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Eeeek. Ummm. Help? High Ammonia!


purplex

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Hey all,

While not quite sick fish, they will be soon if I can't figure this out.

Just did a water test, cause I do one randomly every week to 10 days. I'm a worry wort ok??

Ammonia is almost 2ppm, API liquid test kit, gently agitated before anyone asks.

NitrItes 0

I don't have any other test kits on me, I take it to the LFS if I suspect anything normally...

This is in my 50L - one plant - cabomba, my hoplo and my snail, so its not overstocked by any stretch of the imagination.

I haven't changed anything, I haven't done anything, my other tank is fine, I do my regular 25% once a week water changes, and this is the first problem since I got it cycled in April. I don't over feed, and I don't play with the filter either...

Now to fix this I need to do a few LARGE water changes over a few days correct? Until my Ammonia reads 0ppm again?

But, any ideas as to why?!?!

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2 ppm as in green on the colour scale? I'd be very surprised to see that, do a water change to ease your mind and then take a sample to the shop for testing again.

My ammonia test kit says to shake it vigorously, I think it's an API, though it says Mars Fishcare on it.

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Ammonia is almost 2ppm, API liquid test kit, gently agitated before anyone asks.

NitrItes 0

I don't have any other test kits on me, I take it to the LFS if I suspect anything normally...

This is in my 50L - one plant - cabomba, my hoplo and my snail, so its not overstocked by any stretch of the imagination.

Where's the betta gone?

Doesn't make sense unless the tank has started to cycle again.

Why don't you do another test and compare with tap water to see what you get.

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Get a good cup full of your other tanks media and put it in your ammonia situation.

I've Cycled Four tanks this year doing it that way has helped greatly.

Provided the temperature between both tanks is not too different the bacteria should boost the numbers a fair bit.

Be interesting to see what your nitrates are doing.

Water change first....too much Ammonia is toxic to the bacteria aye

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Ok, from the top:

Sophia - yip, 2ppm. I even got hubby to double check the colour...

Graham - if you look in my sig, he has a tank all to himself now.

James - yip, I rinse my test tubes out well with hot water and let them air dry after each use.

sup - I used the spiking tank to help seed my other one a few weeks back, so I'm a little confused as to how that would help...? This tank has been cycled since April...

Adrienne - yes, my filter is working, no I don't rinse it under tap water, and I never rinse it all at the same time.

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Test kit was purchased in April this year. Lot nuber indicates it was made July 2011, and they are good for 3 years, so the kit is fine...

Hoover seemed fine, although he was a little less active than usual,and maybe not eating as much as he normally did.

I tested the tap water, 0ppm. I did a large waterchange last night... brb...

*5 minutes later*

Its between 0.5ppm and 1ppm now... I'm leaning more towards the 1ppm...

Another water change later this afternoon me thinks...

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Why not do it now?

Looks like your tank is starting a new cycle. Is it possible you killed your filter with chlorinated water?

Why not do it now? You ever tried to do a water change with an almost 4 year old and a 19 month old wide awake? And you're the only person home apart from them? And they are both satanic spawn? If not, I'm more than happy to send you my two...

Sheepsnana - you've seen them, and that wasn't full force either!!

And its not likely, I ALWAYS use dechlorinator. Water added is always as close to the temp in the tank as I can get it too.

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Why not do it now? You ever tried to do a water change with an almost 4 year old and a 19 month old wide awake? And you're the only person home apart from them? And they are both satanic spawn? If not, I'm more than happy to send you my two...

I'm up for a challenge. I'll pm you my address to send the kids. :slfg:

And its not likely, I ALWAYS use dechlorinator. Water added is always as close to the temp in the tank as I can get it too.

Just wondering what else might have stopped your filter working properly.

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sup - I used the spiking tank to help seed my other one a few weeks back, so I'm a little confused as to how that would help...? This tank has been cycled since April...

Well Some event has happened in your tank and you clearly have good reason to be Mystified , because from what i've read of your efforts there is no answer to the spike unless some totally random event has happened that you are totally unaware of ( e.g something like a snail population has died in your substrate after a inadvertent copper introduction.....totally random i know )

Or someone in the Family has dropped something in their e.g too much food without telling you etc etc ( probably not )

But for me that's not the issue if all your systems are online you might as well deal with it aggressively and once resolved expect no repeats.

Introducing more bacteria is a simple numbers game for mine. Clearly the bacteria in the spiking tank is being overwhelmed , send in reinforcements.

A highish dose of prime will convert the Ammonia without removing it , making it safer for fish and available to conversion for the bacteria in your tank as i understand it.

Very useful for avoiding false readings and getting a true resolution.

I've swapped compatible filters between tanks when one tank is playing up ( but then I run two filters in my Most stable biggest tank to allow this luxury)

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  • 6 months later...

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