Help? Ammonia/cycling issues!!

[ashlee'n'neal]

Hey everyone! Okay, so I have a brand new 10g freshwater tank (and I'm brand new to all things fishey, too) which we've had cycling for about 3 weeks now. My bro & sis-in-law cycled our biobag filter in their tank for several weeks (3-4) before transferring it to ours. We ran that filter in the tank with amquel+ for a day or two, set up the tank with rinsed plastic plants & rocks, & added 5 neon tetras, 2 swordtails, 1 dwarf gourami and a snail. The next few days the ammonia readings started spiking between about 1.5 and 4.0. We were doing 50% water changes about every other day, and lost 4 tetras within 10 days. We're diligent with the amquel, kept doing 20-40%ish water changes every couple of days, and now 3 weeks later our ammonia readings are still ridiculously high (between 2.0 and 4.0) and we've lost one swordtail. We added a java fern, and the nitrites are reading pretty well (0-0.25) and nitrates at 10-15. Temperature stays between about 74 and 80 degrees.
WHY is our ammonia so high?? From what we've read, with readings like this all the fisheys should be dead, but the remaining 3 are looking pretty healthy! (we also tested our water with someone else's kit with the same results) WHAT can we do to help with the ammonia?? IS this a normal part of the cycling process?

[Rbishop]

What is the ammonia reading o n your tap water?

What water conditioner are you using?

What type/brand of test kit?

Some conditioners will de-toxify your ammonia, keep it available for your bacteria, but it will stll show up on your test.

["13"]

This is a normal part of the cycling process witch can usually take months soaking the biobag filter will help speed up the process but the beneficial bacteria will still need to build up in the tank usually it is good to start with one or two fish and slowly add them as your tank cycles or use the Fish less cycling method. Continue to do the water changes at 50 % and test the water. Ammonia levels spike throughout the cycle. you can buy some tablets to help reduce the ammonia levels but this will also stunt the cycling process but if your ammonia levels get to high it can cause ammonia burn to your fishes gills and fins plus causes allot of stress.

[ashlee'n'neal]

Our tap water ammonia has been reading high too, around 0.50, but we tested it again today with another kit & it read fine, while our tank water was about 3.0.

Water conditioner is AmquelPlus. Test kit is API Freshwater Master. Does that make sense?



What is the ammonia reading o n your tap water?

What water conditioner are you using?

What type/brand of test kit?

Some conditioners will de-toxify your ammonia, keep it available for your bacteria, but it will stll show up on your test.

[hitman12131976]

You need to use NovAqua+ with AmQuel+ to truly condition that water. If not, you could be hurting your fish. Or just buy prime and use only that to condition the water.

[FireDancer7905]

:welcome: Welcome to AC ashlee'n'neal! Keep on water-changing! :mwave:

:OT: Sorry for the highjack!

Hi hitman! I was wondering why she would have to use NovAqua+ along with the Amquel+. I have used Amquel solo for years, and never had a problem. Through my trials as a fishkeeper I have been told time and again that products like this are not going to do what they say.

From the Kordon website:
NovAqua+ Is A Best Quality Water Conditioner For All Water Sources
NovAqua+ Removes Heavy Metals From Tap Water
NovAqua+ Dismantles Chloramines InTap Water
NovAqua+ Removes All Chlorine From Tap Water
NovAqua+ Provides Health Aids, Including Immunizers and Vitamins To Fishes
NovAqua+ Provides Protective Slime Coatings To Fishes
NovAqua+ Slime Coatings Repel Viruses and Bacteria From Fishes
NovAqua+ Is Compatible With All Of Kordon's Water Conditioners and Fish Treatments
Amine-Free

Amquel+ removes the nasty chlorine and chloramine, along with the ammonia. This should be all she needs. I know that a slime coat is important, but the other claims seem a bit outlandish (see bolded type). I thought things like Echinacea (on the bottle for Novaqua+) were useless to a fish. Someone do correct me if I am wrong, but it's a hard enough hobby to get right without spending money on things that you don't really need to add to your tank.

End highjack...

~brandy:turtle:

[Rbishop]

I would be doing repetitive water chnages until the tank ammonia was at .25 or less.

[rhardy]

Your tank was not completely cycled initally. Be carefull that you are not overfeeding. Try to keep water temperature closer to the 74 degree mark. Check the Ph of the water. Continue with the 50% water changes.

[ct-death]

The fish/food waste creates the ammonia, and until your ammonia-to-nitrogen "cycle" is complete these bacterias cannot keep up with the load being placed in the tank from the fish and feedings.

Do as many partial water changes (PWCs) as needed to keep your Ammonia and nitrItes below 0.25ppm. Ammonia causes permanent damage, but nitrItes are actually more toxic to your fish.

The PWCs will not adversely affect your cycling process, FYI ;)

[hitman12131976]

Hi hitman! I was wondering why she would have to use NovAqua+ along with the Amquel+. I have used Amquel solo for years, and never had a problem. Through my trials as a fishkeeper I have been told time and again that products like this are not going to do what they say...

~brandy:turtle:

From the same website you're looking at:


It is recommended that AmQuel+ be used with its companion product Kordon NovAqua+ (http://www.novalek.com/kordon/novaqua+/index.htm) which does what AmQuel+ cannot do that are important in safely conditioning aquarium and pond water for fishes and aquatic invertebrates.

not all the conditioning needed for water is done by Amquel+ or any one other single water conditioner. When new water is added, usually Amquel+ should be used with Kordon's NovAqua+, as explained in ABOUT KORDON'S WATER CONDITIONERS (http://www.novalek.com/kordon/articles/water_conditioners.htm) under "Which Water Conditioner Should Be Used for What". It is recommended that both be used to fully condition new water, such as out of the tap from public water suppliers.

Though it could be possible that the fish can live fine with just AmQuel+. But one thing I know for sure is that AmQuel+ doesn't provide a slime coat for the fish in case they have injuries. I use AmQuel+, TetraSafe Water Conditioner, and EasyBalance right now to condition my water. They are almost done. When they are done, I'm getting Prime.

[jm1212]

make sure you arent overfeeding. also, swordtails are to big for a 10 gallon, or willg et to big. that could be part of the ammoina problem.

since there is alot of ammoina in your tap water, you may want to contact your local water treatment plant to notify them about it. 3.0 ppm o f ammoina in drinking water is not healthy at all.

those ammoina reducing tablets that you drop in the tank are more trouble that theyre worth. they lower the ammoina level very temprarily and then it shoots up again. many contain water clarifiers also, which can kill off the bacteria that are blooming in the water.

[FireDancer7905]

Though it could be possible that the fish can live fine with just AmQuel+. But one thing I know for sure is that AmQuel+ doesn't provide a slime coat for the fish in case they have injuries. I use AmQuel+, TetraSafe Water Conditioner, and EasyBalance right now to condition my water. They are almost done. When they are done, I'm getting Prime.

Ok, I saw that on the website, too. But saying that someone needs NovAqua, and saying that it might help the fish are two different things. You don't need it like, say, you need to detoxify the chlorine/chloramine/ammonia. In a healthy tank (not the op's, although I' sure it will be soon, hang in there :)) is adding something for the fishes slime coat really necessary?

[hitman12131976]

Well, I guess the word need is being used lightly. But fish would certainly appreciate the slime coat.