VERY VERY HIGH AMMONIA LEVELS!!!!

[spring007]

Hey guys,
The ammonia level in my 55 Gal tank is around 8!!!! and the fishes are fine...
It never happened before... and I have that tank for a long time now....I did a 60% PWC 2 days ago but when I tested the water today.. the level of ammonia was the same... The nitrite level is 0 and the nitrate level is 10....!!!
What should I do?? I have a penguin 330 bio wheel filter with fully cultured bio wheels....

 

[Andos99]

and I have that tank for a long time now

How long? How old is your test kit? This doesn't make sense if what you say is true. If your ammonia is really that high, your fish are not fine and should already be dead. Keep doing PWC's and buy a new test kit. A second opinion wouldn't hurt.

 

[spring007]

The tank is 18 months old and the bio wheel too!!...

The test Kit I have is: Freshwater Master Test Kit by Aquarium Parmaceuticals Canada, INC. And its only a week old...

There is no problem with the test kit because I have another 240 Gal tank and when I tested the water in that, the ammonia level was 0....

I even went and got 3 new test tubes to test the water....

 

[Andos99]

What is your stock list?

 

[spring007]

1 Senegal bichir, 2 Tiger Oscars(4" each), 2 parrots, 1 common pleco, 1 featherfin Synodonits(4"), 2 Ram horn Snalis, 1 Gold Inca snail and I shifted my Silver Arowana into my 240 2 days ago...

I had 2 Senegal bichirs but I can't find one of them... I had another Pleco which died yesteray.....

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I had 2 Senegal bichirs but I can't find one of them

I'ld start pulling things apart and find that guy, if he's decomposing in the tank it will cause an ammonia spike.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I would guess that it's a decomposing fish in the tank. Tear that tank apart until you can find it. Also look in the filter.

 

[Jchillin]

The ammonia level in my 55 Gal tank is around 8!!!! and the fishes are fine..

Contradicts,

I had 2 Senegal bichirs but I can't find one of them... I had another Pleco which died yesteray....

It would have been much easier to diagnose the problem if you mentioned all of these things from the beginning.

For ammonia to build up to the level you have, things haven't been right since that last PWC. I would suggest you retrace your steps to determine what caused the Pleco to expire and start this chain of events.

Also, moved to Unhealthy fish forum.

 

[7Enigma]

1 or 2 things I can think of that would cause a well established tank to do this:

1. (most likely), your dead fish is rotting and contaminating the tank. But I would imagine the water color/odor would really be noticeable. Do you see any haziness or odor of rotting fish if you put your nose close to the water?

2. (less likely), you had a catestrophic bacteria die off, due to some contaminant. Did you recently feed or clean the tank by hand after washing your hands with an antibacterial product? Did you do a PWC without adding a dechlorinator such as Prime? Did you accidently REALLY overfeed?

I would stop COMPLETELY feeding your fish for at least 2 days to lessen the amount of ammonia being introduced to the water and do PWC's successively until you get to below 0.25ppm.

Also are you reading the ~8 ammonia level using the liquid test kit from AP? If so you cannot trust that value as its very difficult to get an accurate reading when its up that high (actually ANY test kit is probably not accurate that high). I'd do a quick serial dilution to find out what the number actually is. Take 1/2 aquarium water, and mix with 1/2 tap water, take 1/2 of that and mix with 1/2 tap water, take 1/2 of that and mix with 1/2 tap water, etc.

Do 5 dilutions and test with the final dilution. If you value was truly ~8ppm of ammonia, you should be reading between 0.1 and 0.25ppm ammonia. Those 2 color differences are easily distinguishable. If its lower, test the 4th dilution, if its higher you need to do another dilution or 2 out. When you get a value that is in range, report back and we'll help you if my directions were confusing.

Goodluck,

justin

 

[TomK2]

I assume it is a two bottle, salicylate ammonia test? Not that I think you have an interfering agent in you tank, but I will append what I know about the test. My bet is with dead fish decaying, and / or something to impair your biofilter. The biowheels are turning? haven't been allowed to dry out for a period? No pH crash? Not a nessler reagent test?

Salicylate testing for ammonia:

This analytical method is based upon the treatment of ammonia compounds in a seawater or freshwater sample with chlorine to produce monochloramine. The monochloramine is reacted with salicylate to form 5-aminosalicylate. Sodium nitroprusside acts as a catalyst for the oxidiation of 5-aminosalicylate to indosalicylate, a blue colored compound. The blue color is masked by the yellow color from excess reagent to give a final color of green. This color change is proportional to the amount of ammonia in the sample and can be determined using the indicator card.

Interference: (not a complete list, where interference levels are given they are for the Hach Co test, and might not appy to Aquarium Pharmaceuticals)

Extremely hard water (CaCo3 >1000ppm), and extremely high nitrite (>12ppm) and nitrate(>100ppm) levels can effect the test, as would high Iron, Calcium, Phosphate,Sulfate, Magnesium and Sulfide. Food particles will cause the test to turn green also.

So, if you have monochloramine in your water, it should turn color and detect the monochloramine? I have not seen this written, but it can be inferred. A way of testing your tap water for monochloramine!

Aquarium pharmaceuticals does not list the ingredients to the ammonia test, but many of the above ingredients are on the MSDS for the test. I believe it to be the same.

 

[spring007]

Hey Guys...
I finally found the problem... The tiger oscars and the parrots have attacked a bichir and it has died... I couldn't see the bichir because it had turned white and my gravel is partially white too..
So I removed all the decoration and did a 80% water change yesterday..Today the amonia reading was 0....I guess the pleco died due to the high level of ammonia....

 

[spring007]

Thanks a lot for your help friends... I really appreciate it...