New member of the "shake it up" club/API test kit

[wildroseofky]

I just got my API Master test kit today and used it for the first time on my 10 gallon tank.

First Test Rssults

PH 7.6
High PH test 7.4
Ammonia .50
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 20

After test, I did a 70% water change and used my gravel vac for the second time. Bottom of tank was really bad because I didn't have a gravel vacuum. I stirred the gravel up, rinsed out the filter in tank water, and rinsed the plants off in tank water. Put everything back and added new, treated water.

Second Test Results

PH 7.6
Ammonia .50
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

I did a second water change of 40-50%. Checked Ammonia only again. It is still showing .50. What is wrong? I am going to do another water change of 70%. If that doesn't bring it down, I don't know what to do. Please give me some advice.

 

[khoifish89]

it might be your water source, get an ammonia detoxifier like ammo-lock from api

 

[wildroseofky]

Thanks, I will pick one up tomorrow. Just did another test and ammonia was .25. I did another 50% water change and I am going to wait about an hour and do it again. We do have really bad tap water here. You can't drink it most of the time so it could be that. I am going to start using filtered water from the fridge for my tank. It will take a while to fill it up like that but it would have to be better than what is coming out of the faucet. I am going to buy one of those filters that go on the sink faucets soon so maybe that will help.

 

[aqua_chem]

Are you using prime? Your ammonia test kit can detect chloramines bound and detoxified by prime as ammonia, especially fairly recently after a water change. Try checking again after 12-24 hrs to determine if the levels have gone down.


That is, assuming that your tank is already properly cycled.

 

[wildroseofky]

I have been using Jungle Start Right. It says it removes chloramine chlorine, and heavy metals. I started out using Tetra Safe Start but the Jungle stuff was a better value. I have had my tank for around 4 months. I didn't find out about cycling until I added ghost shrimp and then two mollies. I then followed the fish in cycling steps. I started out using test strips. I changed my filter a month in before I found out it would start the cycling again so I haven't changed the filter since. I just rinse it in tank water. I have been doing 30-50% water changes every two days and just recently started doing them every three days. I stirred the gravel up a lot using the gravel vac and their was a lot of crap and stuff in the water. Could that have caused an ammonia spike? I have also been over feeding. I was feeding my two mollies three times a day and sinking some of the food for the shrimp. My Mollies are getting really round and the shrimp have grown a lot. The mollies aren't pregnant because I have had them for three months, they are both female, no male present, and they would have given birth by now I would think. The definitively look fat.

I will re do the tests tomorrow and post them. Maybe you could check them and see if they are right for a cycled tank?

 

[Dreamwallaby]

what is the ammonia level on your tap water?

 

[wildroseofky]

Just checked it. Straight out of the faucet it is reading .25. So I guess it is the water that I put in it that is keeping the reading up. Should I treat the water with an ammonia binder before adding it to the tank?

 

[phin]

When common water conditioners state they treat chlorine and cloramine, the chloramines break down into chlorine and ammonia, So unless your water conditioner states that it detoxifies ammonia, you need to treat for ammonia.

If your tap water is .25ppm ammonia, It makes sense that when you treat your tap water you break down the chloramine and increase your ammonia levels to .50ppm.

Your best bet, the most comprehensive conditioner and cost effective when pricing per gallon treated is Seachem Prime. Get a little red bottle for $8. It will last you forever.

 

[creic38]

Don't use Ammo-lock or anything like that. They only mask the problem and never actually fix anything. You still haven't mentioned it your tank is cycled, which sounds like it isn't. When a tank is cycled, using Prime in your tap water will make it safe long enough for your bacteria colony to break down the ammonia. There should never be a need to use anything but Prime in a cycled tank, even if your tap water has traces of ammonia in it.

 

[aqua_chem]

I've only spoken to the Seachem reps about Prime, but I would imagine that most products that detoxify chloramines would have a similar effect. That being said, I'm not sure if its the detoxification of chloramines or the sequestration of ammonia that gives this effect (Prime does both). Considering what you're describing, it certainly sounds like this what you're seeing regardless of what dechlorinator you're using.

 

[creic38]

I had that same question not too long ago. I'm not so sure that is the case. I've been using the same products and routine for awhile now, and I do not get those false readings. It is a good topic for discussion though. I still have not gotten a straightforward answer.

 

[wildroseofky]

Did todays tests and here are the results

PH 7.6
Ammonia .50
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 0

I am going to do another water change and check again. I am reading through the forums for more information on ammonia problems.

I forgot to mention that three days ago, when I was doing the water change, I took the filter out to rinse it and the bottom of the bag came open. The charcoal was falling out of it so I just emptied the charcoal and put the filter back in. I have been using the same filter medium for the last three months after reading on here that you didn't need to replace the filter media every month like the manufacturer says. The filter bag is made so it can be opened and other material added. I was thinking of adding some fiber fill to it because it isn't very thick without the charcoal.

 

[wildroseofky]

I think I killed my bacteria in my filter. My ammonia and nitrites have been going up and no nitrates showing for a week now. When I was doing a water change a couple of days ago, I had a "duh" moment. I had started adding the dechlorinator directly to the tank and then pouring the untreated water in over the filter. Always before, I had been adding the dechlorinator to the gallons of water before putting it in the tank but I had been guessing how much water treatment stuff to add and using a lot. While reading through the forums I saw that others just put the treatment in the tank water and then poured the new water in. I would just measure out a cap full for a ten gallon tank like the bottle said and then pour the tap water into the tank over the filter. I would bet that the untreated, chlorinated water has killed the bacteria in my filter.

Now I feel like an idiot and I guess I will have to start rebuilding my bacteria. Lesson learned. I wonder how long it will take my tank to rebound?

 

[Hholly]

Darn. It's hard to say how long it will take. Can you get any media from someone's established tank?

 

[phin]

Now I feel like an idiot and I guess I will have to start rebuilding my bacteria. Lesson learned. I wonder how long it will take my tank to rebound?

It depends on if you killed off everything or just some of it. If you have any living bacteria left it will rebound a lot faster than if everything was destroyed.

 

[aqua_chem]

Phin is precisely right. Even if you caused significant damage to your biofilter, you probably didn't kill all of it in a single, brief wash of your media. Bacteria multiply exponentially, so they can quickly recover assuming a reasonable amount survived. Assuming that you killed 95% of you bacteria, your biofilter could recover in a matter of days. The reason that it initially takes so long is because you are going from a handful of bacteria to billions of them.

 

[wildroseofky]

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. I moved my tank yesterday and set up the 29 gallon. Waiting for the water to clear from disturbing the sand. It isn't very cloudy, just a little haze so it will hopefully be ready to transfer decorations and filter media over by tomorrow. I am going to pick up some safe start or similar product to move things along. I am going to try to cycle the tank before moving my fish this time. Poor things have been through a lot. I am going to pick up some ammonia from Petsmart tomorrow and maybe a couple of plants. Looking forward to getting the bigger tank done and begin adding fish.

 

[wildroseofky]

I wonder if I need to buy ammonia to cycle the new tank. I have an ammonia reading of .25 in the ten gallon tank and I am doing a water change. My nitrite reading is 0 and my nitrate reading is 5 by the way. Can I use the water from my water change to "feed" the bacteria. It has ammonia so would that work? I hope that makes sense.