Mysterious Ammonia Reading

[Mikaila31]

Yesterday I tested my water from my 55gal. and I found it had a ammonia reading of 1.2ppm. One of my fish developed velvet a few days ago. I have a med but don't really want to start treatment it until I get the ammonia levels down. But my main concern is that I have no idea why I have ammonia readings in this tank. The last time I added a fish was a month ago. I did remove some of the filter media to seed a cycling tank, but I only took like 1/8 of the media out of the 55gal filter. Last night a put the media I removed back into the filter. And since yesterday I've added 4 doses of Prime to the tank and the ammonia level has dropped to a little below 1ppm, which is making me more confused.

Now I also have Ammo-Lock and I'm wondering if some of this got in to the tank as it gives me false ammonia readings. But I don't remember ever adding it to this tank. I'm going to do a water change when I get home and test the levels then. Anyone have any ideas why this is happening?

 

[WILDER]

What test kit are you using.
How many fish are in the tank and which type.
What filter are you using.
Maintance on the tank.
If the fish have velvet get going with the med it far worse then whitespot and harder to get rid off.
Check your tap reading in ammonia as well.

 

[Mikaila31]

My test kit is API Master's kit and in the tank there are 3 boeseami rainbows, 1 swordtail, 5 rummy's, 1 German blue ram. The tank has always run on a rena xp3, I do water changes every Wednesday. Yesterday I took a sample from the tank before I changed it , but I didn't test it until after changing the water and cleaning the filter. The tank already had ammonia readings and I had just cleaned the filter could this of made it worse?

I did test the tap after I tested the water sample and I got a reading of 0ppm from the tap. Also I picked some Zeolite ammonia remover should I add this to the filter so I can start medicating, and should I do another water change?

 

[WILDER]

Can't add zeolite it removes meds.
Can you post your other stats in nitrite, and nitrate.
Think the tank cycling with removing the media for another tank.

 

[Mikaila31]

Nitrite-0ppm
Nitrate-about 40ppm

Yet I added the media I took out back in. It was in a tank I had just setup for fishless cycling, It was in there for 1 day and removed 1ppm of ammonia from the cycling tank. It's been back in the 55 for almost a day so shouldn't the levels be dropping?

Also should I do a water change as I won't be home at all tomorrow?

 

[WILDER]

Yes do a water change.
What your tap nitrate reading.

 

[Mikaila31]

I did the water change last night, about 25% and the ammonia reading I got when I was done was .75ppm. I did another test a few minutes ago and got a reading of 1ppm again . I've added some aquarium salt and 1/2 a dose of the velvet med, I also cranked the air pump way up.

Also Wilder I found out the hard way a few months ago that if you are using ammo-lock with the wrong type of test kit. You will get a reading of 1ppm no matter how much ammo-lock you add to the tank, but I don't think that is the problem here.

My tap nitrate reading is 20ppm which has always bothered me . So, when doing water changes I change about 30%-35% of the water and I try not to let it go above 40ppm.

 

[WILDER]

Right then sounding like one of your sponges might need a rinse in old tank water.
Do they really look filthy and mucked up.
When did you last touch a sponge in the filter.

 

[WILDER]

The tap nitrate reading fine mines higher than that, only when tank nitrates get above 50 that you need to be doing water changes.

 

[Mikaila31]

I cleaned the filter on Wednesday I already had ammonia in the tank at this time, but I didn't test the water until after I cleaned the filter. The filter hadn't been touched for a month or two, but since the tank is lightly stocked and the filter for a 175gal. tank. It takes a while for the filter to get dirty.


Also Wilder so far only my German blue ram has velvet. He's still eating but his fins are clamped most of the time. Is there any kind of dip treatment I can use on him to help with the velvet. The medication I added to the tank is called Aquaria-sol is this a good med to use on velvet? I've also been keeping the tank covered with the lights off.

 

[WILDER]

Don't know where that ammonia readings coming from then.
Need some fresh eyes tolak.
Never heard of that med sorry.
Salt baths might help.

The only other thing is are you removing the ornaments to vac under them as debris can build up.
http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/heal...thprotist.shtml

 

[Mikaila31]

Yes, I vacuume under the decorations in the tank.

Wilder what would be the best med to treat the tank with that I can get in the US?

Also I made a mistake in a few of my earlier posts when I was talking about Ammo-Lock I meant AmQuel. I'm still not sure if any AmQuel was put in the tank or not. But I haven't done any water changes since Friday and the ammonia has not moved from 1ppm and no nitrites have appeared. The bottle says it does not work with nessler reagents and to use a test kit with salicylate reagents. So i've been looking for a test kit with salicylate reagents, but they seem to be hard to find.

 

[WILDER]

Can't understand where that ammonia reading coming from and not going down either, and no nitrites.
Contact tolak he very good on this sort of thing.

Don't add anymore of them ammonia remover products.
How old is your declorinator.

 

[Tolak]

What you may be seeing is ammonia from when your dechlorinator breaks down chloramine into its components, chlorine & ammonia. If your dechlorinator states that it removes ammonia it will actually convert it to ammonium, which will read the same as ammonia on a nessler test. There is a good chance that this is what you are seeing.

Most meds for velvet have some form of copper to them. I don't believe Aquaria-sol does, and it may be ineffective for velvet. Mardel CopperSafe is a good velvet med, but I would use it in a hospital tank, as it may affect plants, and will kill any invertabrates. Copper tends to concentrate in algae, and this will kill any algae eating fish.