If your filter starts making noise again, get a new one so Dad doesn't keep turning it off causing this problem over again.
High ammonia levels in 6 year old tank
- Thread starter Downrock
- Start date
Well I've been carrying out 50% water changes every day or other day but unfortunately ammonia is still rising. It measured as high as 6+ ppm the other day. Fish are still alive but I'm having to put large amounts of ammo lock in. I've cut back feedings to once every 2-3 days but I've still managed to have some sort of massive bacterial bloom and the water is extremely cloudy white. Also I'm getting readings of 0 nitrite and next to no nitrate as well. I don't think this tank is cycling at all. Strange because it was fine for 6 years. Our water here has a KH of about 0.25, is there a chance this could be the problem? I heard bacteria need a carbon source to grow.
Possible issues :
1. Dead fish which you havn't found.
2. Nitrosomonas (the bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrite) function and reproduce less efficiently below Ph 6.8 - yours being 6.5 - and proportionately less efficiently the further you go below that (source : Hovanec http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/waterinfo.html#NitrifyingBacteria).
3. They are autotrophic - get carbon from CO2.
4. They function/reproduce less efficiently at low temp (probably not in an issue in your case).
5. They also require oxygen to grow.
You could try adding CO2, adding an airstone/bubblewand, raising your Kh by adding sodium bicarbonate, which would also increase Kh.
However, I think it is still very strange that you have apparently no growth of nitrosomonas, and your regular large water changes are also having no impact on the rising ammonia. This makes me think that either your test kit is faulty, or there is ammonia in your tap water (so test your tap water too).
What test kit are you using ? I gave myself a quick heart attack with a new test kit (had been using API, using it again now) which told me I had ammonia at 3 ppm until I realised I had transposed the result versus Ph on a graph chart that comes with the test kit wrongly.
1. Dead fish which you havn't found.
2. Nitrosomonas (the bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrite) function and reproduce less efficiently below Ph 6.8 - yours being 6.5 - and proportionately less efficiently the further you go below that (source : Hovanec http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/waterinfo.html#NitrifyingBacteria).
3. They are autotrophic - get carbon from CO2.
4. They function/reproduce less efficiently at low temp (probably not in an issue in your case).
5. They also require oxygen to grow.
You could try adding CO2, adding an airstone/bubblewand, raising your Kh by adding sodium bicarbonate, which would also increase Kh.
However, I think it is still very strange that you have apparently no growth of nitrosomonas, and your regular large water changes are also having no impact on the rising ammonia. This makes me think that either your test kit is faulty, or there is ammonia in your tap water (so test your tap water too).
What test kit are you using ? I gave myself a quick heart attack with a new test kit (had been using API, using it again now) which told me I had ammonia at 3 ppm until I realised I had transposed the result versus Ph on a graph chart that comes with the test kit wrongly.
The test kits I'm using are nutrafin. I tried testing my tap water and it registers no ammonia both before and after dechlorination. The tapwater parameters are the same as this tank in terms of PH and hardness. 6.5 PH and nearly 0 hardness. I did have a major algae problem in this tank that I cleaned up at the same time as i fixed the filter. After reading that link you posted it I wonder if it could be decaying organic debris from the dead algae floating around causing the heterotrophic bacteria to multiply quickly and inhibit the nitrifying bacteria. Not really sure, but the 50% water changes do cut the ammonia in half.. but it spikes back up within a day.
Maybe I could transfer a filter from another tank just for a bit? I have a 33 gallon with a single 4" male convict cichlid in it. I've used crushed coral in that tank though so PH is 7.5 and KH is about 3-4. My other tank is a 15 gallon with a male paradise fish also with crushed coral keeping the PH at 7.5 and KH 3-4. Do you think switching the filter to the uncycled tank might end up killing off the bacteria in that filter due to the PH change?
Put some of the gravel & filter media from the cycled tanks into your tank and filter respectively (in the problem tank).
The Nutrafin test was the one I was talking about - not to ask a stupid question, but I take it you are cross-referencing the test tube colour result correctly versus the Ph graph ? The Nutrafin test method gives a result which then has to cross-reffed to give a reading for true toxic ammonia, dependent on Ph (generally ammonia is far more toxic at Ph above 7 than below).
I don't think the Ph change will affect the bacteria at all - in fact they are more effective and reproduce quicker at that Ph (7.5)
The Nutrafin test was the one I was talking about - not to ask a stupid question, but I take it you are cross-referencing the test tube colour result correctly versus the Ph graph ? The Nutrafin test method gives a result which then has to cross-reffed to give a reading for true toxic ammonia, dependent on Ph (generally ammonia is far more toxic at Ph above 7 than below).
I don't think the Ph change will affect the bacteria at all - in fact they are more effective and reproduce quicker at that Ph (7.5)
Hmmm I actually haven't been reffing it to that number/ph chart so good thing you asked, not a stupid question at all.. Just using the basic color reading on the main chart. So I'm reading it totally wrong? Also I know the bacteria function better at PH 7.5 but i was thinking of moving the filter from the 33 gallon PH 7.5 to the 75 gallon PH 6.5... the drop might not be good for them I was thinking.
OK that's part of your problem (the chart) - cross ref your result from the tube with the Ph chart; it will give you a reading for toxic ammonia in ppm. You're going to find its much much less than what you thought - potentially 0.
Don't worry about the effect on the bacteria of a move from 7.5 to 6.5 - some may not survive the disruption of the of the move, but this will not have a significant effect.
The algae debris won't be helping the situation as it will a) rot producing ammonia etc. and b) excess photosynthesis using up carbon inhibits reproduction of the nitrosomonas bactera.
But I think you'll find that your readings are nowhere near as high as you think; get that chart that comes with the test kit out and have a look
Lots of water changes, feed very lightly every other day and deligent testing for ammonia,nitrite,nitrate and ph. I test weekly it may be too much but it helps me keep my tanks in check. Tell dad to leave your filter alone turning it off for long periods of time can cause alot of problems for you fish.
