Ammonia level spike - please help!!

[AgingYoungRebel]

A week ago today my friend and I transferred a mature vision 260 from his place to mine. We used a 50/50 split of original tank water and purified treated water I purchased from my local aquarium shop. The water used for transfer of the fish was discarded but we put the water used for plastic plants and rocks in the tank. We also removed and replaced the sand.

All was well until a couple days ago I had a massive ammonia spike, my API kit has it at 8 whereas my nutrafin has it down below 2?! I got my local shop to test it but they had an API kit but it showed as 8 also.

Regardless of the differences in kit it's obviously a critical issue. As soon as I noticed the problem Ive held food for the past 2 days and am doing a 10% PWC daily but the reading aren't changing. At the moment my nitrates and nitrites are all very very low.

Is there any other possibilities I could explore to control this issue that anyone could suggest?

Fish within the tank:-

1 Tiretrack eel
1 Freshwater eel
1 Spotted catfish
1 Leopard Pleco
3 juvenile (1inch) Oscars (2 tiger/1 albino)
1 young adult tiger Oscar (about 2.5 inches)
1 African knife fish
1 Black Ghost knife
1 parrot fish
4 large silver dollars
1 Red tailed black shark
4 pencil barbs
6 apple snails


Many many thanks.

 

[AgingYoungRebel]

I'm sorry on review the explanation about the sand was unclear. We removed the sand prior to transport and placed it back in the tank at my house.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Why are you using RO|DI water? The nutrients in tap water are a necessary part of the biological base for a tank. I'd suggest getting Prime and dosing at 5x the normal level which will bind the ammo into a less toxic form that doesn't injure you fish, but the bacteria will use.

The other important issue is the 10% PWC, since doing that only removes 10% of the ammo. I'd suggest in conjunction with the Prime, you do at a 50% PWC all at once (doing 5, 10% PWC isn't the same). As long as that ammo is up that high (even 2ppm), the fishes gills are getting burned very badly.

 

[HUKIT]

Is this a 260l tank? That is a huge bioload on a 66g tank. What type of filtration are you using? I agree with the huge water changes but your bioload and stocking really need to be addressed. With just one Oscar being enough to fill that tank much less everything else.

 

[AgingYoungRebel]

Thanks so much for the replies.

By prime do you mean the dechlorinization treatment?

I know that the tank is blatantly over stocked but theyre the fish my friend put in that came with the tank. The young oscars are very small at the moment and the bigger one is still only a couple inches but I know it's only a matter of time till they're far bigger. Bridges.

Fundamental question, I've peeped water over night to do a 20% change, in considering doing a 50% how long does the agent need to be settled in the water to remove the chlorine? It's the nurafin stuff.

 

[AgingYoungRebel]

Didn't use RO was using cycled water that the aquarium shop had and recommended.

 

[HUKIT]

Water conditioners neutralize the chloramines instantly.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Is this a 260l tank? That is a huge bioload on a 66g tank.

Tank size, stocking (over/under) level, 2ppm is deadly. The ammo needs to be brought down to a manageable level was my consideration.

By prime do you mean the dechlorinization treatment?

Yes, Prime made by Seachem.

The way I'd do the PWC is turn of any filtration and remove 50% of the tank water, then add a double dose of prime into the tank (4 drops per gallon for the total water volume of 66g) and start filling it. Prime will cure the water as your adding it back in. Let the tank fill to 3/4 full and put prime in at 3x dose (6 drops per gallon@66g: 2+3=5x the norm and is safe per Seachem). Make sure to add it to the water stream coming in so it disperses quickly. Once you have it filled, turn the filter(s) back on. If you test you'll still see some ammo, but it should be closer to .25ppm which the fish can handle for a while, whereas 2ppm could do irreparable damage, or possibly kill them.

Didn't use RO was using cycled water that the aquarium shop had and recommended.

Cycled water? Didn't know they did that, I only see distilled or RO|DI water at my Petco and none of the independents sells any water that I've seen. Gonna have to check it out.

 

[HUKIT]

Tank size, stocking (over/under) level, 2ppm is deadly. The ammo needs to be brought down to a manageable level

With that heavy of a bioload the on a small tank there's no way for the bactiera to keep up converting the ammonia through the nitrogen cycle process.

 

[AgingYoungRebel]

Again thank you both very much.

Is "prime" the dechlorinization agent? I did a 50% water change with 5 times the recommended amount of water treatment in it without too much effect on the temperature and took my sponges out and left them in tank water during the process. I took a measurement straight away and the ammonia is now reading around 4. The nitrites are reading 0.

My question is how should I proceed to reduce this further? I'd imagine I'd need to hold off doing a PWC for a while following such a large replacement?

Many thanks.

 

[AgingYoungRebel]

Now an hour later the ammonia has dropped still around 2. Phew. All this time I've been testing with both the nutrafin and API test kits, both well within their best befores and there's a massive discrepancy between the two testers. The nutrafin one was reading around 2 while the API said 8. The nutrafin is now saying around 1 while the API says 2. Both fluid based colour coded test kits so how can they vary to that degree? Although I'm a complete novice to fish keeping being trained in photography and medical radiology imaging I'm well used to testing chemical balances so I'm using both kits correctly. Silly no?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Now an hour later the ammonia has dropped still around 2. Phew. All this time I've been testing with both the nutrafin and API test kits, both well within their best befores and there's a massive discrepancy between the two testers. The nutrafin one was reading around 2 while the API said 8. The nutrafin is now saying around 1 while the API says 2. Both fluid based colour coded test kits so how can they vary to that degree? Although I'm a complete novice to fish keeping being trained in photography and medical radiology imaging I'm well used to testing chemical balances so I'm using both kits correctly. Silly no?

Check the lot# on your API bottles. The last 4 numbers are the month/year it was made (ie 0810=Aug. 2010). It's good for 3-5 years from the date on the bottle.

You can do another 50% PWC IMO, only dose with Prime at 2x this time. Yes Prime is the de-chlorinator.

keep up the good work, you doing good by your fish. I'd suggest trying to rehome some of the stock (another tank?), other wise you'll be doing PWC daily IME.