Ammonia Spike

[Chuka1212]

Ok, I have had my 10 gal stocked with an otocinulus, 5 guppies, and a pair of killifish for a month now and the water quality has been perfect, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and nitrites, etc. I checked it Tuesday and all was fine then yesterday (saturday) I checked it and my ammonia was around 1ppm. I freaked a bit, did a 50% water change and went out and bought a power filter (filters 100 gallons/hour) as I had previously been running on undergravel filtration. So what could have caused the spike?

Here is what has changed in that short period of time (between Tues and Saturday)

1) Aeration decreased slightly for undergravel filter, maybe air pump diaphragm got a small crack or something.
2) Some of my live plants have had dying leaves... Can decaying leaves contribute Ammonia???
3) I added a green colored yarn spawning mop. I got "no dye lot" yarn, but could it be leaching color and giving me a false reading?
4) My killifish laid eggs in the mop
5) I started feeding my fish artemia (brine shrimp) once daily. (about 25 shrimp per feeding)
6) I added one 2'' horseface loach... Could I be overstocked?

What do you guys think could have caused the spike in ammonia??

 

[WILDER]

Overstocked.
The under gravel filter if it wasn't running at full flow, there a nightmare I would remove it to be honest, there outdated now.
Rotting leaves.

 

[fishkers]

Well really in order for your tank to be cycled Nitrates should be around 20 ppm. You definatly need to get a power filter running in that tank...

 

[Chuka1212]

Well really in order for your tank to be cycled Nitrates should be around 20 ppm. You definatly need to get a power filter running in that tank...

Like I said, I got a filter already and are you sure about the Nitrate level being at 20ppm? I heard some newer research saying it is best right around zero. (tropical fish hobbyist , August 2005, pg 60-61)

So anyways l guess the filter will eventually solve the problem? Thanks for the comments wilder, i will give away a guppy or two and clean out some leaves. I guess once the biological part of my power filter gets going the ammonia problem will be no more.

 

[WILDER]

I wouldn't remove the undergravel filter till the internal filter has cycled.
Good luck.

 

[aaronc]

Well really in order for your tank to be cycled Nitrates should be around 20 ppm. You definatly need to get a power filter running in that tank...

I heard some newer research saying it is best right around zero. (tropical fish hobbyist , August 2005, pg 60-61)

I have a well stocked tank and nitrates of 0. But I have a lot of plants which take care of the nitrates. Either way a nitrate level of 20ppm is nothing to worry about


Good Luck

Aaron