Ammonia spike!!!!

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preyas1207

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
89
Location
Canada
Hi i dont know if this would go here but its making my fish unhealthy so that works.
My fish have been going well so far so good for a month in a cycled 5.5 gallon tank ive been having quite a few deaths like flies first 2 otos and then 3 guppies so i took them to the shop with a water sample i decided to get my money back oh ya this is from petsmart but i got my test
Bacteria pretty good
Nitrite 0
Nitrate i believe below 5 ppm
Ph actually kinda low 6.2 -_- before my problems were ph was too high(over 8!):nono:
and then it was ammonia OVER THE CHARTS!!!!!!:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
it wasnt even on the reading cards just too high i do 20% water changes everyweek but with a pitcher......I just did not remember about siphons and gravel vaccums:banghead: so i got a gravel vaccum and i will now do 10% water changes 3 times a week and lower feedings
Do you guys know if you can help me solve some other ways to lower the ammonia levels please dont recommend those chemicals to remove it kinda expensive something easy to do this and also anyways to improve my ph levels thanks!:thanks:
 
You could increase the oxygen level of your tank. This provides more fuel for your bacteria to use to break down the ammonia.

If you use one, you could switch out your air stone for one that produces a fine mist of bubbles

OR

If you use a hang-on-back filter for oxygenation, lower the water level in the tank.

With such high levels, this likely won't completely solve your problem but it is cost effective.
 
Thanks man I'm using an internal filter but it has an extra piece to make it a hang on gotta find that I'm going to try to bring the filter a bit higher i probably wont lower the water level as that will make the waste condense a bit more but thanks for the tips
 
If you are not oxygenating your tank, this could actually be the whole problem.

It'll be tricky to get an internal filter to produce the desired result, you'll have to be creative -- Try to hang it near the surface so the filter's output disturbs the water's surface and creates small bubbles.

View attachment FISHTANK.png
 
Thanks i tried to get it as high as i can im going to upgrade pretty soon to a 10 gallon ill start off with moving the live sand and getting a hang on filter im surprised though the fry seem to be doing better :/
It will be a while ill give it 3 weeks to cycle as the fish aint doing the best in the 5.5 also, it wont be that harsh as i will already have live sand and i have some bacteria supplements i will probably do a fish cycle with my old cyclers, zebra danios
 
The real way to get your ammonia down is doing real water changes. Your going to need to take this with a grain of salt: If your ammonia levels are 5 :banghead:s off the charts, you shouldn't be doing 20% weekly water changes. I feel like you know that. You need to be doing 70% water changes every other day, or bring back the fish and find a new hobby. If you didn't know that, then I'm sorry but it's true. Up your water changes, and lower the water level to create more surface disturbance.
 
Have you checked all your tap water specs (after standing for 24hrs to degas)? I don't quite understand why ph is moving around so much.
 
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