new thread on fish-in cycle

[DanS180]

Okay i think i may have spoke too soon possibly?? I just retested my water and now its saying this
Ammonia .25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5ppm

Does Ammonia usually pop back into the picture like this??? i mean i just did a 40% water change yesterday and there was 0 Ammonia for 2 straight days. Is this normal???

 

[jondamon]

If there is chlorine in your water supply this can show itself in an ammonia reading. I find after a 50% PWC in my 50g that it can take up to 2 days for the reading to zero completely out.


I wouldn't panic over this. Just monitor and test to see what happens.

Jon

 

[DanS180]

If there is chlorine in your water supply this can show itself in an ammonia reading. I find after a 50% PWC in my 50g that it can take up to 2 days for the reading to zero completely out.

I wouldn't panic over this. Just monitor and test to see what happens.

Jon

Okay I guess ill do that but i tested my tap water for ammonia before and there is none so i dunno

 

[jondamon]

Okay I guess ill do that but i tested my tap water for ammonia before and there is none so i dunno

Like I said its nothing to panic over just yet, just keep testing to see what's happening.

Jon

 

[DanS180]

Like I said its nothing to panic over just yet, just keep testing to see what's happening.

Jon

Okie dokie, will do. Thanks!

 

[jetajockey]

It's chloramine that breaks down into ammonia. And yeah I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[DanS180]

It's chloramine that breaks down into ammonia. And yeah I wouldn't worry about it.

Okay cool, so it should go away on its own? Or if i only do another water change??

 

[jondamon]

Okay cool, so it should go away on its own? Or if i only do another water change??

Your BB just need to convert it that's all.

Its because we add so much new treated water when we perform PWC's that we see ammonia readings until the BB convert it into Nitrates.


It just takes a little longer.




Jon

 

[DanS180]

Your BB just need to convert it that's all.

Its because we add so much new treated water when we perform PWC's that we see ammonia readings until the BB convert it into Nitrates.

It just takes a little longer.

Jon

Ahh see I learn something new everyday thank u!

 

[jetajockey]

Some water systems treat their water with chloramine instead of straight chlorine. When you use a dechlorinator, it removes the chlorine from the chloramine bond, leaving behind ammonia.

My water system here uses just chlorine, so there's no ammonia present in the tap water after it's treated.

 

[DanS180]

Some water systems treat their water with chloramine instead of straight chlorine. When you use a dechlorinator, it removes the chlorine from the chloramine bond, leaving behind ammonia.

My water system here uses just chlorine, so there's no ammonia present in the tap water after it's treated.

Hmm very interesting and good to know thanks again

 

[Nimo]

My water supply is treated with chloramine so after water changes I will read a .25 or less for about 2 days. I just put Prime water conditioner in daily until it zeros so that I know the ammonia is detoxified.

 

[DanS180]

My water supply is treated with chloramine so after water changes I will read a .25 or less for about 2 days. I just put Prime water conditioner in daily until it zeros so that I know the ammonia is detoxified.

Yeah that explains a lot actually, I think I've been cycled for longer than I thought lol

 

[Nimo]

Possibly, lol! I ran my self to death on daily water changes trying to get my ammonia to zero after nitrites zeroed, then learned about chloramine, so Primed the tank for a couple days no water changes and POOF no ammonia. I do my weekly water changes use Prime for that and them for the next 2 days take a quart of water from the tank mix Prime in it and dump it back. The third day after water change no ammonia.

 

[DanS180]

Possibly, lol! I ran my self to death on daily water changes trying to get my ammonia to zero after nitrites zeroed, then learned about chloramine, so Primed the tank for a couple days no water changes and POOF no ammonia. I do my weekly water changes use Prime for that and them for the next 2 days take a quart of water from the tank mix Prime in it and dump it back. The third day after water change no ammonia.

So no matter how many water changes I do there will always be an ammonia reading for at least a day or 2... I don't like that lol

 

[jetajockey]

That's if you are sure you have chloramine in your tap water. You can test it by taking a sample of your water straight from tap, treating it with a dechlorinator and then testing it.

 

[DanS180]

That's if you are sure you have chloramine in your tap water. You can test it by taking a sample of your water straight from tap, treating it with a dechlorinator and then testing it.

Hmm good idea, ill check it out later when i get home

 

[Nimo]

If you use prime it detoxifies it until the bio filter can take it out so it don't harm your fish. Sounds like you are doing what your suppose to do. Best way to find out is if all your other levels are right put prime in it for a couple days keep testing and see if it goes away in a couple days.

 

[DanS180]

If you use prime it detoxifies it until the bio filter can take it out so it don't harm your fish. Sounds like you are doing what your suppose to do. Best way to find out is if all your other levels are right put prime in it for a couple days keep testing and see if it goes away in a couple days.

Okay well i have to actually vacuum the sand either tonight or tomorrow and i know a good amount of water will come out so i guess ill have to retest sometime after I'm done, any good methods to vacuuming sand??

 

[Nimo]

Some one else have to jump in on that one all my tanks are gravel substrate, sorry.