eduguy
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2012
- Messages
- 975
An emergency as in Ammonia levels are very high even after doing a 50% PWC.
Do you know why this has happened ??
Just make sure you don't compromise your filtration medium because that is where your beneficial bacteria lives..
I would maybe make the 2nd water change a 30% wait a day and do another 30%
But the question remains why is it high ?
Hello edu...
Large water changes may help the fish, but will starve the bacteria and delay the cycle. This is why you always use a hardy fish species that will more easily tolerate changes in the water chemistry. You simply feed the fish a little every day or two to maintain a steady ammonia source and test the water daily for traces of ammonia and nitrite. If you have a positive test for either, change out 25 percent of the water. This keeps the water in a safer zone for the fish and gives the bacteria something to grow on.
Just test daily and remove and replace one-quarter of the water. When several daily tests show no traces of the above forms of nitrogen, the tank is cycled. Then, just change out half or more of the water every few days to maintain healthy water conditions for the fish.
Pretty east,
B
I just did 50% about 5 hours ago and I tested the water with the API Freshwater kit and I still have 1.0PPM of ammonia and my fish is acting unusually. Not much movement. Should I do another 50%?
50% will only bring it down .5. You might as well do 75%.
Should I be cleaning my filter while changing the water once per week or would this hurt the BB too much?
Add a bottle of Dr Tim's, wait 8 to 12 hours and do PWC.
Change water until it is under .5 ,no matter how much.
The when ammonia gets over 1 change 50%.
The % of water change is how much nutrient is removed...SO if your ammonia was 5 and you did a 50% wc it would then be 2.5[assuming no ammonia in your source].
For others worried about bacteria and the filter ,the title says FISH IN CYCLING....
Change water ,get yourself some Prime to help you out maybe.
It can dose up to 5X normal to convert ammonia ,and nitrites [which are more lethal then ammonia and coming next probably]for 2 days..It will not effect your cycle.It converts ammonia to the non toxic form assuming the filter will deal with it ,which may help your filter grow at a reasonable pace....
Tank size and fish in it during this cycling ?
I fish in cycled for years[no TSS or one and only back then ,or the knowledge of fishless cycling] ,you just need to check your parameters daily now that the first nutrient is showing.
Hello edu...
Large water changes may help the fish, but will starve the bacteria and delay the cycle. This is why you always use a hardy fish species that will more easily tolerate changes in the water chemistry. You simply feed the fish a little every day or two to maintain a steady ammonia source and test the water daily for traces of ammonia and nitrite. If you have a positive test for either, change out 25 percent of the water. This keeps the water in a safer zone for the fish and gives the bacteria something to grow on.
Just test daily and remove and replace one-quarter of the water. When several daily tests show no traces of the above forms of nitrogen, the tank is cycled. Then, just change out half or more of the water every few days to maintain healthy water conditions for the fish.
Pretty easy,
B
Frequent water changes and low ammonia don't allow the ammonia eating bacteria to establish as fast.
Personally, I have not had more ammonia cause the cycle to go measurably faster. Especially in a fish-in cycle where the ammonia load is going to drop off once the bacteria catches up.