High Ammonia Levels.

[Lord Spooky]

Hello everyone! Some of you may know i started a new planted and if you don't well its fine im a new comer to these forums. The tanks planted and has aquarium sand as a substrate. No fish have been added and its been cycling for about a week. I'm worried because My tanks ammonia levels are VERY high! I then tested my tap water earlier today and noticed the ammonia level was fine there was nothing in the tap water. Heres my tanks stats

Ph-7.2
Nitrite- 0.25
Nitrate-0 ppm
Ammonia-2.5

As you can see the ammonia is very high. The tap waters ammonia was 0 so im not sure whats wrong. Could it be the sand? The other stats seem fine to me seeing as how it is a new tank and its only been one week cycling. The tanks a 35 gal hex also(almost forgot to add that! )

Help would be greatly appreciated everyone. Thank you!

 

[*Fishkies*]

So in other words your doing a fishless cycle and adding ammonia? On your own? or not?

Also do you know what type of sand you are using?
Have a lot of the plants decayed at all?

 

[Lord Spooky]

I'm not adding any ammonia at all im trying to get it back down to zero. The plants seem fine, if anything there growing alot!

 

[Ristof]

Hello everyone! Some of you may know i started a new planted and if you don't well its fine im a new comer to these forums. The tanks planted and has aquarium sand as a substrate. No fish have been added and its been cycling for about a week. I'm worried because My tanks ammonia levels are VERY high! I then tested my tap water earlier today and noticed the ammonia level was fine there was nothing in the tap water. Heres my tanks stats

Ph-7.2
Nitrite- 0.25
Nitrate-0 ppm
Ammonia-2.5

As you can see the ammonia is very high. The tap waters ammonia was 0 so im not sure whats wrong. Could it be the sand? The other stats seem fine to me seeing as how it is a new tank and its only been one week cycling. The tanks a 35 gal hex also(almost forgot to add that! )

Help would be greatly appreciated everyone. Thank you!

You will only see an increase of nitrite and nitrate when the ammonia is at zero. This process more often then not takes longer then a week to settle itself down and be right for fish.

As started are you adding anything to set the ammonia off.

I'm not adding any ammonia at all im trying to get it back down to zero. The plants seem fine, if anything there growing alot!

You bet me with your last post

O.K - your best bet is to do a water change a couple of times a week to lower the ammonia level. until it gets to 0
The only problem is if it is a new tank then the bactia wouldn't have time to grow - the other option is to use so seeded water if you have any to get the process going quicker

 

[Lord Spooky]

Im not adding anything that i know of. Ive been putting in plant food thats a liquid called Plant grow. I also added some ammonia detox. It says KENT in big letters on it. O i didnt keep the sand bags i knew i shoulda but i tossed them out, stupid me. Also i was wondering if i should try adding water from my 10 gallon tank i have which has literaly perfect stats.

 

[Ristof]

Im not adding anything that i know of. Ive been putting in plant food thats a liquid called Plant grow. I also added some ammonia detox. It says KENT in big letters on it. O i didnt keep the sand bags i knew i shoulda but i tossed them out, stupid me. Also i was wondering if i should try adding water from my 10 gallon tank i have which has literaly perfect stats.

Have you got airstones in your plant tank
I am sure you know that Plant grow liquid takes the oxygen out of the water

 

[Lord Spooky]

Yeah im going to start doing water changes tomorrow because right now i need to go to sleep gotta get up and go to school tomorrow
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. If anyone else has anything thing they would like to add fell free to!

Yeah im going to start doing water changes tomorrow because right now i need to go to sleep gotta get up and go to school tomorrow
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. If anyone else has anything thing they would like to add fell free to!

O wow i had no idea it sucked the oxygen outta the tank!! Yes though i do have air stone its huge. Its a left over from a old 50 gallon i use to have. I always try to use bigger filters and air stones in all my tanks just to make sure everything will run smooth.

 

[*Fishkies*]

Yeah water changes and aeration would be a good try. Good Luck!!

 

[Lord Spooky]

Thank goodness for these forums. Thank you everyone and hope you have a good night.. or day depending on where you live!!

 

[Danno]

Organics can be breaking down in your tank, and from the lack of nitrobacter, ammonia could rise. Plants can have grublies on them that can decompose, thus creating a ammonia reading. When cycling ammonia naturally is curved by the amount of bacteria. Hopefully you don't have any fish in your tank at the moment. You could always do a 20% water change if you feel the need to. Tanks take patience.

 

[vinylman]

The only problem is if it is a new tank then the bactia wouldn't have time to grow - the other option is to use so seeded water if you have any to get the process going quicker

What's ''seeded water''?. The bacteria needed don't live in the water. What's required is some mature filter media, or at the very least some gravel from a mature tank.

 

[cheesy feet]

I don't mean to be rude but do you understand the nitrogen cycle?
lol

 

[rdd1952]

There's no use to do water changes as there aren't any fish in the tank. You want the ammonia to be handled naturally so that the bacteria build. There is no reason for there to be any ammonia in the tank if you didn't add it. The only place it can come from is fish waste or from decaying plants. If you plan to add fish and cycle with fish, then you will need to get it to 0 before you add fish which will probably mean you need to do a 100% water change. You definitely don't want to put fish in a tank that already has ammonia present.