Noooo Ammonia!

[missPenguin]

After thinking my ammonia levels had dropped to zero [they had been reading zero for a couple of days], I did my tests to tonight and found the ammonia has risen again to 0.25ppm! I had thought I was in the nitrite part of my cycle too!

The nitrite is 0.25ppm [no changefrom the last couple of days] and the only positive part seems to be that after consistently reading 0 for the last 2 weeks, my nitrate has finally risen to 5.0ppm which I guess must mean to nitrifying bacteria have started to grow [no nitrates in my tap water, not added or changed anything in the past 4 days].

Is it normal for ammonia to drop then rise again? The *only* thing I have started doing differently is feeding every day as oppose to every other day but given I'm only feeding a minimal amount and it's a 126 litre tank, I don't see how that could effect it.


If I can also add I have been doing daily 10-15% water changes and adding salt to reduce nitrite stress!
Please help, what am I doing wrong? I have the temp at 24 degrees celisius, the ph has stabilized at around 7.2 and there is plenty of oxygen getting into the tank [filter pump is at max, tons of bubbles]. I don't want my fish to suffer!

 

[srolfe]

I too usually have readings for ammonia at the .25 range (AP Test Kit).
There is usually some ammonia in the tank because the fish are constantly producing it. Also, When the reading is this low it is difficult to distinguish a reading between 0 and .5. My LFS has said that they never read 0 on their tanks either (same test kit).

 

[Alex_]

Ammonia a 0-.25 is ideal for a tank

like the other person said your fish are producing it

if it gets worst then do a gravel vac and if that doest help
feed less.

-Alex

 

[XxTbaggerxX]

If there is enough space in your filter then you can buy ammonia packs that absorb the ammonia when it goes through the filter.