Amonia Problem

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blankenship

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Sep 27, 2004
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Ammonia Problem

Hi,

Let me start off by saying tht this is my first tank and I'm very excited about it. I set it up 4 days ago. Its a 10 gallon tank with all the essentials (filter, heater, gravel, fake plants, 8w light, air pump, and the temp of the water is about 84 F). My problem is that I'm not getting any amonia readings. I've been putting 5 drops of amonia in my tank every day with the bacteria starter I purchased at my LFS.

I have Ammonia Alert inside my tank and it is showing that there is no ammonia. I thought maybe that the Ammonia Alert just wasn't saturated enough yet so I used a manual test where I put drops in a vile....yada yada yada. And that showed I had very minimal ammonia in the water.

So I looked at the back of my ammonia bottle and it says it containts Soft Water and Ammonia. Is the Soft Water effecting the amonia? and if so should I just put more ammonia in the tank or do I need to get something else?

I appreciate any help that you can give me!!
 
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What kind of bacteria starter are you using? If this is Bio-Spira, then what you are seeing is normal.
 
Hmmmm....good question. I can't remember off the top of my head. I'll have to check when I get home later today and I'll let you know.

If it is Bio-Spira what is the cycling process? What can I expect to happen in the coming days/weeks?
 
Read the instructions on theBio-Spira--I'm pretty sure that you should add fish, monitor for nitrites, and re-dose as needed, but you'll want to confirm that.

If it's another product, you may want to go with a fishless cycle, not using the product. I don't know of any that introduce the correct bacteria, though some may introduce nitrifiers, they are not the ones that will survive in the aquarium so are useless.
 
Sorry, I forgot to mention this earlier....I am currently doing a fishless cycle. Does this mean I don't need the bacteria starter?

You mentioned that you don't know of anything that contains the right bacteria. Then I should stop using what I have I assume? And if this is the case, why I am not getting any ammonia readings?

Thanks!! I really appreciat this.
 
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No, with a fishless cycle you do not need ot use any of the starter products. With products other than Bio-Spira, some introduce nitrifying bacteria, but not the same ones that live in an aquarium. They will survive for a brief time, consuming the ammonia that's introduced, but will not become established. Have you tested for nitrites?

One more thing I just noticed--you need to add enough ammonia so you read 5 ppm on your test kit--5 drops is not very much. This alone might explain what you're seeing.
 
Ok, thanks. I'll read what the bottle of the bacteria starter says....but I'll probably just stop using it. If it does do what you say it does, then I assume its just good for gettin rid of high amounts of amonia in your tank after it has cycled.

I'll test for nitrites when I get home today. I read, multiple places, that I should use 5 drops of ammonia for a 10 gallon tank. I guess I'll add more until I get a reading of 5ppm. Can you give me a guestimate of much that is?? I don't want to overshoot it.

Thanks!!
 
I don't know the exact amount--but I would suspect it's somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon.
 
Ok thanks, I'll start with a teaspoon and go up from there if I have to. I have one other question. I originally wanted to get real plants, but my light was not powerful enough and I wasn't going to spend the money for a new canopy and lighting system. The light I do have is 8W. I was just wondering how long I should keep it on during the day?

Thanks again!!
 
I got a glass canopy and a 15watt light fixture from wal-mart (it's the kind that's designed to mount under a cabinet, I just have it setting on the glass for now). This gives me 1.5 watts per gallon, not a lot of light, but enough to do some low light plants and it was cheap :)

I don't have my lights on timers right now, but generally leave them on 10 or so hours a day.
 
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