Ammonia spike

[tigerbarb420]

What I feared worst has happened. I recently added 6 neon tetras to my 10g to accompany my bolivian ram. I previously had just the ram and a single zebra danio.

Over the past week I have been doing regular testing and was getting readings of 0-0.6 mg/L of ammonia. By now there is a DEFINITE 0.6 mg/L of ammonia showing. I fear I have created a small cycle in my tank again by adding too many fish for the biofilter to handle.

What should I do?

Maybe wait out the cylce or should I do small waterchanges every other day?

 

[tttnjfttt]

I would begin daily water changes, no more than 25% at one time. I'm not sure how ppm comparest to mg/L, so its hard to say how high this spike has gotten. Keep a close watch on the fish, because when they are stressed is when disease is likely to set in.

 

[rdd1952]

Anytime you add new fish, you create a mini cycle, especially when you add such a large amount in such a small tank. Six neons is basically a full stock for a 10 gallon. You should start doing 25% water changes daily or maybe twice daily to try to keep the ammonia and nitrite at .25 or below. You probably don't have nitrite showing right now but it will come. Neons aren't very hardy so you will probably lose some but if you keep the levels under .25 you may be ok.

 

[rdd1952]

I'm not sure how ppm comparest to mg/L, so its hard to say how high this spike has gotten.

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I actually asked that question on a thread a while back and it is basically the same: .6 mg/l is roughly .6 ppm.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Thanks rdd, wasn't sure about that.

I would say for today, do two water changes, about 3-4 hours apart, of 25% each, that should get you close to .35

 

[tigerbarb420]

I'll get on that right away.

P.S. I have also been testing for NitrItes and they are showing 0 atm.

 

[tigerbarb420]

O.K. done doing the water change.

On a side note.. I added an old peice of driftwood that had a bunch of dead javamoss attached to it. I took a good majority of it off but there is still some attatched. Could this be contributing to the ammonia spike?

 

[tttnjfttt]

How long has this tank been running?

 

[rdd1952]

On a side note.. I added an old peice of driftwood that had a bunch of dead javamoss attached to it. I took a good majority of it off but there is still some attatched. Could this be contributing to the ammonia spike?

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The dead plants could add to the ammonia. Anything that is rotting will create waste which has to be processed.

 

[tigerbarb420]

The tank has been running for a little over 6 months now.

 

[tigerbarb420]

Well I did a 25% water change yesterday and It has slightly brought the ammonia down since the reading is not a definite 0.6 mg/L anymore. I will do another one today since I didn't have time last night.