Ammonia at 0.25ppm

[AG52014]

After running my tank for over 2 years and not really knowing much about it, I came on here. After all the reading I got myself an api test kit to test the water.
When I tested I got 0.25ppm for Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and possibly 40/80 nitrate? (See photos)
I had just done a 50% change 3 days prior.

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I currently have 2 platys and 3 danios in my tank. I don't have any other tank available. Is it possible to sort this water out with the fish still in the tank?

Please excuse my ignorance, as I really had no idea about this at the start. I want to be able to learn more now .

 

[librarygirl]

What size tank is it and what filter are you using? It doesn't seem overstocked unless the tank is very small. Have you tested your tap water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? If not I would start there; that could be where the nitrates are coming from at least. If nitrates from tap aren't that high, then you're either overfeeding and/or not cleaning the substrate enough during water changes. Also if you've never cleaned the filters, you may want to swish the media in old tank water during water changes (no need to replace the media entirely).

 

[Aidanflower]

When i do large 50% water changes i get a hint of nitrites in my water but the go away in a few hours. This happens because a lot of beneficial bacteria is taken out and you go through a mini cycle.
What kind of substrate do you have? What filtrating? And what size tank?

 

[Brookster123]

When i do large 50% water changes i get a hint of nitrites in my water but the go away in a few hours. This happens because a lot of beneficial bacteria is taken out and you go through a mini cycle. What kind of substrate do you have? What filtrating? And what size tank?

there is very little bb in your tank water, I would chalk it up to stirring up your substrate which can present low reading of nitrites for a brief period.

 

[Aidanflower]

When i do changes i don't touch my substrate. It may be from something else but i believe that its from the water

 

[Brookster123]

When i do changes i don't touch my substrate. It may be from something else but i believe that its from the water

When you add water the current does not reach the substrate at all?

 

[Aidanflower]

Nope, i make sure i dont touch the sand bed

 

[Brookster123]

Nope, i make sure i dont touch the sand bed

Have you tested your tap/water source?

 

[Sk3lly]

Only a small percentage of beneficial bacteria live in the water. They inhabit the surfaces in the tank and like water flow, hence living in your filter media. Water changes shouldnt affect beneficial bacteria numbers therefore shouldnt effect nitrite levels

 

[Aidanflower]

Yes i have zero or undetectable amon, trates, trites with api test kit

 

[Sk3lly]

When i do large 50% water changes i get a hint of nitrites in my water but the go away in a few hours. This happens because a lot of beneficial bacteria is taken out and you go through a mini cycle.
What kind of substrate do you have? What filtrating? And what size tank?

This is what you had said. I was commenting on it

 

[Aidanflower]

Only a small percentage of beneficial bacteria live in the water. They inhabit the surfaces in the tank and like water flow, hence living in your filter media. Water changes shouldnt affect beneficial bacteria numbers therefore shouldnt effect nitrite levels

Yes i agree that the majority of the bb lives on surfaces in the water. My lfs said that it is normal to see small traces of amon or trites in your water for a few hours after a large water change.

 

[molliwopp]

After running my tank for over 2 years and not really knowing much about it, I came on here. After all the reading I got myself an api test kit to test the water.
When I tested I got 0.25ppm for Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and possibly 40/80 nitrate? (See photos)
I had just done a 50% change 3 days prior.

I currently have 2 platys and 3 danios in my tank. I don't have any other tank available. Is it possible to sort this water out with the fish still in the tank?

Please excuse my ignorance, as I really had no idea about this at the start. I want to be able to learn more now.

Good man, never too late to learn and credit to you, takes more effort to learn something after 2years as most wouldn't bother. Can i asked what sparked your decision to do it?

Yeah it's more than possible to sort out the water with the fish in the tank. Skelly mentioned about checking your filter to see if its being restricted and testing your tap water. You could gently rinse the media from the filter in a bucket of old water when preforming a water change. I would recommend doing this if it was 2months old but seeing as it's been running for 2years it should be 110% cycled and with only 5 small fish in the tank im wondering why you're seeing ammonia at all.

So how big of a tank are we talking and also what filter are you using AG?


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[AG52014]

Hi, thank you for replying.
I have a 120 litre tank and just have the filter that came with it.
I did test the tap water and If I remember correctly all were at 0 ppm

 

[Caliban07]

How much food do you put in? Do you feed directly after a water change? Do you dechlorinate your tap water before putting it into the tank?

 

[molliwopp]

Hi, thank you for replying.
I have a 120 litre tank and just have the filter that came with it.
I did test the tap water and If I remember correctly all were at 0 ppm

I cant imagine its because of not dechlorinating as it would kill the fish also but caliban could be onto something about the food. If it's a 120 it can easily handle the bioload of your 5 fish regardless of what filter came with it. Infact a 30g could probably hold enough bacteria in the substrate and on the decor alone for that stocking.

Food or something else dead and rotting in the tank would be my first guess. I would start by carrying out extra water changes, feeding only what they can eat in a couple of mins. Maybe spread out the feeding to less food 2-3times a day and it should rectify itself. Out of interest, how often and how much water are you changing?



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[Caliban07]

I cant imagine its because of not dechlorinating as it would kill the fish also but caliban could be onto something about the food. If it's a 120 it can easily handle the bioload of your 5 fish regardless of what filter came with it. Infact a 30g could probably hold enough bacteria in the substrate and on the decor alone for that stocking.

Food or something else dead and rotting in the tank would be my first guess. I would start by carrying out extra water changes, feeding only what they can eat in a couple of mins. Maybe spread out the feeding to less food 2-3times a day and it should rectify itself. Out of interest, how often and how much water are you changing?



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This brings us back to the source of your new found concern. Did you have a missing fish or a fish die? If it was left in the tank it would create an ammonia spike.