8 ppm!?!?!?!?!

[Platiesareawesome]

Okay, so I have just started my fishless cycle recently. After a few days, my dad bought a mat for me to put under my tank to prevent my dresser from rusting (the ammonia had not dropped yet anyway). I performed a 95% water change so I could pick up my tank to put the mat underneath it. After that, I tested my water (I use the API master test kit), and oddly the ammonia level was still at 1 ppm. I refiled my tank, and added 1 DROP of ammonia (The ammonia I use is ace hardware brand ammonia) I tested my ammonia 30 minutes later, and the ammonia has jumped up to what looks like between 4 and 8 ppm! Is this okay?

 

[Hbbambislayer]

I'd say yes I know with high nitrites which you'll have next soon hopefully you may have to do multiple large water changes to get them down so I wouldn't worry too much about the ammo not going away because of a water change. Id be more worried about the mat under the tank absorbing water and damaging your dresser you'd probably be better off quickly drying any oops water. Plus you'll probably have condensation that that'll form under the mat from the warmth of the tank

 

[librarygirl]

If it's really 8 it's too high, I'd get it down to 4-5 at most. If the ammonia is too high it can stall things. With that said I don't think one drop of ammonia would spike it that high. Maybe try the test again in case there was an error; try shaking the bottles before you use them too. Also test your tap water and see if any of the ammonia is coming from there.

 

[Platiesareawesome]

What do you guys think it looks like?

 

[Platiesareawesome]

And apparently my tap water has 0.50 ppm

 

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And apparently my tap water has 0.50 ppm

Like 6ppm

 

[SicMalawi]

If it was a fish-less cycle where did the ammonia ammonia come from?

 

[Platiesareawesome]

If it was a fish-less cycle where did the ammonia ammonia come from?

During a fishless cycle, you add a pure ammonia source to grow the beneficial bacteria (fish food is also a source of ammonia)