I have a tank thats about a 1 1/2 weeks old and the ammonia level is rising. It is now at .5ppm and I am doing 25% water changes daily. How do I reduce the ammonia levels or is this normal to have happen during the cycle. Also one of my fish came down with ich so is the medication I am putting in there effecting the ammonia and am i supposed to keep putting in the medication with each water change like it says or should I stop because the ich is gone?
Ammonia levels are .5 ppm
- Thread starter FiShNoObIe88
- Start date
2G water changes please.... 3 times throughout the day
Should bring it down to ~.25ppm... and dose the aquarium with Prime in the last WC, if you have it..
Reason- When the 2nd string of bacteria kick in you will see a BOOM in nitrite, a spike, that is just as deadly to your fish....
Should bring it down to ~.25ppm... and dose the aquarium with Prime in the last WC, if you have it..
Reason- When the 2nd string of bacteria kick in you will see a BOOM in nitrite, a spike, that is just as deadly to your fish....
thanks for the advice. Unfortunately it will be very hard for me to do three water changes per day because of work. At most I could do it twice per day but more than likely once per day. My goal is to definitely get the ammonia down to 0 though right? Even throughout the cycling process?
He meant three times a day.
However, once a day should work, but I would dose with Seachem Prime very well. It acts as a water decholrinator, but also binds up ammonia and nitrtite so that it is less harmful to fish, but can still be utilized by bacteria.
Luckily, you picked a reasonably tough fish species.
Here is what Prime looks like. Pick up a big bottle of it.
However, once a day should work, but I would dose with Seachem Prime very well. It acts as a water decholrinator, but also binds up ammonia and nitrtite so that it is less harmful to fish, but can still be utilized by bacteria.
Luckily, you picked a reasonably tough fish species.
Here is what Prime looks like. Pick up a big bottle of it.
Well 2x a day will certainly help...
As stated Prime is a great tool when cycling with fish.. I did that too.
The reason I want the ammonia as low as possible is not only will it allow the 2nd string of bacteria to develop slowly, and under control so levels don't make you do more WC later, it decreases the level of stress on the fish now..... as the nitrite spike will take it's toll too....
Think of it this way... the fishes stress is kind of like ours with the most annoying people we know, for me it's family. You can take a little at a time but once you reach your limit... I"M OUTTA HERE!!!
As stated Prime is a great tool when cycling with fish.. I did that too.
The reason I want the ammonia as low as possible is not only will it allow the 2nd string of bacteria to develop slowly, and under control so levels don't make you do more WC later, it decreases the level of stress on the fish now..... as the nitrite spike will take it's toll too....
Think of it this way... the fishes stress is kind of like ours with the most annoying people we know, for me it's family. You can take a little at a time but once you reach your limit... I"M OUTTA HERE!!!
haha i like that simile tigger. I do have a bottle of prime luckily that I have been using. I just have a question when using it though. How long do you let the prime sit in the water change bucket before actually putting it in the tank. I've been giving it a few minutes. I only have one bucket so I vacuum out the water from the tank. Then dump the water. Then fill up the bucket about half way which is around 2.5 gallons then I put in the prime and ich medication and let that sit for a couple of minutes then dump the water in. Is this okay?
how much prime do you recommend putting in a ten gallon tank? During a 25% water change I use 5-6 drops.