Ammonia Up.

[t1tanrush]

This is my first time ever using water test kits, and actually using filters and whatnot. I got the tank used second hand from craigslist. I've had it running about 4 days now and the ammonia is building up and its around 2 ppm according to the test kit. The fish from what I see are behaving normally. The big one is still chasing my fingers trying to eat them lol.

Could it be the filters are just not cycled and I need to wait a couple weeks before everything is good to go as normal and just do extra water changes? Or is there some added measure I can take...

Here is the setup:
55g tank
Penguin 330 biowheel and penguin 200 biowheel
6X Golden Shiner, about 4" each.
6X Green Sunfish, ranging from 5"-9"

I'm guessing a good bit of the ammonia is from the crappy gravel I got as well, it was pretty dirty and I did my best to get stuff out of it but I couldn't get it all.

 

[cowboy507]

I think you are in a cycle situation. Extra water changes will be good. getting ammonia below .25ppm is the best
what kit did you get? api master?

 

[t1tanrush]

I think you are in a cycle situation. Extra water changes will be good. getting ammonia below .25ppm is the best
what kit did you get? api master?

Meh, cycling is such a drag..

Yes i have the API master test kit, as long as I get it under 1 I should be ok with these particular fish it seems.

 

[cowboy507]

what were you using before? you said that this is your first time to use filters?

 

[afishdude]

Sunfish and golden shiners are very hardy. They will withstand ammonia up to 5 or 6 before it gets to be a problem.

 

[t1tanrush]

what were you using before? you said that this is your first time to use filters?

I used very small tanks, I kept betas and an african clawed frog who hated his water moving I just did water changes. I also kept a pair of convicts for some time in a 20g and just did water changes all the time.

Sunfish and golden shiners are very hardy. They will withstand ammonia up to 5 or 6 before it gets to be a problem.

Indeed, but seeing as though they where recently captured I want to lower the stress as much as possible until all of them are 100% adapted to tank life, so far 4/6 are doing wonderful, but there are 2 that are a bit slower to adjust..
Lol one of them already knows I'm food and when I walk in the back door comes and swims at the top expecting a grasshopper.