Confusing Ammonia Results

[Forestpisces]

Ok so after my tank disaster a few weeks ago which i posted about in the bettas section my betta and 3 kuhli's have been doing great and have thrived, BUT i've been getting some very confusing ammonia test results.

NitrItes come up at: 0 almost every time

Nitrates used to be 15 but are about 10 since adding plants

And my ammonia always tests anywhere between 1-4!!!??!!!

I have been changing water religiousely twice a day and remove 14litres, i worried about the ammonia since the tank mishap and have been using ammolock to de-chlorinate which i do not like doing, but during these result i feel it necesary, i know it changes ammonia into ammonium which is less harmfull to fish but still feeds the bacteria in the filter but surely it wouldn't mess with my tests?

The filter is a stingray 10 that was cycled for over a MONTH before adding fish.

The tank is 35litres and houses 1 betta and 3 kuhli loaches so as far as i am aware i am not over stocked.

I gravev vac everyday whilst water changing.

The fish are acting normal and happy my bettas tail is even growing and surely with ammonia or ammonium levels that high for this long my fish would be closer to death!

I'm at a loss here and have no idea whats causing it.

Any ideas??

 

[Colin_T]

You can have high ammonia/ ammonium readings that won't affect the fish much if the pH is below 7.0. It's just not that toxic in acid water (pH below 7.0) but becomes toxic above 7.0. The higher the pH above 7.0, the more toxic it becomes.

You could be getting an ammonia reading if you test the water soon after feeding the fish. Then the fish food and waste would produce the reading. Try testing the water before you feed the fish and see if it makes any difference.

Make sure your test phials are clean and don't have anything in them that might cause a reading.

 

[Forestpisces]

Thanks for the quick reply

My fish eat pellets which are fed one by one so there is no watse and my ph is around 7.2 and my test phials are cleaned in hot water after every use.

 

[bagu]

sounds very strange especially with a cycled tank and good filter =/

how about a huge water change? with declor water

 

[Yanks15]

I always see a little ammonia after a water change but it gets eaten up soon after.

 

[JenCliBee]

I havent got a clue but maybe a faulty ammonia tester or could it be the ammolock causing a wrong reading?

 

[Forestpisces]

As far as i know the ammo lock shouldn't mess with my results but with readings that high i dont want to stop using it.

It's so confusing.

 

[Forestpisces]

I've taken the tests at variouse times and everytime it has been above 0

I'm really starting to worry about my fish but they are acting fine and my betta has started attacking the gravel vac (i think he's getting annoyed with all the water changes)

But after weeks of such high readings shouldn't my fish be dead/ill especially the loaches as the have skin instead of scales.

I really want to get the reading down but no matter how much water i change or when i test the water the results are the same.

i have a second filter running in the tank temporarily to cycle it ready for another betta that will be arriving in the next few weeks and this hasn't changed any readings either.

I really want to fix this.

After my tank disaster a few weeks ago the tank was cleaned under soil taken out and was 100% water changed

MY fish can't be making that much ammonia with a cycled filter can they? Here is my tank disaster post:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=295422

 

[Infidel_Uk]

Make sure your test phials are clean and don't have anything in them that might cause a reading.

i cant stress enough how important that wee factor could be ! i had a steady ph of 7.8 for weeks , this morning it was less than SIX !

i tested 3 times , all @ 6 ppm , THEN i decided to rinse the pip pet out , as id been using it to add ammonia , and hey presto , back up to 7.8 !

 

[Forestpisces]

i rinse them in hot water after every time i use them.

I'm pulling my hair out arrgghgh

What can i do? Just keep up with my water changes and hope it goes away there must be something else i can do.

 

[Infidel_Uk]

as a complete novice , my uneducated guess is, your overfeeding them ?

 

[Forestpisces]

Fish are hand fed with betta pellets i'm very careful about feeding.

The kuhlis get cucumber which is left in for a few hours and half an algae waffer every other day or so any remanent of which are removed by my incesant gravel vaccing every time i change my water.

 

[Colin_T]

as soon as fish food is added to the tank it starts producing ammonia. The algae wafer and cucmber could be part of the problem. Likewise the fish produce ammonia after they have eaten the food.

Perhaps take a sample of tank water to your local fish shop and have them test the ammonia levels. Take your test kit as well and test the same water. Your kit could be faulty.

You might have chloramine in the tap water. The dechlorinator will usually break the chlorine ammonia bond and you sometimes get an ammonia reading straight after doing a water change.
A simple way to test for chloramine is to do an ammonia test on some tap water, (it should be 0). Then dechlorinate the same water before checking it for ammonia.
If you have ammonia in the tap water after it has been dechlorinated, then you have chloramine in your water supply. Normally the filters will pick up the small amount of ammonia pretty quickly.

 

[alchemist]

Your stingray filter uses Zeolite - which is probably now saturated - hence the odd ammonia readings. Zeolite sucks ammonia out of the water until the zeolite is saturated - then it starts dumping excess ammonia into the water.

Without knowing the full history it is difficult to tell if you are properly cycled or not.
Have you ever seen a nitrite reading? I.E. did you go through a phase of high nitrite that cycled down to 0?
Have you ever changed the zeolite / carbon cartridges?

As you are using ammo-lock - you may want to consider removing the zeolite / carbon cartridges and replacing them with different media - e.g. foam or floss.
I would change one now and then the other in a couple of weeks time. Keep a close eye on your water stats - you may need to go through a fish-in cycle process I'm afraid.

 

[indigoj]

ammolock can mess with results - it turns ammonia to ammoniUM which will still read on an ammonia test. Some dechlorinators such as seachem prime can also do this.