Ammonia Spike, how high?

[littlelouie]

How high do you leave the ammonia before doing a water change?

I am on day12 of the cycle with 5 cardinal tetras and a clown loach in a 6 gal tank with a piece of driftwood. (still slightly leaching).

I have performed 2 x 20% wc to date. 1 on day6 when ammonia reached 0.17ppm, and the other wc on day10 when the ammonia spiked to over 4.00ppm 8O.

The nitrite level has maintained at around 0.066ppm

The nitrate at 10.95ppm

I perform water tests on pH, ammonia and nitrite every 2nd day but can do this daily if necessary.

Current levels:
ammonia 1.53ppm
nitrite 0.066ppm
pH 7.1
Temp 26.8 deg cel

My fish are brightly coloured and happily swimming around.

Do I wait for the white cloudy bacterial bloom or change the water? At what point should I change it without effecting the cycle too much?

Louise :?

 

[fishfreek]

Have you added any sort of ammonia locking fluid like ammolock or anything simular?

The reason I ask is they will convert the ammonia from toxic form to non toxic form but on most test kits it will still register as ammonia. I would continue to do 20% water changes every few days and also discontinue feeding for a few days aswell during this period. If you syphon your gravel make sure you only syphon 1/2 of the substrate on any given water change.

 

[littlelouie]

Thanks for your input fishfreek

I haven't used ammolock in the tank. The only thing I forgot to mention was a benefitial bacteria solution called "Cycle" which I have added twice (each Tuesday, I try to set a routine).

I feed my fish in the am an pm one day and only the am the next and each feed is only enough for them to eat without any food sinking to the gravel.

With the wc I have done I have only done bucket changes, not gravel changes.

Louise

 

[fishfreek]

Ah, I would say that the feeding schedule is adding to yoru ammonia production at this point. No uneaten food is going to waste but there is a fair amount of fish waste being produced as a result of them eating.

I would not suggest changing the gravel just using a gravel vac or syphon to clean the upper surface of the gravel. This will help to remove some of the fish waste that is sitting in the gravel bed.

 

[littlelouie]

Sorry fishfreek I meant gravel syphon/vac (it's getting late)

I thought that a wc would be enough to keep the fish healthy therefore I haven't vaced the gravel so as to leave some waste to help the cycle.
If you think it best I will do my 20% wc's with the vac and not the bucket.

My main concern is how high I let the ammonia get before I do the change.

I don't have a prob doing the changes just a concern I will hinder the cycle.

Louise