Ammonia Question

[bubbs]

Please can anyone tell me if you can have high ammonia levels if nitrites are 0 and nitrates are positive reading is approx 25 on tetra atest kit for nitrate.

My lfs told me that i didn't need an ammonia test kit if i had a kit for nitrites and nirate. He said that if nitrites positive then there will almost certainly be ammonia present. But what if nitrItes are 0?

By the way pH is 7.5

This is probably as clear as mud sorry! )

 

[DOLORES]

ammonia : it is super important that you always have it at the reading of 0ppm, because Ammonia is highly dangerous for fish.

Yes! Buy an Ammonia Test, the one i bought was a Master Kit from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc. it had all test kits , but KH,and GH (i think thats the hardness of the water, ) , i really dont know if you can find that in the UK hopefully someone will tell you, but try to buy the ammonia test

The way you can lower the ammonia? well 20% water changes every day, its the best if you can do it with a Gravel Vacumm , beacuse the PooP from fish, its converted into ammonia, once its descomposed i believe is how you say it.


hope that helped, hopefully someone is going to come and say what i sed wrong or agree, and give more suggestions

good luck!

 

[Sky042]

Depending on where in the cycle you are you could have ammonia and no nitrite. and yes you could have nitrate. It could be from the cycle or could be from your tapwater. ignore your LFS. You MUST have an ammonia and nitrite test kit. those are the very basics.

 

[Bol]

Yes, you can have ammonia and no nitrites.
And, you can have nitrites and no ammonia -- in fact, this is the only type of 'spike' I've ever seen on a mature tank.
And, you can have either of those conditions regardless of the nitrate reading.

 

[bubbs]

Thanks all,

I'm straight down to the shop to buy an ammonia test kit

 

[panther1505]

If you're in the middle of cycling your tank and you have an ammonia level between 4 and 5ppm, nitrite level is 0, and a nitrate level 0f 25, as in Bubbs case,

would you still cut the ammonia added in half until the ammonia level comes down to 0ppm, do your water change, then add fish, as if your cycling process ran normally?

 

[tstenback]

If you're in the middle of cycling your tank and you have an ammonia level between 4 and 5ppm, nitrite level is 0, and a nitrate level 0f 25, as in Bubbs case,

would you still cut the ammonia added in half until the ammonia level comes down to 0ppm, do your water change, then add fish, as if your cycling process ran normally?

No. You dont know if the nitrates are coming from the tap water or seed material or the cycle. So until the nitrites spike you shouldnt half the dose. HTH