Ammonia questions

[Doolin94]

I just tested my water in the tank and it came up as 3ppm. There are fish in the tank. What are some ways to get it down other than a 25-30% water change. Out of the tap the water is .5ppm

 

[tanker]

No other way I really know of. Just WC.

 

[Tifftastic]

+1

Water changes are really the only way to go.

As far as your water out of the tap, try letting a sample sit out over night and then test it.

 

[OrionGirl]

Prime can help. It binds the ammonia, creating ammonium, which is non-toxic. Still a short term fix (those ions can be stripped away, returning the ammonium to ammonia, depends on your pH). Polyfilter will also adsorb the ammonia.

Water changed will be best--and I wouldn't go with little ones. 25% won't make a significant difference. I would do a 50% water change, wait a couple hours, then do another one, and repeat until the levels test below 1.

 

[Doolin94]

Thanks for the advice, I wasn't sure if there was a better way to get the ammonia down. I'll do a water change today. All the fish do seem to be ok as of right now. I got a little freaked out when I first tested it since I'm new to all this

 

[OrionGirl]

It's definitely a real worry. That level of ammonia causes gill burns, which a) open the fish to infections b) reduces oxygen intake, resulting in lethargy and loss of appetite. Overall, the fish might not look terribly sick right away, but in the long term, it's a serious problem. The longer they're exposed, the more damage that occurs.