Interesting Reading From Tank

[Dutsey]

Interesting reading from Tank.

Ammonia Showing as 2.00
Nitrate and Nitrite both showing 0.00

What is the best course of action?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Hi there, are there fish in your tank? If so do a very large water change (like 90%). Make sure there's nothing rotting in your tank to cause this spike. I'm assuming that this is a well established tank seeing as you've got quite a lot of stock in your signature.

Have you added any fish, medications, etc. that could have either added to the bioload or killed off your ammonia eating bacteria?

 

[Dutsey]

Hi there, are there fish in your tank? If so do a very large water change (like 90%). Make sure there's nothing rotting in your tank to cause this spike. I'm assuming that this is a well established tank seeing as you've got quite a lot of stock in your signature.

Have you added any fish, medications, etc. that could have either added to the bioload or killed off your ammonia eating bacteria?

I replaced the filter about a month ago but I did put all the old media from my internal in to the new external one. I did change the substrate a couple of weeks ago from sand to the Carribsea Taihti Black Sand. Could this be the cause?

I can't see any visible signs of anythig rotting. The only thing that has died in the last month was my Bamboo Shrimp and he was promptly removed.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I'm not sure how to help you further other than suggest you do a large water change and carefully watch your stats over the next couple of days. Do water changes as appropriate until things go back to normal.

Maybe someone else will be able to give you a better explanation!

 

[KISSfn]

Definitely not the sand causing problems. Nitrates reading 0 sounds suspicious. If you're using test strips you need a liquid test kit. If ammonia is really 2.0, I agree large waterchanges are needed to bring ammonia to 0.

 

[Dutsey]

Definitely not the sand causing problems. Nitrates reading 0 sounds suspicious. If you're using test strips you need a liquid test kit. If ammonia is really 2.0, I agree large waterchanges are needed to bring ammonia to 0.

It is the API Liquid Test I used. Why would Nitrates as 0 sound suspicious? Just curious , or should I retest in the morning?

 

[DJH584]

When you did the nitrate test, did you give bottle no. 2 a good shake for a couple of minutes and also tap it a few times on a hard surface?
Apparently, and I never knew this, there is some form of "chemical" - for want of a better word - that drops out of suspension in the fluid.
(Despite the fact that I have an O level in Chemistry from some many years back, I'm sure someone will explain this better than I!!!!)
You have to give the bottle some real agitation to put this back into suspension - or dissolve it - so that when you put your drops in the test tube, the "chemical" goes with the fluid and you get a proper reading.

Regards

David

 

[KISSfn]

Definitely not the sand causing problems. Nitrates reading 0 sounds suspicious. If you're using test strips you need a liquid test kit. If ammonia is really 2.0, I agree large waterchanges are needed to bring ammonia to 0.

It is the API Liquid Test I used. Why would Nitrates as 0 sound suspicious? Just curious , or should I retest in the morning?

Because even tapwater has some Nitrates in it and a freshwater tank (unless heavily planted) will always have some Nitrates in it. You've got to get that ammonia down as it is deadly at 2.0!

 

[Xraymark]

Ammonia that high, I would retest as it can be false reading. Make sure test tubes have been cleaned and dried. If still the same then as above large water change. At least 90%.

 

[KISSfn]

When you did the nitrate test, did you give bottle no. 2 a good shake for a couple of minutes and also tap it a few times on a hard surface?
Apparently, and I never knew this, there is some form of "chemical" - for want of a better word - that drops out of suspension in the fluid.
(Despite the fact that I have an O level in Chemistry from some many years back, I'm sure someone will explain this better than I!!!!)
You have to give the bottle some real agitation to put this back into suspension - or dissolve it - so that when you put your drops in the test tube, the "chemical" goes with the fluid and you get a proper reading.

Regards

David

If you take the dropper tip off bottle #2 and look inside you can actually see the bottom of the bottle covered with dust like particles that have separated from the liquid. Personally I think API is junk and I prefer Salifert or Seachem. You shouldn't have to shake the bottle until your arm nearly falls off. But you do with API.

 

[Dutsey]

I tested again this morning and the results were as follows:

Ammonia : 4.0
Nitrite: 0.00
Nitrate: 0.50

So luckily my 2 year old was tired so put her in bed and did a 90% water change.

When should I next do the test?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Goodness something has really gone wrong in your tank. I think your ammonia eating bacteria have all died off somehow OR something is generating a very large amount of ammonia i.e something rotting. Could there be anything under your substrate that is rotting?

You're going to have to keep testing every day (maybe even twice a day) and doing very large water changes (maybe even twice a day) until things stabilise or you locate where the extra ammonia is coming from.

 

[Akasha72]

changing the substrate could have stirred up the gunk from the base of the tank - I know I had a similar issue when I changed mine when I got cories.

AS everyone else said, large water changed should fix it eventually.

Good luck and I hope your fish will be okay

 

[Dutsey]

I have tested the water again after the change.

Ammonia is now showing as 0.5

What do I do know?

 

[DJH584]

Change a minimum of 50% of your water. You need to get that down to less than 0.25ppm.
As a matter of interest what is the job lot / expiry date on your ammonia test bottles?