Ammonia spike

[StarskreamX82]

Just set up a 10g as a breeder and filled tap water with older gravel and nothing else. At first the ammo reading reads at 0. When I come back to the test kit 5 minutes later it's showing ammo off the scale. I even seeded stuff from the big established filter media.

 

[librarygirl]

So you have another tank that you used media from? Is that tank cycled? Does your tap water have ammonia in it? It's also possible you stirred up some gunk from the gravel.

--First I'd test your tap water to rule out that as an ammonia source.
--Then I'd test your established tank to make sure the ammonia isn't coming from there (if it is and if there's fish in it you should do some water changes)

Let us know what these tests results are.

 

[StarskreamX82]

The tap is reading at 0.50ppm Ammo and the established tank is at 0ppm.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

When it shows ammonia off the scale, does that mean it is the .5 reading you are getting from the tap or something higher?

Are there fish in this tank? Any sources of ammo that could possibly be in there (fish, food, pure ammo, etc?)

Are you fishless cycling, fish-in cycling, or some other type?

 

[StarskreamX82]

The only thing in there is tap water, cleaned and dried gravel, and an airdrome from the other tank. By off the chart I mean that the first test an hour ago was much darker than the green on the API test kit which is 8.0ppm.

 

[StarskreamX82]

airstone* **** iphone lol

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Whoa!

What is an airdome???

I'm not sure what it could be. Has anything gotten into the tank?

For now...I suspect the tap water.

Edit: Nevermind about the airdome.

Do you have a filter?

 

[StarskreamX82]

No filter in there yet. And no drinking water filter either... I gotta get to Walmart and stop drinking all that ammonia. @,@ I'll go grab a bottle of the API conditioner while I'm at it.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

If you have no media or such in there I think there lays your problem. If you don't convert ammonia, nitrites, to nitrates, then it just stays as ammonia, and I still think .5 is awfully high.

If you want something to neutralize ammonia, IMO get SeaChem Prime or Amquel Plus.

 

[StarskreamX82]

I've seen the SeaChem Prime, I'll grab that instead then. Thanks guys!

 

[librarygirl]

Ok wait , if you're ammonia was reading over 8 then there's something wrong. Also an ammonia reading that high can actually hinder the cycle. Is the API kit new? Can you test again and shake both bottles for a few seconds first?