Ammonia ? Need Immediate HELP!

These are my readings after doing a 40% water change with RO water. I added Kent Marine R/O Right and Prime to the water before I put it in the tank.
Readings are:
High Range pH - 7.8
Ammonia - 1.0 to 2.0
Nitrite - 0.25
Nitrate - 10

I feel like I'm doing everything I can and seem to be getting nowhere. I don't know what to do. Should I get some more BIO-Spira and add it to the tank? I'm really scared, I don't want anything to happen to my babies. Do I need to see if the LFS will take them for awhile (not sure if they would or not). I will try anything. I just feel like I'm failing. Please help.
 
:dive2: nitrate is fine in fresh water tank up to 40ppm. your ammonia is high. your nitrite isn't that bad. the instructions in your test kits will tell you what is high and what's not.
 
rockbellab said:
The tank is 75 gallons. I did not have my O's in the tank (the LFS was holding them for me). I waited until the cycle should have been finished and the readings came back good for a week. I will test my tap water now and get back with you in 30 minutes or so. Thanks for your time.
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What were the "good" readings you had? What did you use for ammonia during the cycle?

Bio Spira is not going to work unless you have a source of ammonia and that means fish. Did anyone give you instructions on how to use it?

What should have happened is that you would have brought your fish home, added the Bio Spira and then added the fish.

Some of us talked about doing fishless cycles with bio spira, but that included adding bottled ammonia, or some other ammonia source, and a few other "tricks".

Your tank is not cycled. You'll either have to perform a fishy cycle and start doing daily water changes to get those nitrites down OR go to the LFS and get another package of Bio Spira. Make sure it's stored properly -- refridgerated. Dump the package in the tank. Do not change the water for at least 24 hours. Then test.

RO water isn't going to help you here. There are no bacteria to support a bioload in your tank.

Once the ammonia and nitrites drop to 0 and the nitrates are at 20ppm or lower, THEN your tank is cycled.

Roan
 
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:coffee2: get your water ready before you do your water change. Use AmQuel+ that removes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chlorine and chloramines, make sure to airate the mixture for about 2 hours, also make sure you have good airation and filtration in your tank. use conditioners for the main tank like NovAqua+ water conditioner. there is no use for water change if the water that you put in has high ammonia levels. if you need to get your water warmer use microwave, small ammount at the time, then mix with the rest, check temperature and do it up untill you get it to the right temperature.
 
:coffee2: I'm sorry but I forgot to say that you can do the same in your main fish tank because you just did water change: use conditioner and AmQuel+ that removes all the bad stuff I mantioned before. make sure that you will have good airation first few hours, read instructions. you can get both at Pet's Mart.
 
BadRoma1 said:
:coffee2: get your water ready before you do your water change. Use AmQuel+ that removes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chlorine and chloramines, make sure to airate the mixture for about 2 hours, also make sure you have good airation and filtration in your tank. use conditioners for the main tank like NovAqua+ water conditioner. there is no use for water change if the water that you put in has high ammonia levels. if you need to get your water warmer use microwave, small ammount at the time, then mix with the rest, check temperature and do it up untill you get it to the right temperature.
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First of all and as I stated, Prime will bind the ammonia and make it harmless to fish, but it can still be used by the bacteria that has to be fostered in the tank in order for it to cycle. She needs to get the nitrites down because there are fish in there now and that means changing the water daily.

When there are fish in the tank, the only good nitrites are 0 nitrites.

Roan
 
:joe: if you need to boost bacteria use Cycle that you can get at Pet's Mart or Biozyme, freshwater. this stuff can go together with AmQuel+ and water conditioner. there is no adjustment needed for conditioner, Cycle, and Biozyme. But more air and good water circulation for the first few hours after AmQuel+
 
Roan Art

o.k. that's good. everybody does things differently, but your way is good too.
 
BadRoma1 said:
:joe: if you need to boost bacteria use Cycle that you can get at Pet's Mart or Biozyme, freshwater. this stuff can go together with AmQuel+ and water conditioner. there is no adjustment needed for conditioner, Cycle, and Biozyme. But more air and good water circulation for the first few hours after AmQuel+
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Cycle does not contain the proper bacteria for FW tanks, nor does Biozyme.

The only product that is sold on the market today that has the *correct* bacteria for freshwater tanks is Bio Spira.

You do not need to add all that stuff to the tank. The more chemicals you add, the more trouble you will run into.

Please, BadRoma1, go to the Newbie Forum and read this sticky on cycling tanks:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26051

Most of what you are suggesting may do more harm than good.

Thank you
Roan
 
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