Maxy Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Why cant I get my ammonia levels to 0? What am I doing wrong please? I do regular 25% water changes weekly, feed the minimum amount once daily, add StressZyme once a week to keep my biological filter happy, clean and service my external filter regularly and still my ammonia levels arent low enough. I dont know what my nitrate or nitrite levels are as I dont have those kits yet. My pH is 7.6 but I use Proper pH7 to bring it down to neutral. Please advise me as am feeling very disheartened at the moment. Tank is three foot community Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Darn...wish I could help you. Make sure you post your tank size...how many fish...kind of fish...so those with experience will know what you're dealing with...the more information you can give them...the better they can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 How long has the tank been going? It could be still cycling and you might be keeping it from fully cycling by cleaning the filter too much/too entirely. Don't clean whole the filter when you clean it, only clean part of it so that not all the ammonia-eating bacteria gets killed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxy Posted May 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Tank has been up and running for about 7 months, learnt about cycling the semi hard way, but havent really had many problems. Didnt scrub my canister or anything, just rinsed out the filter pads etc in a bucket of siphoned off tank water. I was really careful about this after having read the posts here. Thank you for any info I can get, because I get hte feeling Im not doing this right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 What sort of filter is it? How many litres is the tank? How many/what sort of fish do you have in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxy Posted May 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Ehiem 2215 external canister bought brand new, tank is three foot long 180 litres, fish are: guppies, mollies, platies, swordtails, neons, B/N's, dwarf gourami, bumblebee gobys, a clown loach somewhere, red tailed black sharks and a blue ram. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Hi Buy the Nitrate and Nitrite test kits, thats the only way you will no for sure that the filter is converting ammonia /Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 How many guppies, mollies, platys, swords etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxy Posted May 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2005 Sorry Caryl, 1 red tailed black shark, 1 blue ram, 10ish neons, 3 platies, 3 swords, 4 mollies, 2 keyhole cichlids, 1 clown loach, 3 B/N, 4 cocho blues, 8ish guppies, 2 bumblebee gobys, 4 rummynose tetras, and a dwarf gourami. Three foot tank, oh my god, am I overstocked? Nitrite and Nitrate and water hardness test kits arriving any day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 31, 2005 Report Share Posted May 31, 2005 That is a rather full tank for one that has only been going since February. You have an odd mix of fish there too. The bumblebee gobies are brackish and should not be in fresh water. The rams like an acidic pH but the clown loach prefers alkaline. The shark and the clown will also outgrow the tank eventually. I think I saw in another thread where you have a bigger tank coming. Is it possible to set it up straight away? If so, transfer the gravel and filter over to it, along with the water for some instant relief for the fish. If you can return some of the fish to the shop it would be good. I suspect the clown loach will be the next to suffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted May 31, 2005 Report Share Posted May 31, 2005 I agree and there's also the fact that you should keep clown loaches in groups of at least three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxy Posted June 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 Cant set up the new tank yet, and now not sure if I want to set it up at all. Have put a post in freshwater asking if anyone wants some fish etc, and have a couple of offers. Will edit the post to include my clown and bumblebees etc and see what happens. Am sorry to bother everyone with my inexperience but at least I am learning albeit the hard way. I dont think I'll ever listen to a fish shop employee again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 1, 2005 Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 Try not to give up Maxy...the people here are really great to help us newbies...I guarantee they will help you through this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 1, 2005 Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 It isn't a bother and someone else is bound to be having similar problems so will find your questions and the answers helpful. Don't give up, it will be sorted shortly and you will know not to make that mistake again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 You haven't actually said what your ammonia levels are. Mine sort of fluctuate between the first (clear) reading of 0 and the very next (only slightly discoloured) reading of 0.6) I DID find that my nitrite readings ALWAYS sat at 0.05....and then ran out of test kit and the new kit (which was so much easier to use) has always said the reading is 0, so I wondered if the kit might not be that reliable. It sounds like you are keeping on top of the water changes....I hope this sorts itself out for you, it would be such a shame to give up this beautiful hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 It's never a bother when asking questions about things, in my opinion the worst thing you can do is not ask questions as no one knows everything. Seems so easy to put some fish in water and feed them but the more you get into it the more there is to learn, the old saying "a lifetime of learning" is very correct. Stick with it and it is extremely rewarding, you will end up with fry from your fish and that will surely put a smile on your face, i know how you feel and congratulate you on actually caring about your fish, to me thats the biggest step. You are doing everything in your powers to care for your fish so you are doing awesome. If you can cut down on stock and let the bacteria build up then restock the tank slowly you should find the ammonia stays close to 0. Hope this helps Maxy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxy Posted June 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Thanks everyone. Ammonia was 4.6 Shelley! I know, thru the roof. I would like to let everyone know that its now between 0 and just under 1, so its on its way down. Im stoked. Its still got to lower more but now I feel more confident in what Im doing. Have dumped my u/g filter and had a GOOD gravel clean to remove the muck under the filter plate, have dumped the properpH7 as I didnt find it reducing my pH at all and was very expensive, am sticking to my water changes, have culled some undesirables and added more plants. Now, all that goes in my water is: flourish excel, stresscoat and stresszyme. My fish are happier and so am I. Thanks people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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