My ammonia for my 6.5 gallon tank is 0.25 is that too high?

[pettygil]

My ammonia for my 6.5 gallon tank is 0.25 is that too high? I did use spring water. Do I do another WC? If so, how much?

 

[Aiken Drum]

0.25ppm ammonia is essentially zero. Its perfectly safe, no need for a water change. It should be zero though.

Are you sure its 0.25ppm? Test some of the spring water straight from the bottle and compare it to the test from the tank. The spring water will be zero, so if they look the same your tank water is also zero.

Did you check whether your substrate is causing your ammonia level as per Colins post #28 on this previous thread?

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/i-had-2-betta-fish-die-381512-2.html

 

[pettygil]

My water change is now 0.50

0.25ppm ammonia is essentially zero. Its perfectly safe, no need for a water change. It should be zero though.

Are you sure its 0.25ppm? Test some of the spring water straight from the bottle and compare it to the test from the tank. The spring water will be zero, so if they look the same your tank water is also zero.

Did you check whether your substrate is causing your ammonia level as per Colins post #28 on this previous thread?

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/i-had-2-betta-fish-die-381512-2.html

My water is now 0.50 ammonia. Do I need to do a water change? I have to do water substrate test. I will test the bottle see if there are water change. Tanks for your help. Well do, see what I get by testing the water in the bottle.

 

[pettygil]

I tested water from the jug.

I tested water from the jug. And ammonia is 0.. Why do I get two diff readings? My reading from the tank ammonia is 0.50..its been about 3 or 4 days since I did a 25 percent WC.

 

[Aiken Drum]

My water is now 0.50.....I tested water from the jug. And ammonia is 0.Why do I get two diff readings?

The reason is because the water in the jug has no ammonia. The comparison has confirmed the water in the tank does have ammonia in it.

You have had a lot going on with your tanks and ive lost track. Do you have any fish in this tank?

I have to do water substrate test.

We keep coming back to same issues, and recommending ways of narrowing down where your ammonia is coming from. If you dont do the things recommended to narrow things down we cant help.

My water is now 0.50 ammonia. Do I need to do a water change?

What are all your water parameters? pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

Just for completeness. Can you confirm any products you are dosing into the tank.

 

[Andy Sager]

Aiken, this is one of her Betta tanks so there is the one Betta in it. It's a cycled tank.

It doesn't make sense that she's getting such an ammonia reading from just the fish and feeding ( according to her reported feeding schedule) so I think you and Colin have hit it on the head that it's coming from something else in the tank. Having her use Spring Water was to eliminate the residual ammonia coming from her tap water dosed with dechlorinators which was causing the higher nitrates. The residual ammonia cycled out from the last fish that was in there ( according to Pettygil) so whatever is producing the ammonia now is more than her biological bed can immediately cycle out.

That's the best wrap up based on info provided by the OP.

 

[Andy Sager]

My water is now 0.50 ammonia. Do I need to do a water change? I have to do water substrate test. I will test the bottle see if there are water change. Tanks for your help. Well do, see what I get by testing the water in the bottle.

What you need to do is take some of the substrate from the tank and place it in a container of just the new spring water and test daily for ammonia. Set up another container of new unused substrate ( if you have some) in some clean spring water and test daily for ammonia.
After setting these up, yes, do a water change in your tank to reduce the ammonia and nitrate. Make sure you stir up about 25% of the substrate area to get any leftover food or debris out of the tank.

We need to figure out where this ammonia is coming from because it's unlikely it's coming from just the fish and food.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Aiken, this is one of her Betta tanks so there is the one Betta in it. It's a cycled tank.

It doesn't make sense that she's getting such an ammonia reading from just the fish and feeding ( according to her reported feeding schedule) so I think you and Colin have hit it on the head that it's coming from something else in the tank. Having her use Spring Water was to eliminate the residual ammonia coming from her tap water dosed with dechlorinators which was causing the higher nitrates. The residual ammonia cycled out from the last fish that was in there ( according to Pettygil) so whatever is producing the ammonia now is more than her biological bed can immediately cycle out.

That's the best wrap up based on info provided by the OP.

I thought the bettas died and the tank was started over.

 

[Andy Sager]

I thought the bettas died and the tank was started over.

The original one did die but since there was an ammonia surge ( which may have caused the death), I suggested that she let it cycle out in order to not have to start from scratch ( which she said she did.) There is another Betta in there now in spring water.

 

[Colin_T]

my money is on the substrate releasing ammonia

 

[Andy Sager]

my money is on the substrate releasing ammonia

Can I get in on that? I believe it is too ( or some decorative item. )
EDIT:
We need to find out if there is any cleaning products containing ammonia being used near the tank as well. I had a customer with a tank that died every 4-6 weeks. Long story short, turned out the maid, who was only coming once every 4-6 weeks, was washing the floor in front of the tank with a bleach solution and the air pump was on the bottom shelf of the stand so sucking in the fumes. :^0 Once that was addressed, the fish stopped dying.

 

[pettygil]

I only have 1 betta fish in my 6.5 gallon tank. I can take out the gravel and test it. I do not use any chemicals around the tank, so that can not be it. I take out the gravel and see it that could be it. I will also take out decorative items and test those as well. I got play sand I can use, if it is my gravel.

 

[pettygil]

I took out the fish gravel

I took out the fish gravel and I put in a cup. I also took out the rock that I had in the tank. I put it in empty fish tank. See if that helps. The only plant I have in the fish tank. The plants are fake. Could fake plants cause high ammonia?

 

[pettygil]

I tested the gravel

I tested the gravel in a cup with spring water and the ammonia was high. Looks like its my gravel. I will have to use play sand, is that a good idea?

 

[Andy Sager]

I tested the gravel in a cup with spring water and the ammonia was high. Looks like its my gravel. I will have to use play sand, is that a good idea?

Okay, so now you know. ( That's actually the best news. ) For some reason, there are more cases of gravels shedding ammonia so you really need to be careful on the brands of gravel you use. Look at where the company brand is located. If it's outside the US, I'd be very hesitant on using it. You also need to check to see if the gravel is designed for planted tank as the ammonia could be for the live plants to consume.
As for using sand, yes, it's inert so should not leech anything but again, make sure you read the label to ensure that nothing has been added to it.

 

[pettygil]

Okay, so now you know. ( That's actually the best news. ) For some reason, there are more cases of gravels shedding ammonia so you really need to be careful on the brands of gravel you use. Look at where the company brand is located. If it's outside the US, I'd be very hesitant on using it. You also need to check to see if the gravel is designed for planted tank as the ammonia could be for the live plants to consume.
As for using sand, yes, it's inert so should not leech anything but again, make sure you read the label to ensure that nothing has been added to it.

The sand is good. I bought from same place. In my 40 gallon tank, has the same sand. I do not have any issues with my 40 gallon. I did not wash the sand though, which I should have done, but all fish are doing fine. The people at the local fish store helped me with the sand cause it was too heavy to lift. It came in a huge plastic bag. Must weigh about 50 lbs. I will not use all of it though. I keep some around incase I need it. Thanks for your help. I will empty the tank on Tues when my pa comes over, she can help me lift the bag.
I can not lift on my own.

 

[Andy Sager]

The sand is good. I bought from same place. In my 40 gallon tank, has the same sand. I do not have any issues with my 40 gallon. I did not wash the sand though, which I should have done, but all fish are doing fine. The people at the local fish store helped me with the sand cause it was too heavy to lift. It came in a huge plastic bag. Must weigh about 50 lbs. I will not use all of it though. I keep some around incase I need it. Thanks for your help. I will empty the tank on Tues when my pa comes over, she can help me lift the bag.
I can not lift on my own.

 

[Colin_T]

The sand is good. I bought from same place. In my 40 gallon tank, has the same sand. I do not have any issues with my 40 gallon. I did not wash the sand though, which I should have done, but all fish are doing fine. The people at the local fish store helped me with the sand cause it was too heavy to lift. It came in a huge plastic bag. Must weigh about 50 lbs. I will not use all of it though. I keep some around incase I need it. Thanks for your help. I will empty the tank on Tues when my pa comes over, she can help me lift the bag.
I can not lift on my own.

That's about how much they weigh. It's crazy that a smallish bag of sand weighs so much. I had to move one bag last night and it wasn't fun. I need to work out more

Great news on finding out what was causing the ammonia. Let's hope things settle down now.

 

[pettygil]

I just added sand to my tank.

I just added sand to my tank. The water is very cloudy. It is clearing up. I will do another ammonia test. Let me see what the test comes back as.
Ammonia is:0 to 0.25
Nitrate is: 5.0 ppm

 

[Andy Sager]

I just added sand to my tank. The water is very cloudy. It is clearing up. I will do another ammonia test. Let me see what the test comes back as.
Ammonia is:0 to 0.25
Nitrate is: 5.0 ppm

See what it is tomorrow.
( You did remove all the old stuff didn't you? )