High ammonia

[BertoCat]

Hi guys I'm a relatively new fish owner, 60ltr tank set up for about 3 months (cycled). My ammonia levels are really high, and 30% regular water changes don't seem to be helping. My nitrate is up too, but not to the same extent. I don't think I am overfeeding the fish either. All fish seem fine, any ideas?

pH 7.6
Ammonia 4.0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 10 ppm

Tank contains 2 mollys, 1 platy, 3 adult guppys, 2 juvenile guppys and a bristle nose catfish as well a shrimp (who lives in the filter quite happily!)

Thanks

 

[jcolon]

How are you testing your parameters? A liquid test kit like the API test master or test strips(notoriously inaccurate)? 4.0ppm is usually way to high for a cycled tank and I'd expect fish to be gasping for air at the surface.

Have you replaced any filter cartridges in the last month? How did you cycle your tank? Bacteria in a bottle? Fishless or fishin cycle ... if so did you get any seeding material from an established tank?

Forget 30% PWC ... if those are accurate ammo numbers ... you're looking at back to back 75% PWC's.

 

[LyndaB]

+1

Do you refill with water from your tap? If so, have you tested the tap water?

Exactly how much and how often do you feed your fish? You have very few fish and it wouldn't take much food to keep them healthy. I feed every 2-3 days and only as much as they can eat in 2-3 minutes. Keep in mind that the fish stomach is roughly the size of one of their eyes.

When you say water changes, are you doing gravel vacs, too? You MUST if you're overfeeding.

 

[BillD]

I would suspect that there is something wrong with your testing methods or your fish would probably be dead with an ammonia reading of 4.

 

[BertoCat]

I am using an API liquid kit, so results are accurate.

Cycled fishless with bacteria in a bottle. Seemed fine, until a week ago when ammonia became high.

I do vacuum the gravel when I water change, my tank it pretty clean!

Tested tap water just now, was a little off 0 (in the 5ml tested) but don't think that would be the cause.

I have replaced my carbon in last 2 days, but the ammonia was high before and remains high, would I need to change the other filter pad?? (not the ceramic media, I know to leave that alone!)

Thanks for the speedy responses, I will do another water change thus evening.

 

[LyndaB]

Are any components in your testing kit expired?

Which "bacteria in a bottle"? The vast majority of them do not work and are quite often not even the right bacteria needed.

 

[jcolon]

Cycled fishless with bacteria in a bottle. Seemed fine, until a week ago when ammonia became high.

There's the culprit ... IMO. B in a bottle can be unstable and has been known to crash after a few months or less leading to ammonia spikes. In addition, they also outcompete "real" (as I call them) nitrifying bacteria when the tank is first establishing. On some B in a bottle, the instructions say replenish on a regular basis ... actual BB replenish themselves as long as fish produce ammo and your do proper maintenance.

I'd say your back to square on ... and have to re-establish your colony of BB. Regular testing and PWC's to keep ammo below 0.25ppm is what's needed. If you don't have it and can find it ... I recommend Seachem Prime dechlorinator. It locks ammo and nitrites into less toxic forms for 24+hrs giving your fish breathing room between PWC's ... but still allowing bacteria to consume it so they populate.

Good luck!! .... Keep us posted!

 

[BertoCat]

Update:

Have been doing waterchanges every other day of between 30-50%. Ammonia is still between 3-4 ppm, much to high! Can't seem to lower it. Also one of my guppies has had fry, so want optimum water!

Other parameters are
pH 7.6
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-15 ppm (also quite high)

I'm sure I'm not overfeeding as well! Changed the carbon in my filter a few days ago, will change the filter foam today (reaching the end of it's life).

Should i consider using ammolock, or something similar, or continue with water changes?

Thanks!!

 

[jetajockey]

Does your tap water have ammonia in it?

What size is this tank?

If not, you should be able to get the ammonia level down to nil by multiple back to back water changes.

The ammonia level should not get too high in the course of a day or two, but if it is then you should cut back on feeding. You may not be overfeeding per se, but the idea is that if you reduce the food going in, it reduces the waste being created. Cut back to feeding once every other day and just a small amount, as in a few pellets or flakes for each fish and that is all. The only exception with feeding would be to continue feeding the fry daily, but be very careful not to let a powdered fry food add to the ammonia level in the water, so feed sparingly with it as well.

 

[LyndaB]

Do not use products like AmmoLock. Water changes and a good dechlorinator are all you need.

 

[librarygirl]

Water changes every other day of less than 50% when ammonia is that high is not enough, IMO. First you'll need to do a massive water change; just leave enough water on the bottom for the fish to swim (70-80%). Refill, then test the ammonia. If it's still over .25, do another water change. Keep doing this until the ammonia is as close to 0 as possible. Then you'll want to keep it there, so test the water daily and do water changes every day as needed to keep the ammonia as close to 0 as possible. I fear the tank wasn't truly cycled and now you are in a fish-in cycle situation. Using Prime as a dechlorinator will help too. There's a link in my signature: new tank with fish; read it and it will guide you.