Amonia Tablets
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
An t-iasg
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome to AA!
What are your ammonia levels? Are you cycling a tank? If there are fish in the tank, the best way to lower ammonia is with water changes, daily if necessary. The product that I would trust to lock up excess ammonia is Prime dechlorinator - in a situation like a power outage, where the ammonia may spike without a working filter. Otherwise, the best way to control ammonia is by doing water changes and getting your tank cycled. Here's an article on cycling:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/24/1/Nitrogen-Cycle-/Page1.html
What are your ammonia levels? Are you cycling a tank? If there are fish in the tank, the best way to lower ammonia is with water changes, daily if necessary. The product that I would trust to lock up excess ammonia is Prime dechlorinator - in a situation like a power outage, where the ammonia may spike without a working filter. Otherwise, the best way to control ammonia is by doing water changes and getting your tank cycled. Here's an article on cycling:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/24/1/Nitrogen-Cycle-/Page1.html
Yes, 55gal tank has been up for about 3 weeks, added fish, African's, after 1st week. Levels are off the chart 5 or better. I think my son was overfeeding. Did a 25% change last night. After doing more research it seems I need to do a big water change. Should I do a big change or several smaller changes.
An t-iasg
Aquarium Advice Addict
If your ammonia levels are 5 or above, do a 50% to 75% change. The fish are stressed at those levels. You may need to do a water change every day. When the ammonia levels get lower, you can do a smaller volume of water changes, like 50% and then 25% changes. Anytime the ammonia reaches .25, I recommend a water change. At that level, you could do a 25% change. Even a small amount of ammonia can stress fish.
HooKooDooKu
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yea, I had to cycle a new tank that already had a goldfish in it. I had to do 25% water changes EVERY DAY for a month until the tank cycled.
HooKooDooKu
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Well, let's see if we can simplify this some for you.
Forget about all the chemicals!
From what I've seen, these chemicals are designed for the general public looking for a quick fix when they don't understand about cycling a new fish tank.
Now this might very well include you, especially if you have not read the link An t-iasg gave you.
Under the assumption that you have NOT read about cycling a new fish tank... here's the short and skinny on it. Fish produce ammonia. Ammonia is dangerous to fish. Over time, a fish tank will naturally grow a bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrite. Nitrite is dangerous to fish. Over time, a fish tank will naturally grow a bacteria the converts nitrite to nitrate. Nitrate is safe for fish at moderate levels.
Cycling a fish tank is giving the tank and its filter time to build up these needed bacteria. But it's a process that can take a month or more. In the mean time, do PWC daily to keep ammonia and nitrite levels low until the tank finishes cycling. After that, you'll only need to do PWC weekly or monthly to keep nitrate levels in the safe range.
At this point, the main thing you need to purchase is the Freshwater Master Kit by API (or its equivilent). This kit will include tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You WILL use these tests every day while the tank is cycling. By watching the levels of ammonia and nitrite, you can guage how much of a PWC (0, 25%, 50%) you need to do today to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down (like around 0.25 ppm).
When it comes to chemicals, there's really only one that you want to consider: Prime by Seachem (or some similar water conditioner). Assuming you are refilling with tap water, you need a conditioner to neutrilize things like chlorine found in most city water.
Forget about all the chemicals!
From what I've seen, these chemicals are designed for the general public looking for a quick fix when they don't understand about cycling a new fish tank.
Now this might very well include you, especially if you have not read the link An t-iasg gave you.
Under the assumption that you have NOT read about cycling a new fish tank... here's the short and skinny on it. Fish produce ammonia. Ammonia is dangerous to fish. Over time, a fish tank will naturally grow a bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrite. Nitrite is dangerous to fish. Over time, a fish tank will naturally grow a bacteria the converts nitrite to nitrate. Nitrate is safe for fish at moderate levels.
Cycling a fish tank is giving the tank and its filter time to build up these needed bacteria. But it's a process that can take a month or more. In the mean time, do PWC daily to keep ammonia and nitrite levels low until the tank finishes cycling. After that, you'll only need to do PWC weekly or monthly to keep nitrate levels in the safe range.
At this point, the main thing you need to purchase is the Freshwater Master Kit by API (or its equivilent). This kit will include tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You WILL use these tests every day while the tank is cycling. By watching the levels of ammonia and nitrite, you can guage how much of a PWC (0, 25%, 50%) you need to do today to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down (like around 0.25 ppm).
When it comes to chemicals, there's really only one that you want to consider: Prime by Seachem (or some similar water conditioner). Assuming you are refilling with tap water, you need a conditioner to neutrilize things like chlorine found in most city water.
Yes i did read the link, thanks for that. Question about the prime conditioner. I will be using 5gal bucket to remove and refill tank. The Prime conditioner indicates that 1 capfull will clean 50gal. Is it ok to treat all the water at once after its in the tank. I also have Stress Coat as well.
CaptainAhab
Thanx but no.....
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Yes , that is fine. Also you can't really overdose Prime. So don't sweat the math considering how cheap it is. The other thing to keep in mind is that you will show a false positive on your ammonia test (that will be the 'safe ammonia') giving the result.
HooKooDooKu
Aquarium Advice FINatic
How big a bottle of Prime do you have?
I have the smaller bottle (50mL) that comes with a flip top with a narrow opening with the instructions to just use two drops per gallon.
While I think CaptainAhab's suggestion that you can't overdose is correct for the short term, for the long term I would want to get the amount correct. I would agree with others that say they don't want to add anything to their water unless you have to. In the case of tap water, you have to use something like Prime to get out the chlorine. Even then, if you KNOW your city is using only chlorine in the water, all you have to do to get the chlorine out is let the water sit open over night and the chlorine will evaporate. But many cities have turned to using chloramine. It's a chlorine-like chemical that remains around a lot longer (you would have to age the water for more than a week to allow the chloramine to evaporate).
Now one of the reasons I say you don't want to use more than the recommended amount over the long term... there's another thread going on regarding the best water treatment chemical, and there was a sub-discussion on slime coat. Prime provides slime coat, and at least one person was arguing that too much slime coat can build up on a fish's gills and suffocate it.
And again, for the long term, I would think it was better, if you can, to add the Prime and let it sit for a little while to give it the chance to deactivate things like chlorine so that the fish are not swimming in the chlorine for even the breif period it takes to finish the PWC. Sure, doing it evey once in a while isn't going to hurt the fish. But doing so on an on going bases can't be good for the fish.
I have the smaller bottle (50mL) that comes with a flip top with a narrow opening with the instructions to just use two drops per gallon.
While I think CaptainAhab's suggestion that you can't overdose is correct for the short term, for the long term I would want to get the amount correct. I would agree with others that say they don't want to add anything to their water unless you have to. In the case of tap water, you have to use something like Prime to get out the chlorine. Even then, if you KNOW your city is using only chlorine in the water, all you have to do to get the chlorine out is let the water sit open over night and the chlorine will evaporate. But many cities have turned to using chloramine. It's a chlorine-like chemical that remains around a lot longer (you would have to age the water for more than a week to allow the chloramine to evaporate).
Now one of the reasons I say you don't want to use more than the recommended amount over the long term... there's another thread going on regarding the best water treatment chemical, and there was a sub-discussion on slime coat. Prime provides slime coat, and at least one person was arguing that too much slime coat can build up on a fish's gills and suffocate it.
And again, for the long term, I would think it was better, if you can, to add the Prime and let it sit for a little while to give it the chance to deactivate things like chlorine so that the fish are not swimming in the chlorine for even the breif period it takes to finish the PWC. Sure, doing it evey once in a while isn't going to hurt the fish. But doing so on an on going bases can't be good for the fish.
Dano01
Aquarium Advice Regular
Put the Stress Coat in the round file!
I,m in Alaska and we are on a well, the water quiality is very good, no chlorine, very clean and clear water, so the fish would be ok with adding the Prime after tank is refilled?..........just want to be safe. Plan is to do a 50% change and then add the Prime. I have the 250mL bottle and it does not have a dropper, its all I could find up here,
CaptainAhab
Thanx but no.....
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I would suggest you do some research on the Seachem site. Several of the facts presented here are in error I believe. Instead of further complicating the issue, researching the product will show you the way.
However, if you are sure you don't have chlorine and chloramines added to your water or trace ammonia and/or nitrite (I'd love to see a link to your municipal water report) then once you cycle is done you won't need any water conditioner.
However, if you are sure you don't have chlorine and chloramines added to your water or trace ammonia and/or nitrite (I'd love to see a link to your municipal water report) then once you cycle is done you won't need any water conditioner.
CaptainAhab
Thanx but no.....
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
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Where in Alaska are you?
In the Mat - Su Valley, about 45 miles north of Anchorage,
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