hi,new user so plse be gentle...im running a 15g tank set up approx 2 months ago. at present i have 7 small plattys and 1 dwarf gourami,all the fish seem to be healthy and happy,swimming well,inquisitive and happy as larry to feed.at present im doing 25% water changes once a week and replacing filter medium as neccesary.the problem i have is the ammonia readings are very high! ammonia:5ppm,ph:7.0,nitrite:1ppm,nitrate:10ppm..im currently using api testing strips,am i doing something wrong? i really like my little fishes and i dont want them to die!! please educate me.high ammonia reading?
- Thread starter mr rosco
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hi,new user so plse be gentle...im running a 15g tank set up approx 2 months ago. at present i have 7 small plattys and 1 dwarf gourami,all the fish seem to be healthy and happy,swimming well,inquisitive and happy as larry to feed.at present im doing 25% water changes once a week and replacing filter medium as neccesary.the problem i have is the ammonia readings are very high! ammonia:5ppm,ph:7.0,nitrite:1ppm,nitrate:10ppm..im currently using api testing strips,am i doing something wrong? i really like my little fishes and i dont want them to die!! please educate me.
The test strips are not very reliable. Use a good quality liquid test kit, like the one made by AP.
What kind of filtration are you using? Are you doing gravel vacs and not overfeeding? What water conditioner do you use?
Do enough water changes to get ammonia and nitrites less than .25 ppm.
Can you clarify what you mean by replacing the filter media? What kind of a cycle did you do when you set the tank up?
What kind of filtration are you using? Are you doing gravel vacs and not overfeeding? What water conditioner do you use?
Do enough water changes to get ammonia and nitrites less than .25 ppm.
Can you clarify what you mean by replacing the filter media? What kind of a cycle did you do when you set the tank up?
the filter im using is a power filter that came supplied with the tank,the pump is running at 280l/hour.. i set the tank up using three plattys..ive replaced the wool filter every week and the carbon filter twice which im led to believe is correct.the water conditioner that i use is tetra aqua,easybalance,i feed the fish once a day and do a gravel vac every two weeks.
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A lot of your bacteria that is doing the converting of ammonia and nitrites will live in the high flow, oxygen rich area of the filter. By replacing it constantly you could be throwing away some beneficial bacteria which is stalling your tank from being fully cycled.
Most people that I know, just rinse their pads in old tank water to get the large stuff off them and re-use, until they are falling apart.
Can you post a picture of the filter, especiall the chamber that holds the pads/carbon?
Not a big fan of easy balance, I like Prime.
Most people that I know, just rinse their pads in old tank water to get the large stuff off them and re-use, until they are falling apart.
Can you post a picture of the filter, especiall the chamber that holds the pads/carbon?
Not a big fan of easy balance, I like Prime.
Cycling a tank takes time and you have done a few things to set back the bacterial growth as Bob has mentioned. I thing you should check on is whether or not your water company uses chlorine or chloramine. If it is simply chlorine then any water conditioner should work fine. If not then a product like Prime or Amquel will be needed to really deal with the chloramine (regardless of what the other conditioners claim).
ok,thanks for the help and info..sorry,as yet cant manage a photo,bit of a technophobe and not quite got to grips with uploading things..as far as i know we in the uk only add small amounts of chlorine to our tap water but will try to find out for definate..am i safe to continue with the partial water changes as i thought this was the best way to lower ammonia levels or should i leave it for another week to helb the good bacteria along?
Well, I hate to see any measurable levels of ammonia or nitrites. If my weekly changes do not reflect them at zero, I do more water changes.
IME, test strips usually read lower than a good liquid test kit. I feel you may be causing some severe gill damage to your fish at the levels you indicate.
IME, test strips usually read lower than a good liquid test kit. I feel you may be causing some severe gill damage to your fish at the levels you indicate.
mr rosco said:
Mr roscoe doing a water change will not affect your good bacteria. The good bacteria is on your gravel, floss or sponge filter pads and any decor in the tank. I would do a water change when ever needed to lower ammonia, and nitrites otherwise this could have harmful effects if not already. Like rbishob said most people just rinse their pads in old tank water (from water change)to get the large stuff off them and re-use. By rinse I mean just swish it in the bucket to knock off any large particles. Then put the filter back in. Many filter manufacters say to change the filter media monthly this is not necessary. Make sure you condition your water before adding water back.
ok,i will do a 50%water change later this afternoon to see if this helps..there is no visible signs of stress or damage to the fish,they all seem fine.
You might check your tap water for ammonia also. Where I live, much of our water comes from a reservoir, and they put ammonia in, when there are algea problems in the reservoir, because it makes the water stink. Right now I have a 2.0 ppm ammonia reading right out of the tap. I also have a fairly cheap water filter that takes the ammonia and the chlorine our, as well as a lot of other things. Its an Aquasana filter. Its just designed for drinking water, so its kind of slow, but its pretty good for what I need it for.
http://www.aquasana.com/catalog.cfm
http://www.aquasana.com/catalog.cfm