Ammonia Stuck At 0.25Ppm

[geordieelvis]

Hi, I had a big Ammonia spike a week or so ago and I managed to get it down through water changes and using an ammo lock. My problem is that it is now stuck at 0.25ppm, and has been for a good few days. Done more water changes and still it stays at .25ppm. Doesn't go up or down! Any ideas ??
My tank is a Fluval 90, ph is 7.5 nitrites are 0 and nitrates about 10. Water temp is a steady 24 degrees.

 

[leighton_87]

Is it an API kit?

If so are you sure it is 0.25ppm. The nil result on the ammonia test is never as yellow as the card, it is a well know issue with the API kit. Make sure you are looking in daylight and not under energy saving lightbulbs - maybe do a control test on tap water (although some tap water does have ammonia in so not a fool proofr method)

 

[geordieelvis]

Yeah it's the API one, I tested my tap water and it definitely looks a little bit closer to the 0ppm than my tank water does, to be honest my tank water is probably a bit less than the 0.25 colour, I would say it was in between the 0 and the 0.25.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Are you sure there's not a dead fish or snail in there somewhere? Or dying plants? Either can keep the ammonia elevated. What is your substrate?

 

[geordieelvis]

Substrate is just a small gravel , you might be onto something with the plants though as I do have 5 plants in there and they don't look 100% if I'm honest, tried liquid food but they still look a bit brown in places. I do try and take away the dying leaves etc but I don't know what else to do to revive my plants??

 

[frapadoodle]

Had the same problem with the API test. Pulled what little hair I have left worrying about it.
Mine never does go as yellow as rhe card, but bot as green as .25 either, so I don't worry about it anymore.

 

[geordieelvis]

Ok guys, just to update and ask for more advice, I have been doing daily water changes (25%) and the odd big water change but I still can't lose the last of my ammonia! It is a constant 0.25ppm and some days it creeps up to 1ppm. Definitely no dead fish in there, the plants don't look brilliant but they are certainly not dead. And I have been feeding what's left of my fish only a minimal amount every 2 days. My other results are as follows and are constant.....Nitrite is bang on 0, Nitrate is at 5 and Ph is 7.5. I am totally stuck and am starting to worry about my 2 danios as they seem to be hiding away behind my filter, they seem healthy and active enough just very shy or scared?! The other fish are 1 male and 2 female cherry barbs and 4 panda Cories, who all seem active and normal.
Does anybody have anything or is it a case of keeping doing what I'm doing?

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Was this tank and filter cycled at all?
 
terry.

 

[geordieelvis]

Yeah it was fully cycled for 8 weeks and levels were checked regularly before I added my first fish which were 4 zebra Danios.

 

[geordieelvis]

I still have ammonia readings of between .25 and 1ppm. Daily 50% water changes now and it's still reading the same, I haven't lost any fish for over a week so still got in there 2 Zebra Danios, 4 Pandas and 3cherry Barbs. Really frustrated now!!

 

[MBOU]

Have said it before but the rep for API told me that often the test reads as .25 or just under as the test does react to ammoniUM as well as ammoniA. Ammonium is basically the harmless form. If you use something like AmmoLock, it converts ammonia into ammonium as its harmless to the fish but if you test water after dosing with ammolock, it will still read as ammonia because test kits arent sophisticated enough to differenciate between the two.

 

[geordieelvis]

I have been using Ammo Lock as I was worried about losing more fish, so that could be a reason why it is reading higher, i will persevere with big water changes for another few days and keep testing.

 

[geordieelvis]

Still got this problem, and did a 90% change yesterday, tested it tonight and Ammonia is reading 2ppm!! I am totally sick of this, don't know what to do next except let nature take its course and pack the whole thing in! Fish aren't getting fed and haven't been for 3 days in a row, definitely nothing dead in there, gravel hasn't been moved, tap water is perfect 0ppm, filter sponges have been cleaned but not replaced, tank was cycled for weeks and fish added gradually. Everything in there seems perfectly happy but this latest test has driven me to the edge. Used ammo lock last week but not since then, and water is treated with King British Safe Guard.

 

[scotty]

how did you wash the sponges?
 
what source of ammonia did you use to cycle the tank?

 

[misterpro]

Safe Guard - Aquarium
50ml, 100ml, 250ml

Makes tap water safe for fish
Removes harmful chlorine and chloromines
Detoxifies heavy metals
--> Removes excess ammonia

Perhaps the safeguard itself does the same as ammo-lock? That would explain your reading perhaps...