Ammonia Issues-Frustrated
- Thread starter BryanSOFLA
- Start date
Wow. Thanks 2Tank!!! So if I follow your method correctly. It should be as follows (you may want to check my math on this one 
. Havent had coffee yet :
To start here were my levels today after a 50% water change yesterday
h= 7.6
hr ph= 7.8
Ammonia= between 0 and 0.25
Nitrites= 4.0 / 5.0
Nitrates= 5.0
To add 10 mg/l of chloride for every ppm of nitrite in the water, use the following steps:
1. Multiply your nitrite test reading by 10. This will give you the needed mg/l of chloride you need to add.
Nitrite test = 5.0 (roughly)
5.0 x 10= 50 mg/l
2. Calculate the actual volume in litres of the water in your tank. If your volume is in gallons you must convert this into liters. (As a rule, using the advertised volume of the tank at about 85% will put you in the right ballpark.) 1 gallon = 3.875 litres
60g x 3.875= 232.5 litres
3. Multiply the number in #1 above by the number of liters of water in #2 above to get the total number of mg of chloride you will need to add.
50 x 232.5 litres = 11,625 mg
4. Because salt is roughly 2/3 chloride, you must multiply the number calculated in #3 by 1.5. You now know how many mg of salt you should add to the water. Dividing this number by 1,000 will convert this amount to grams which are easier to weigh for most people.
11,625 x 1.5 = 17,437.5
17,437.5 / 1000 = 17.44 grams
5. Do not add the dry salt directly to the tank. Remove some tank water to a container and mix the salt in that, then add the salt water to the tank spreading it around the surface.
Hint: We have calculated a handy conversion from grams to volume so one can measure in tea or table spoons which most folks are likely to have while a gram scale is not. The following calculations were made using an Ohaus triple beam scale: ¼ teaspoon of salt shaker sized table salt weighs 2 grams.
17.44 grams/ 2 = 8.71 x .25 - 2.18 tsp pf salt.
. Havent had coffee yet :To start here were my levels today after a 50% water change yesterday
h= 7.6
hr ph= 7.8
Ammonia= between 0 and 0.25
Nitrites= 4.0 / 5.0
Nitrates= 5.0
To add 10 mg/l of chloride for every ppm of nitrite in the water, use the following steps:
1. Multiply your nitrite test reading by 10. This will give you the needed mg/l of chloride you need to add.
Nitrite test = 5.0 (roughly)
5.0 x 10= 50 mg/l
2. Calculate the actual volume in litres of the water in your tank. If your volume is in gallons you must convert this into liters. (As a rule, using the advertised volume of the tank at about 85% will put you in the right ballpark.) 1 gallon = 3.875 litres
60g x 3.875= 232.5 litres
3. Multiply the number in #1 above by the number of liters of water in #2 above to get the total number of mg of chloride you will need to add.
50 x 232.5 litres = 11,625 mg
4. Because salt is roughly 2/3 chloride, you must multiply the number calculated in #3 by 1.5. You now know how many mg of salt you should add to the water. Dividing this number by 1,000 will convert this amount to grams which are easier to weigh for most people.
11,625 x 1.5 = 17,437.5
17,437.5 / 1000 = 17.44 grams
5. Do not add the dry salt directly to the tank. Remove some tank water to a container and mix the salt in that, then add the salt water to the tank spreading it around the surface.
Hint: We have calculated a handy conversion from grams to volume so one can measure in tea or table spoons which most folks are likely to have while a gram scale is not. The following calculations were made using an Ohaus triple beam scale: ¼ teaspoon of salt shaker sized table salt weighs 2 grams.
17.44 grams/ 2 = 8.71 x .25 - 2.18 tsp pf salt.
B
BryanSOFLA
You got the math right. But it is not my method- it has been used for years in the aquaculture industry. When you have fish in multi 100,000 gal. enclosures, water changes are not an option.
Now for a few quick observations.
When the time comes, the only way to remove salt from water is via water changes.
If you are testing nitrite and the reading is at the top of a given test kit's scale, it is possible that nitrite levels are actually higher than that. The only way to know the actual level in such a case is to do diluted testing. I can explain how to do that if you need help. It does require that you buy a bottle of distilled water and have a measuring cup..
Nitrite levels may still be rising or they may have peaked and are dropping. If they are still rising this means you would need to add more sale to deal with the difference. To know for sure you should continue testing for nitrite. Also, as an FYI, hobby nitrate kits are not real accurate. they are worst between 0 and 20 ppm. Moreover, testing nitrate is not a simple process from the chemistry side. The kits actually turn the nitrate to nitrite and then they measure that. This means during a cycle with nitrite present, nitrate will read higher than it really is.
Also to the Mods- I authored three articles of a planned 4 article series on cycling. The first is a guide for foolproof fishless cycling for new fish keepers. The next two tell one how to rescue a fish in cycle gone wild. I wrote these articles for another site a number of years back because I was put off by how many folks were posting about cycling issues. They are still on that site. I am happy to provide a mod with the links, you can check them out and if AC would like to use them, that is OK with me. I wrote them to help folks and to save fish, so the more people who can benefit from them, the better.
You got the math right. But it is not my method- it has been used for years in the aquaculture industry. When you have fish in multi 100,000 gal. enclosures, water changes are not an option.
Now for a few quick observations.
When the time comes, the only way to remove salt from water is via water changes.
If you are testing nitrite and the reading is at the top of a given test kit's scale, it is possible that nitrite levels are actually higher than that. The only way to know the actual level in such a case is to do diluted testing. I can explain how to do that if you need help. It does require that you buy a bottle of distilled water and have a measuring cup..
Nitrite levels may still be rising or they may have peaked and are dropping. If they are still rising this means you would need to add more sale to deal with the difference. To know for sure you should continue testing for nitrite. Also, as an FYI, hobby nitrate kits are not real accurate. they are worst between 0 and 20 ppm. Moreover, testing nitrate is not a simple process from the chemistry side. The kits actually turn the nitrate to nitrite and then they measure that. This means during a cycle with nitrite present, nitrate will read higher than it really is.
Also to the Mods- I authored three articles of a planned 4 article series on cycling. The first is a guide for foolproof fishless cycling for new fish keepers. The next two tell one how to rescue a fish in cycle gone wild. I wrote these articles for another site a number of years back because I was put off by how many folks were posting about cycling issues. They are still on that site. I am happy to provide a mod with the links, you can check them out and if AC would like to use them, that is OK with me. I wrote them to help folks and to save fish, so the more people who can benefit from them, the better.
Add me to the group huggers 2 tank, lol. We've missed your great insights & experience for a while now.
I hope the mods will take up your offer on your cycling links. You always have a scientific way of explaining things that a basic hobbyist can understand & use.
I hope the mods will take up your offer on your cycling links. You always have a scientific way of explaining things that a basic hobbyist can understand & use.
Hi all- I thought I’d check in and let you know the tank is doing great. I have the following in the tank now.
5- white skirt tetra
5- neon tetra
3- glofish
4- Cory cats (2 pandas)
2- Dalmatian mollies
3-guppies (2 female/ 1 male)
1- black angel fish
2- rubberlip pleco
2-swordtail
Now...I took the risk and added the black angel yesterday. I know there’s a 50/50 chance he will either be peaceful or a jerk lol. I’m noticing maybe he’s starting to show signs of aggression. He pretty much keeps to himself, but from time to time he stares at the other and glides toward them and sort of does a quick lunge and they swim away. The swordtails seems to really annoy him. I know there a risk he could eat the neons, but I have plenty of tank decorations and plants for the little guys to hide under. Also he’s so big it’s tough for him to weave through the bottom of the tank. I’m just starting to have second thoughts on whether I should keep him or not. I guess the ultimate question is...when is it really time to remove him. Like I said...I don’t really know if he’s aggressive or just nippy like the others can be time to time. I imagine my other ones are a bit scared of him bc he’s bigger and black with red eyes. He’s imtimidating. Should I give him more time?? Also I fed him twice today bc he was starving. I also notice he was trying to eat the plants this evening. Thx as always for the advice. B
5- white skirt tetra
5- neon tetra
3- glofish
4- Cory cats (2 pandas)
2- Dalmatian mollies
3-guppies (2 female/ 1 male)
1- black angel fish
2- rubberlip pleco
2-swordtail
Now...I took the risk and added the black angel yesterday. I know there’s a 50/50 chance he will either be peaceful or a jerk lol. I’m noticing maybe he’s starting to show signs of aggression. He pretty much keeps to himself, but from time to time he stares at the other and glides toward them and sort of does a quick lunge and they swim away. The swordtails seems to really annoy him. I know there a risk he could eat the neons, but I have plenty of tank decorations and plants for the little guys to hide under. Also he’s so big it’s tough for him to weave through the bottom of the tank. I’m just starting to have second thoughts on whether I should keep him or not. I guess the ultimate question is...when is it really time to remove him. Like I said...I don’t really know if he’s aggressive or just nippy like the others can be time to time. I imagine my other ones are a bit scared of him bc he’s bigger and black with red eyes. He’s imtimidating. Should I give him more time?? Also I fed him twice today bc he was starving. I also notice he was trying to eat the plants this evening. Thx as always for the advice. B
