Help I Cant Lower My Ammonia Levels!

[Pammie]

Hi there

I bought a small 20 litre cold water tank from a local pet shop, bad idea i know now. I added my water and ornaments and ran it for over a week. I was told I could add 9 fish in total adding just 3 each week, unfrotunately, I was never told about cycling at the pet shop!!
I first got 3 small White Cloud Minnows bout 8 days after setting up the tank. They told me I could add another 3 the following week.
Went back a week later and we picked out 3 neon tetras.
The next week we went back to get another 3 neon tetras and to my surprise I was told by another member of staff that since neon tetras are tropical, I should have had a heater and that I should leave the heater for a few days to settle before getting anymore fish.
I went home quickly and put the heater in the tank, panicking my wee tetras would be suffering.
The next day I found one wee tetra dead and I decided to take the other two back to the shop as my wee boy was so upset the others would die too.
I had started checking online and found that they should have tested my water before selling me fish never mind tell me about the nitrogen cycle.
I asked them to check the water and my ammonia levels turned dark green. I was advised to do a 20% water change and check it next week.
I was so worried i took another sample to another shop the next day and they said do a 30/40% water changes every day for a week. I had been doing that but the ammonia was still between 1.0 and 2.0
I was then advised to add Nutrifin cycle to kick start the cycle and do 50% water chnages every other day.
So I was then advised to start using Prime as the declorinator and get the API master test kit on another website but my ammonia is still above 1.0. My smallest White Cloud minnow was now also being bullied by the two bigger ones so I decided to take the others back until I could sort out the cycle, however, still no let up on the ammonia.
What can i do now I have 0 nitrite and 0 nitrAte and still ammonia between 1.0 and 2.0.
I am only feeding every other day a tiny tiny part of flaked food. I do admit I had been feeding him abit more at the start but not now.
I got some gravel and a live plant from my brother's tank in the hope that it would help kick start the cycle but still no improvement.
I am very keen to get this sorted for the sake of my wee minnow but I am totally at a loss of what to do now.
I have tried everything and I am testing my own water twice a day and it is still at 1.0 after a 50% water change!!

HELP PLEEEEEZ!!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Keeping things simple, whenever you get a reading of 0.25mg/l ammonia or nitrite, it is time for an emergency water change...

After letting the heater cool down after being turned off for 10-15mins, you need to remove ~95% of the tank water, leaving just enough to cover the fish on the tank floor.

Seachem Prime is a great dechlorinator, you can overdose upto 5x the standard dose to temporarily soak up ammonia and nitrite for upto 24 hours. Personally, in your situation, I would add the 5x standard dose (so 2.5ml for the 20l tank) to the fish-safe bucket you are using to make similar temp fresh water for your fish.

Add the new water nice and slowly, it will let the fish adjust to any temp differences and stop them getting a "machine machine" feeling in the tank.

If you feel it is easier, you could syphon some of their current water into a fish-safe bucket (no more than half full) and net the fish into the bucket (using a towel to darken the bucket and stop anyone jumping out), to get them out of the way while you do this emergency change. If you go down this route, you will need to acclimitise the fish to the fresh tank water, as if just brought home, ideally using the airline tubing drip method (or alternatively add half a cup every ~10 mins until the bucket is nearly full).

Good luck!

 

[phoenixgsd]

have a read here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/224306-fish-in-cycling/ this link is all you need to know about fish in cycling, which is what your now doing, a 20LT tank is tiny so theres less water to dilute the ammonia produced by your fish so im afraid lots of large daily water changes are needed using temperature matched dechlorinated water, prime is a good one you dont really need nutrafin cycle, its argued if these products work anyway, neon tetras tend not to do well in new tanks so its good you returned the remaining ones, do not get anymore fish at this point, if you could get some media from your brothers tank as well, that will help your cycle along quicker

 

[Pammie]

Hiya

Thanks so much for replying so quick, I have been doing about 40% changes every day for the last week and tonight i did a 50% change and it has gone down abit but only to 1.0
Should i do another 50% just now with the syphon rather than leave it till tomorrow morning?

Thanks!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

1mg/l ammonia is still lethal, you need to do a further ~95% water change ASAP (a 50% change would still leave a lethal 0.5mg/l level).

 

[Pammie]

have a read here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/224306-fish-in-cycling/ this link is all you need to know about fish in cycling, which is what your now doing, a 20LT tank is tiny so theres less water to dilute the ammonia produced by your fish so im afraid lots of large daily water changes are needed using temperature matched dechlorinated water, prime is a good one you dont really need nutrafin cycle, its argued if these products work anyway, neon tetras tend not to do well in new tanks so its good you returned the remaining ones, do not get anymore fish at this point, if you could get some media from your brothers tank as well, that will help your cycle along quicker

Hi

I know the tank is tiny i would only get another 2 wee guys once the tank has cycled. I have been looking for a bigger tank but I need to get this one sorted first.
I am doing large water changes since there isnt much water to dilute.
How can my brother give me media if he needs it for his tank? If i got a rock or someting would that help?
I have read all about the cycle but I think it is a bit late I think too many fish at the start hasnt helped the tank.

1mg/l ammonia is still lethal, you need to do a further ~95% water change ASAP (a 50% change would still leave a lethal 0.5mg/l level).

Okay dokay, will do, i was told all these water changes were causing him to stress which was causing the ammonia to still stay high and i was washing out the bacteria....but i will take your advice and do it tonight!

Thanks

 

[drobbyb]

He can do without 1/3 of his media. The good thing about the bacteria in our filters is they are quite robust. He will need to keep an eye on his ammonia and nitrite levels to make sure he isn't going into a mini cycle, but even if he does his tank will rebound quickly and yours will get quite a jump start from his already cycled media. Make sure his media is literally touching yours.

 

[Pammie]

He can do without 1/3 of his media. The good thing about the bacteria in our filters is they are quite robust. He will need to keep an eye on his ammonia and nitrite levels to make sure he isn't going into a mini cycle, but even if he does his tank will rebound quickly and yours will get quite a jump start from his already cycled media. Make sure his media is literally touching yours.

Okay dokay, he is out tonight so i will get him first thing in the morning.

I dunno what i did with my time before getting this tank with all these water changes...i am enjoying it albeit stressful...i thought fish were meant to be relaxing??

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Relaxing? LOL

I've had a day off work, stressing about my 5x2x2 ill fish that are waiting on Esha 2000 meds hopefully arriving in the morning, while I tried to move some of my larger 4-5cm Ilyodon xantusi livebearer youngsters in with their parents and my Lionhead Cichlid youngsters... Only to see one get caught by a cichlid and then pulled apart by a mob and then me trying desperately to try and save the other seven (which I did thankfully) to put them back in the nursery ~80l plastic tub!

 

[phoenixgsd]

I know the tank is tiny i would only get another 2 wee guys once the tank has cycled. I have been looking for a bigger tank but I need to get this one sorted first.

i started with a 20LT then upgraded, the only thing with doing that was the filter was built into the lid on my 20lt and so i had to buy a new filter and start from scratch again

 

[drobbyb]

Fish are relaxing. After you change their water, feed them, clean the tank, clean the filter, test the water...... lol Be patient, you'll get there!

 

[Pammie]

Relaxing? LOL

I've had a day off work, stressing about my 5x2x2 ill fish that are waiting on Esha 2000 meds hopefully arriving in the morning, while I tried to move some of my larger 4-5cm Ilyodon xantusi livebearer youngsters in with their parents and my Lionhead Cichlid youngsters... Only to see one get caught by a cichlid and then pulled apart by a mob and then me trying desperately to try and save the other seven (which I did thankfully) to put them back in the nursery ~80l plastic tub!

Thank goodness for beer....well, i have done the 95% water change and wee Tiny is swimming about fine...phew....i think the Prime has helped keep him stay alive...i will get my white coat out tomorrow and test the water again...i know i should have taken Chemistry at school instead of languages...

 

[drobbyb]

It's true what they say, large tanks are easier than smaller ones.

 

[Pammie]

Fish are relaxing. After you change their water, feed them, clean the tank, clean the filter, test the water...... lol Be patient, you'll get there!

I just gave him a crumb after chnging the water and he seems fine...thanks to all for all your great advice...i have been on other websites and i never got a reply for days so THANKS !!

It's true what they say, large tanks are easier than smaller ones.

Guys would say that size matter wouldnt they...hee hee

 

[drobbyb]

I can't speak for other websites, but on this forum we have quite a few people who genuinely want to help others. Sometimes a bit of bad advice does get though, but this is a discussion forum so given time someone who does know will chime in and give good advice. I know when I first joined this forum I thought things were true that were myths, but the kind people here have helped me grow into a much better fish keeper. It's only right that in turn I give back to the community that helped me.