Fish fine. Ammonia not.

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jennymph

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
147
Location
Lancashire, UK
Hey.

So in the last 2 days I've done 50% water changes, one was because it was due and yesterday was because I got an ammonia reading of about 1.0ppm. Tested water today, Nitrites and Nitrates fine, ammonia still at 1.0ppm, I've treated with Prime when I was doing water changes and done everything to try and mitigate the ammonia. However, no luck. My fish is saying normally, no signs of Ammonia burn etc, I genuinely wouldn't know the ammonia is high if I didn't test. What could be causing this high ammonia and what steps should I take to get rid of it?

Thanks
Jen
 
Tank specs?
Change anything recently?
Well it's 24L (6g). Sponge filter. Heater. Sand substrate. Not changed anything apart from a decoration I put in... Just yesterday after the water change I put eSHa 2000 antibacterial treatment in for Fin Rot because his tail is looking so shredded and battered.
Am- 1.0
NO2- 0
NO3- 5
Temp- 78-80
 
If your source water is treated with chloramines then ammonia after adding conditioner is not unheard of.
Chloramine is chlorine and ammonia bonded so when the conditioner removes /neutralizes the chlorine it leaves the ammonia behind assumedly neutralized also but still showing in test.. A cycled system should deal with it within 24-48 hours IMO . Most conditioners detoxify the ammonia for 48 hours...
 
Well it's 24L (6g). Sponge filter. Heater. Sand substrate. Not changed anything apart from a decoration I put in... Just yesterday after the water change I put eSHa 2000 antibacterial treatment in for Fin Rot because his tail is looking so shredded and battered.
Am- 1.0
NO2- 0
NO3- 5
Temp- 78-80

Well that product is an anti bacterial treatment... It claims to be safe for filters, but a high enough dose could.... kill off some filter bacteria.

Are you running an air stone while treating? Did you do some water changes and add some fresh carbon to remove the meds from the water? How many treatments did you do? 6 gallons is fairly easy to overdose...
 
Yeah I've had the tank up and running for 4 months and never had an issue with parameters, so this shocked me a lot. Like I say he's acting his normal self and I can't see a cause of the ammonia being 1.0ppm.
 
So what should I do right now? Assume that it is neutralised and carry on with my day and not faff about with the tank, or do yet another 50% WC?
 
Well that product is an anti bacterial treatment... It claims to be safe for filters, but a high enough dose could.... kill off some filter bacteria.

Are you running an air stone while treating? Did you do some water changes and add some fresh carbon to remove the meds from the water? How many treatments did you do? 6 gallons is fairly easy to overdose...
I treated with the recommend amount for 6 gallons. I mean I could out another air Stone in but assumed the oxygen coming from my filter would be sufficient. I was planning on doing a water change tonight before adding the next lot of treatment which is 3 drops.
 
But to me the treatment is a variable that I added whilst this ammonia issue was ongoing anyway, I can add the airstone and I can do another water change. I could bring something in from my other tank to increase BB just in case it has killed off the BB, but like I said, I was having the ammonia issue prior to adding the treatment
 
Added air stone and taken the decoration out. He's stressed cos of the bubbles but can't lower the flow of the air pump. Just gonna have to do another WC later on today I think.
 
Have you squeezed the sponge out in a bowl of old tank water within the 6 mo's.? Vacuumed the top of the sand? Wiped the tank down?
 
Have you squeezed the sponge out in a bowl of old tank water within the 6 mo's.? Vacuumed the top of the sand? Wiped the tank down?
Yep! Done all of these, did the sponge about a week ago, and I vacuum the top of the sand every time I do a water change (weekly) and also stir up the sand. Always have
 
Could be the decoration. I know I had some gravel awhile back that I had spikes with. I took alittle out and put it in a cup with water and tested after sitting over night and found it was my problem. Out it came.
 
Could be the decoration. I know I had some gravel awhile back that I had spikes with. I took alittle out and put it in a cup with water and tested after sitting over night and found it was my problem. Out it came.
I've taken the decoration out now and put it back in my 160L (washed it in it's tank water) so time will tell. Fingers crossed it's just a fluke and no harm will come to my child
 
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