Aquarium Kit Bulb Cooking My Tank!

[fluttermoth]

Sorry, but you really need to do the water change now. Any ammonia over about 0.25ppm can cause long term damage to the fish's gills.

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

Really? Okay, you guys know better than I do! I'll get that done and see if anything improves...

 

[GreenA]

Really? Okay, you guys know better than I do! I'll get that done and see if anything improves...

Hi Robberyin. You can really trust those guys , without them my fish would probably be in fish heaven now...
Unfortunately I am going through a fish-in cycle at the moment and I test the water twice daily. Every morning before I do a 50% water change and in the evening, in case I need to take further action.
The people in the TFF really try and help me get my fish through the cycle and they'll do the same for you.

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

Best of luck with your cycling issue! Unfortunately another vacuum/water change still puts my ammonia reading at .5! Why is this???

 

[GreenA]

Hmm...I am no expert in this myself...still a newbie...but I read that you used to put in stuff to reduce the ammonia?! Do you still put that in or just the water and conditioner? I'm asking because I read that this can affect your test readings....

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

The water conditioner is supposed to be used to correct ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, alkalinity, and pH. I waited about an hour or two before testing the water so it could dissolve around my tank...

 

[This Old Spouse]

Test your tap water. Then post the results.

 

[GreenA]

I think the only conditioner you should put in when changing water is one that removes chlorine and chloramine from your water and no other chemicals that remove ammonia etc.... as this should become your filters' job (the whole cycle business). I was told to use as little chemicals as possible otherwise I counteract the cycle process. So maybe you should try to leave the one out that does the ammonia, nitrates etc...and as said above, they can have a negative affect on your tests and give you wrong readings....

EDIT: maybe someone more experienced can comment on the chemicals issue and help out more . all I can tell you is what others explained to me and what I read in this forum.

I hope you'll get it sorted. Fingers crossed.

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

That's what I was told too, but I'd already lost 3 fish during the cycle and this morning I got a reading of 4ppm I don't concern myself with chlorine issues because I have well water. It looked like one of my fish was showing signs of illness and I panicked thinking he was going to die, too. So I picked the lesser of the two evils...

 

[Mowbz]

Hmm...I am no expert in this myself...still a newbie...but I read that you used to put in stuff to reduce the ammonia?! Do you still put that in or just the water and conditioner? I'm asking because I read that this can affect your test readings....

If you are, stop putting it in, its likely "Ammo-lock" or something of the similar, and this only "locks" up the ammonia from being harmful, it doesnt remove it. Further to this, it also locks it from being converted by nitrifying bacteria into Nitrite and then Nitrate, meaning that all your doing is buildign up a large amount of irremovable ammmonia. The ONLY additive worth adding right now is a water conditioner (dechlorinator). Any type of artificial bacteria, primer, filter start etc, is a waste odf money and time

Massive water changes EVERY day im afraid.... If its says anything over 0.25, its instant water change time, as Fluttermoth said. You cant afford to put it off even a few hours if its showing 0.50 or more. Ammonia at this level, even if it is near the bottom of the API chart, is potentialy lethal, especially if your pH starts to drop off..

 

[B C M]

Take the advice and don't add any more chemicals, as said, tap safe/water dechlorinator is all you need, and its all I've ever used too!
Cycle the tank right, get the water changes done straight away and get the tests done regularly.

Good Luck!

 

[Blubble37]

your tap water will have some ammonia in it. mine has 0.1ppm but tats gone by the next morning. test your tap water and post the results - then you will know if you have hit rock bottom with your levels

Hmm...I am no expert in this myself...still a newbie...but I read that you used to put in stuff to reduce the ammonia?! Do you still put that in or just the water and conditioner? I'm asking because I read that this can affect your test readings....

If you are, stop putting it in, its likely "Ammo-lock" or something of the similar, and this only "locks" up the ammonia from being harmful, it doesnt remove it. Further to this, it also locks it from being converted by nitrifying bacteria into Nitrite and then Nitrate, meaning that all your doing is buildign up a large amount of irremovable ammmonia. The ONLY additive worth adding right now is a water conditioner (dechlorinator). Any type of artificial bacteria, primer, filter start etc, is a waste odf money and time

Massive water changes EVERY day im afraid.... If its says anything over 0.25, its instant water change time, as Fluttermoth said. You cant afford to put it off even a few hours if its showing 0.50 or more. Ammonia at this level, even if it is near the bottom of the API chart, is potentialy lethal, especially if your pH starts to drop off..

+1 mowbz but he is using well water

Thats going to have ammo in for DEFINITE!

 

[ATK!!!]

Doesn't high pH mean that ammonia affects fish even worse..... Thats the thing about well water What filter do you actually have in there anyway? Does it contain any chemical products in it?

 

[Blubble37]

and for lords sake... USE TAP WATER!

 

[Louiseness]

and for lords sake... USE TAP WATER!

Well water doesn't neccessarily mean they hand-pumped it out of a well! Not everyone has mains water.