Help!!! I started a 10gal freshwater tropical tank about 6 weeks ago. 2 sunburst 5 guppies & 1 Algae eater. Ammonia levels are extremely high 4.0-8.0. I’m not over feeding, doing 3gal water changers every 3 days. Also allowing tap water to sit for 48 hrs with quick start and stress coat before adding to tank. Fish seem happy. Water temperature is 76°. I also clean rocks with with Quick vac pro when doing water changes. I just removed all the fake plants to see if that helps. I’m extremely frustrated and don’t know what else to do. I’ve done everything Thd employees at Petco and Petsmart have told me???
Help 10 gal high ammonia levels
- Thread starter Rose9187
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
RobbFErwin
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
For now, don't clean your rocks or substrate, they have beneficial bacteria on them that convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrate
What are you using to test the ammonia levels? If you are trusting the Petco or Petsmart employees to test your water with those test strips, that could be miss leading you. Those tests are wildly inaccurate.
After saying that I would suggest you get an API test kit and do the test yourself. Accurate and you can do the tests in the comfort of your home with slippers on. Haha.
If your ammonia really is that high, you need to do water changes until you get that number down to .25-.5 ppm to keep your fish safe and healthy.
After saying that I would suggest you get an API test kit and do the test yourself. Accurate and you can do the tests in the comfort of your home with slippers on. Haha.
If your ammonia really is that high, you need to do water changes until you get that number down to .25-.5 ppm to keep your fish safe and healthy.
I have been doing water changes 3 gallons every 2 to 3 days for the last two weeks and levels are not going down down at all. I've also have tried skipping a few feeding but fish act like they are starving.Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
You need to do water changes until that number gets to .25ppm, and be doing a water change everyday or whenever the Ammonia level gets over .25ppm until the Nitrogen cycle has completed.
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
Angela1108
Aquarium Advice Addict
You definitely need to keep up on water changes so the fish don't die from ammonia poisoning. Your tank is not cycled completely so I would read up on cycling the tank.
Products like prime by seachem make ammonia non toxic to fish for 24 hours. You might want to consider switching to something like that if the water dechlorinater that you have doesn't. Even if your tank was cycled (which I am guessing it wasn't since the ammonia is so high) adding a lot of fish can trigger a mini cycle
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
Products like prime by seachem make ammonia non toxic to fish for 24 hours. You might want to consider switching to something like that if the water dechlorinater that you have doesn't. Even if your tank was cycled (which I am guessing it wasn't since the ammonia is so high) adding a lot of fish can trigger a mini cycle
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
vance1013
Aquarium Advice Addict
If your ammonia levels are that high you should do a 50% water change wait an hour or so and do it again until your ammonia is at 0ppm a bottle of prime would save you alot of time so you dont have to age your water also that is a common pleco those will get to well over a foot long i would tack it back to the store
Sent from my SPH-L720T using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Sent from my SPH-L720T using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
Okay to elaborate on things that have been said.
50% water changes until your reading is 0.25ppm for ammonia and nitrite. These can be done up to every hour. From there its maintainence. Just do a 50% water change any time your ammonia or nitrites increase. I agree with switching to prime, its the best conditioner out there atm.
Fish always act like they are starving. Until you get the ammonia under control its perfectly safe to feed once every other day.
You have a bit too much stock in your tank with it cycling. The pleco in particular needs to be rehomed asap. They are poo factories and its a major contributor to the ammonia.
50% water changes until your reading is 0.25ppm for ammonia and nitrite. These can be done up to every hour. From there its maintainence. Just do a 50% water change any time your ammonia or nitrites increase. I agree with switching to prime, its the best conditioner out there atm.
Fish always act like they are starving. Until you get the ammonia under control its perfectly safe to feed once every other day.
You have a bit too much stock in your tank with it cycling. The pleco in particular needs to be rehomed asap. They are poo factories and its a major contributor to the ammonia.
