ammonia won't go down!
- Thread starter andrewturk1970
- Start date
Have you had any inverts or bottom feeders (especially loaches)? Its always fun to find out that after all those water changes the ammonia doesn't change because there is a dead fish rotting somewhere. I'd recommend getting some tetra easy balance, and add that in after water changes, I use it now and it seems to keep my water params pretty balanced with no sudden spikes. I'm not entirely sure that those ammo-zorb filter pads do anything, but since I have an abundant supply of filter media I use that, you might want to give that a try also.
BettaFishMommy
finkids make me happy :-)
using ammonia absorbers during a cycle is not advisable, since the chemicals in the absorbers take the ammonia away before the beneficial bacteria can use it. when your tank is cycling you don't want anything interfering with the uptake of ammonia and nitrites by the b. bacteria.
you don't need any additives (tetra easy balance, etc). daily water changes, daily parameter testing for ammonia and nitrites, and a good quality water conditioner like Prime.
you don't need any additives (tetra easy balance, etc). daily water changes, daily parameter testing for ammonia and nitrites, and a good quality water conditioner like Prime.
ok, ill do a change every day for a while, feed every 2 days, AND test the PH and report back tomorrow.
As mentioned I also use BIG AL'S Water conditioner and also BOG AL'S BIO ADDITIVE after every change.
thanks again
As mentioned I also use BIG AL'S Water conditioner and also BOG AL'S BIO ADDITIVE after every change.
thanks again
Ok I am new here and I had the same problem. I went and had my water tested at Asheville Aquarium. I was over feeding my oscar and my amonia was way too high. My oscar hadn't moved out of a corner in a week and I was terrified. He sold me API Stress Zyme+ and some Seachem Prime. Almost immediately he perked up like he was awoken from a bad dream (I did a 20% change before adding). I did a happy dance and so did my fish. The guy there (I am bad at remembering names) came highly recommended, I liked his shop, tanks wern't overstocked, he had a good selection of products, he was very informative and he wasn't pushy.
Unless the reduce it to zero they're not going to slow the multiplication down though.
Just a sanity check, but what is your procedure for conditioning the tap water before putting it into the tank?
I'm pretty sure the process of removing chlorine and chloramine in tap water is not instant. I wonder if you are waiting long enough after putting the conditioner into the tap water, before putting the water into the tank.
Just wondering, because if you were accidentally putting chlorinated water into the tank, it could possibly be killing the bacteria you need and preventing the cycle from happening.
I'm pretty sure the process of removing chlorine and chloramine in tap water is not instant. I wonder if you are waiting long enough after putting the conditioner into the tap water, before putting the water into the tank.
Just wondering, because if you were accidentally putting chlorinated water into the tank, it could possibly be killing the bacteria you need and preventing the cycle from happening.
Wait. Did you test right afterward? If there was no change that makes no sense unless your tapwater is high in ammonia. Did you test your tapwater?
Hmm... Well I'm still kind of new, but I think this method you're using is probably causing at least some of your trouble, if not all of it. Someone else can correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I have read.
You are supposed to put the conditioner into the new water BEFORE you put it in the tank, then give it maybe 5 minutes to work.
As you know, chlorine kills living things in the water, including the beneficial bacteria you are trying to build up, and sometimes your fish too. What is supposed to happen when you put water conditioner into the new water is it changes the chlorine and chloramines into some other inactive form that doesn't kill things.
You don't ever want to add tap water straight to the tank, because the chlorine that is in the tap water can immediately start sterilizing everything it touches in the tank, killing the beneficial bacteria you wanted to grow. I think the way you've been doing it has been killing off some of the beneficial bacteria each water change, which is slowing down or stopping your cycle from finishing.
Also, if you measured the amount of water conditioner to use based on how much water you were replacing, then this amount is supposed to be added only to the new water, not to the whole tank, if that makes sense. But I don't know if you have been using the amount of water conditioner based on your tank's total water volume, or based on just how much water you were replacing.
Bottom line:
Here is what I would suggest. You said you use Big Al's water conditioner. Does it say it removes chlorine and chloramines? If so, good. If not, you need to buy something that removes chlorine and chloramines. I would highly suggest Prime but you can use others like API Stresscoat. You also said you use Big Al's Bio Support, that should be fine if you use it after the chlorine is gone.
Try this. Stop adding tap water directly to the tank. Instead, after you have siphoned off and removed as much water as you want to from the aquarium, remove the hose from the aquarium, and use it to fill some buckets with as much water as you need to put in the tank (make sure they are clean!). Now measure and apply some water conditioner to that water in the buckets. This should be a water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramines! Mix the conditioner into the bucket and give it at least 5 minutes to act. Remember to use the amount of conditioner specified for the water in the buckets only. You are only conditioning and treating the water in the buckets, not the whole tank.
AFTER that, there should no longer be active chlorine in the water. Now add the Big Al's Bio Support, once again using only the amount specified for the amount of water in the buckets.
After that, now the water in the buckets is all conditioned and free of chlorine, now it's safe to put it in the aquarium. Carefully pour the water from the buckets into the aquarium, or use cups or bowls to scoop it in a little at a time. Or if you want to get really fancy you can put the bucket up higher than the tank and use a tube to siphon water from the bucket into the tank.
I think if you switch to this method, you'll get better results.
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