it stops getting yellow you can put it in your tank.
 
oh and if the wood isnt solid and is flaking, i dont recommend putting it in your tank. i cure my own driftwood and i try to get the smoothest, toughest pieces.
 
I did boil it, but only for about an hour. Is that okay. It is solid with no flaking, no bark, etc. I think they were really old pieces that came down in bad weather some time ago...The water turned a slight yellow color, but not dark at all. Maybe my pieces were too small to make a difference or were just old enough not to leak too many tannins.....
Any thoughts on my ammonia levels??? Partial water change?
 
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when my water stinks i usually change it. what are you using to cycle your tank?

if i were you, i would boil the wood a little bit longer JUST to be safe. better safe than sorry, hehe.
 
I am using clear ammonia....so I should take my wood out of the bath and put it back in boiling water? They are pretty small pieces...one is like 6" and the other 12".
 
yeah i would boil the wood more. and do a PWC on your tank. when you start to see your ammonia level lower without doing water changes, you should add your wood. if you added some live plants or some established filter media that would cut the cycling time down and lower your ammonia level.
 
I have two live plants and I added a cave from a previous tank to this tank at the beginning of the cycling.
 
good! then you should start to see your ammonia level start to slowly drop with the growth of bacteria
 
Hmm, what clear ammonia? Make sure there's no perfumes or surfactants in it, that could be causing the smell, and is really bad for your tank.

You should aim to keep your ammonia readings between 3-5ppm at this stage in your cycle. You should also consider getting a liquid test kit, as I get the impression you're using strips.
 
Hmm, what clear ammonia? Make sure there's no perfumes or surfactants in it, that could be causing the smell, and is really bad for your tank.

You should aim to keep your ammonia readings between 3-5ppm at this stage in your cycle. You should also consider getting a liquid test kit, as I get the impression you're using strips.

There are no surfacants it is just plain, clear ammonia. I do have the liquid test kit from API.

I also went ahead and did about a 10% water change and it brought my ammonia back down to around 4. I have a friend who has had FW aquariums in the past come over and she smelled my tank and said that it smelled like a normal FW tank to her.....maybe it is just my saltwater nose not knowing what smells normal on a freshwater tank....lol
 
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yeah my tank smells occasionally as well. it smells "fishy" lol. the water at the LFS smells as well, and being a mom and pop store im sure they know what theyre doing.
 
A healthy aquarium will have a sort of "earthy" smell to it. If that's what you're smelling, then it's perfectly normal.
 
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