Ammonia Always At .25?

[mini_matt]

Hi guys, I guess this is a good section to post this, hopefully someone can help me . I have had my canister filter tetratecEX running on my tank since september, ended up in a fish in cycle (due to finding this site too late) was getting readings of 0 but now it seems every time I test my water there is still a trace of ammonia every time I test it seems I don't see why it is always reading .25 there has been plenty of time for bacteria to grow etc and all my fish are still small, I just don't understand how I could be constantly getting these results?

thanks

 

[erk628]

What size is your tank?
What size is your filter?
What fish do you have?
Test you tap water for ammonia and see what that is!

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, agree with the above questions as being good ones to ask.

Sometimes when we get this question it turns out that the the person is reading the test differently than most of us do.

Another possibility is a bit too much feeding and/or not quite thorough enough gravel cleaning during the weekly water change (and/or not quite high enough percentage of water changed.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[erk628]

A couple more questions I just thought of! What test kit are you using is it a liquid or strips. Also when your reading the results how are you doing it and what kind of light are you using. About a month ago I thought I was having the same problem but come to find out it as the light I was using it was giving it a greenish tent.

 

[mini_matt]

What size is your tank?
What size is your filter?
What fish do you have?
Test you tap water for ammonia and see what that is!

its an ex 600 and I had it running on my 54L and now its running on my 100L with another internal while I sort out my sump. stocking is in my sig but all fish are juvinile so still small.
will test my tapwater in a min thanks

 

[erk628]

So when exaclty did you see the apperance of ammonia in your water. Was it right after you put the filter from your fry tank to your main tank. If this is the case its because you have heaver stocking in the tank the filter is in now then what your fry tank has. What I mean by this is the fish in your main tank which the filter is in now are producing more waste then what your fry was producing. The bacteria in your filter will only colonize big enough to break down the ammmonia and nitrites in your tank. So when you switched the filter over the filter is now getting more ammonia then it can handle. If this is the case you will need to do water changes everyday until your filters bacteria colony increases enough to take on the ammount of ammonia that is being thrown at it. With only a 0.25ppm reading I wouldnt think it would take long. But you want to be doing daily water changes everyday until its back down to 0.

 

[mini_matt]

hi, thanks for the reply, sorry I had the filter running on the smaller tank with my full stocking then bought a new tank and transfered fish and filter over basically, I'm guessing its just under filtering now because of the bigger tank, (its only temporary) when I come to do a water change each week its back to .25 for ammonia would have thought the filter would be coping by now
thanks

 

[mattlee]

just a thought but if your using liquid test kits with the test tubes are you cleaning them well in between tests? any traces left in the tubes can alter the result

 

[drobbyb]

It could be as simple as the water company is using chloramine instead of chlorine and the residual ammonia you are seeing is the aftermath of breaking the chlorine and ammonia bond.

 

[waterdrop]

except I think he's getting it all the time, not just after water changes?

 

[mini_matt]

just a thought but if your using liquid test kits with the test tubes are you cleaning them well in between tests? any traces left in the tubes can alter the result

this could be true, I tend to just rinse straight after testing, is there a propper procedure to washing test tubes? lol i use an api liquid test kit

I only really test before a water chane as after I have done all the cleanin up poop and decloring buckets of water and such Im knackered! lol

It has been pretty muc all the time even when it was on the smaller tank and being over filtered, but then it was quite a heavy stocking for a small tank so Im still unsure to what is going on, I will test my tap water wen I get home tonight but im using a declore that takes out chorine and chloramine so don't think its the chloromine thing its just bugging me poor little fishies lol
cheers

 

[mattlee]

just a thought but if your using liquid test kits with the test tubes are you cleaning them well in between tests? any traces left in the tubes can alter the result

this could be true, I tend to just rinse straight after testing, is there a propper procedure to washing test tubes? lol i use an api liquid test kit

I only really test before a water chane as after I have done all the cleanin up poop and decloring buckets of water and such Im knackered! lol

It has been pretty muc all the time even when it was on the smaller tank and being over filtered, but then it was quite a heavy stocking for a small tank so Im still unsure to what is going on, I will test my tap water wen I get home tonight but im using a declore that takes out chorine and chloramine so don't think its the chloromine thing its just bugging me poor little fishies lol
cheers

try washing the tubes and lids out asap after of using them and getting the results, rinse in hot tap water then i use a piece of kitchen towl to clean the inside ram in right down into the bottom of the tube until the tube is packed then twist around and keep twisting while removing it from the tube this way the tube gets a good scrub every time....
another way is to use one of those small filter cleaner brush thingys and do the same method.
be sure to clean the lids too

 

[mini_matt]

ok thanks buddy didn't think about that but it could be a reason for some of my results cheers

 

[mattlee]

ok thanks buddy didn't think about that but it could be a reason for some of my results cheers

no worries mate, let us all know if it helps

 

[drobbyb]

except I think he's getting it all the time, not just after water changes?

Ahh, must have missed that part. Was just trying to nail it down