Petsmart Ammonia Readings....crap Or Not?

[mdwheeler]

So i've had my tank set up for about three months. The first time I used it I had it set up for 2 hours, bought 4 platys. 3 died . Stupid on my part , but heck, im a noobie. After that I had my tank tested once every week for 3 weeks, the ammonia was too high. So I started completely over. I stuck the one platy I had left in a small 1.5 gallon temporary tank and fully washed out my 10 gallon, including the gravel, and replaced the filter cartridges. I even filled the tank with ten gallons of distilled water. Afterword I went to a more *experienced* aqurium store and learned about the magical nitrogen cycle and learned that I killed a bunch of crucial bacteria when I cleaned my gravel.

I've had the tank set up for 2 months now (after the cleaning). I use a fluval internal filter (nothing fancy), and tetra whisper internal filter (its got bacteria growing on the lip of it, although the top of my waters starting to look a bit odd), and an undergravel filter. Theres still the one little platy in it, and he's doing great. I took some water to be tested and petsmart, again, and they told me my ammonia was 3.0, while everything else was perfectly normal . Ph 6.8, nitrogen and nitrite 0. The wierd thing is that they've said the ammonia level was 3.0 each time I went :saddam: . I recently bought an Aqueon 10 power 4 stage filter, with chemical, biological, mechanical, and wet dry filtration, and it should get here tomorrow.

I want to get more fish SO bad! I hate that the little fish is all by himself, and I hate that I've spent over $150 for NOTHING. I got a Mardel NH3 Live meter and stuck it in the tank. I was blown away . My Ammonia level is 0. Could the little baggies I used to put the water throw the tester off? My platys doing just fine and dandy, swimming normal and acting like a fish should. My guess is that the company that makes the baggies (ziplock...duh) might use some ammonia to clean off the bags, and that it might be leaving a light residue that the tester kit picks up. I'm pretty sure the water's fine, so I'm gonna get 3-4 fish tuesday (after letting the Aqueon run a little while).

Think the live meter's right? or not....

I think it's fine. If that little platys been thriving, it's either just mentally retarded now or its telling me the waters fine .

 

[Amunet]

I'd get yourself a liquid test kit. Those things you stick in the tank are just a money sink b/c they only last for a short while until you have to replace them. No idea how accurate they are.

How often are you doing water changes?
Do you have anything in the filters that takes out ammonia?
Having the tank setup for 2 months, you may be cycled, but can't know for sure without knowing nitrite and nitrate readings as well.
Your best bet would be to definitely get yourself a liquid test kit. Or buy the liquid tests seperately. Get 1 for Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
Test for them all.
Also test your tap water.
Hold off on getting fish until you can get some more help here.
I know it's hard waiting to get fish, but knowing how to do things properly now will save you headaches later on.

 

[mancin]

The wierd thing is that they've said the ammonia level was 3.0 each time I went :saddam:

My Ammonia level is 0.

Do you have your own test kit? I'm guessing you may because you said your Ammonia reading is 0, but Petsmart says it's 3.0? If you do have one, what kind do you have? I'd be sure to use a liquid test kit, rather than the strips. The strips seem to be pretty unreliable. You should be able to pick up an API Master Test kit from Petsmart or Petco for $20 - $30. Have you tested your NitrItes or NitrAtes? It looks like Petsmart said your NitrIte was at 0, but did they tell you what the NitrAtes were at?

When you are fully cycled, you should have an Ammonia reading of 0, a NitrIte reading of 0, and some kind of NitrAte reading. I would strongly suggest that you invest in your own test kit before adding more fish, otherwise you could lose some more.

Edit: Amunet beat me to it.

 

[mdwheeler]

My Nitrate was .5. Nitrite 0. Ammonia 3.0 (according to THEM!!!! ).

I've read reviews on the tester strip and apparently it realy is accurate. The color is clearly different from the dangerous ammonia level. Maybe I should put like 1/8 teaspoon of ammonia in a gallon of water and see what the strip does.

I did a little test with the tester strip and placed it in the baggie and it changed just a little bit. I realy dont want to invest in a kit (i'm almost broke). I'm gonna take a sample of water to the local aquarium store (not petsmart) to get tested, NOT in a plastic baggie. I'll get my tap tested too (i'm pretty sure it has chlorine in it). I've been using ammonia lock for a little while, and doing a once a week 1-2gallon water change. I use a dechlorinator/conditioner for the tap water.

If the platy's been doing so well shouldn't that be a sign of a proper ammonia level? If its .5 thats alot better than 3.0!

Also the Whisper filter uses a carbon replacable catridge (and it's about that time).

Heres the Aqueon I purchased. All the reviews i've read said its perfect:

http/www.aqueonproducts.com/products/aqu...ilter74412.htm#

 

[rotex5510]

Are you going to run both filters for awhile, or just replace your old one and add fish right away? The filter cycles, not just the tank, so if you just do a swap you'll practically be at square one again. I ran a fish in cycle on one of my tanks, and just now, 8 weeks later, is it beginning to process ammonia at a noticable level (I also removed the fish last week to complete the cycle fishless after reading so much on this forum.) My nitrites are still off the charts, though. Even if you're tank is cycled now, it is so far able to cope with the waste of one fish, and you intend to quadruple the amount of waste by adding more fish. It might* throw you into a mini-cycle.
I'm a newbie, too, though, so wait for a more experienced person to reply before purchasing fish. You don't want to have to watch them die again.

 

[griddlebone]

The testing petsmart does is pretty accurate. ive questioned the accuracy of the testing my self so i bought my own liquid master test kit for home, but i used it on the store water before i went home and compared it to the instore reading and it was the same. the next day, i also checked my own water and then brought it to the store and it was also the same. So there really is nothing to worry about, just watch them when they test it and look at the scale yourself to makesure there being truthful.

 

[waterdrop]

Hi mdwheeler and Welcome to TFF!

I agree with Amunet and Mancin up above. You are unusual as a newcomer in already having an interest in your water parameters and yet here you are mucking about with store readings and other little individual testers. You've now poked around the internet enough that you've stumbled on these forums and what you've found are a whole bunch of tropical fish hobbyists, some of whom have been doing this stuff for years and years and many others who are beginners but who've been through some pretty intense introductions to it the last year or so. You now have the opportunity to leapfrog your practical knowledge of the hobby by simply reading and participating here! The members are great, they make it fun and give you info from all sorts of different angles.

For most beginners, a liquid-reagent-based general water test kit turns out to be "the missing learning tool" for understanding their new tank. The Nitrogen Cycle and an understanding of -why- there are these chemicals like ammonia, nitrite(NO2), nitrate(NO3) and other things in the water that keep changing are a little trickier to understand than they at first might seem, but they are not really hard and they are key! Having your own full test kit gives you a hands-on learning experience that's invaluable. And long after the learning has taken place, there are still hundreds of tests left in the kit for checking on your water!

Most of us, myself included, like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which has ammonia (NH3), nitrite(NO2), pH and nitrate(NO3) tests included. A feature that beginners find helpful about this kit is that zero levels for ammonia and nitrite are indicated by a pretty strong change to a completely different color, which is very helpful. There is also a liquid kit called the Nutrafin Mini-Master Test Kit which has similar tests and is of good quality. It is my opinion that you would benefit from moving to using a mainstream kit like this and combining it with a good amount of reading here in the beginners section.

As Amunet mentions, it will be important for you to discuss exactly what's -in- all those many filters you mention. The media in a filter is an important consideration, along with anything and everything that you are putting into the tank. By discussing all these with the members, you may find some aspect of tank startup and maintenance that's quite a bit different than you were picturing (media and chemicals that chemically remove one or more toxins come to mind here.)

So I'd have a go at answering the questions the members have raised above and I'd be reading the articles in the beginners resource center and I'd be also looking at other beginners threads here in the section as that's quite a fun way to find out things too!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mdwheeler]

So I got the new filter installed. It cleared up the water pretty quick (in less than an hour). It was beginning to get a little cloudy. The ammonia live meter's been getting darker and darker (more and more FREAKING!!!! ammonia!). The platy's doing fine, even though he hid from the filter for about 10 minutes. I've been looking more closely at the tank and have noticed that a greenish brown film has formed on the glass under the undergravel filter and the bubble stick. Is that the nitrite eating bacteria? Also since ammonia lock has been absolutely ineffective I was wondering if I should buy some bacteria. The aquarium store (not petsmart) I went to recommended a bottle of live bacteria that would cycle my tank quicker.

ALso something I failed to mention earlier is that after my first tank failure I drastically reduced feeding (about once every other night, and in small amounts), so the tropical fish flakes i've been feeding the platy probably have nothing to do with the ammonia build up.

I'm hoping the new Aqueon filter will be more effective and help in the ammonia removal. I've been doing my research and it has a grid that promotes the bulidup of bacteria (that way when I change the activated carbon filter not all the bacteria is removed).

I'm thinking about completely ditching my tap water. When I change the water, I would put some conditioner AND ammonia lock in a one gallon jug and fill it up with the water, shake it up, pour it, vwa-la. And of course it's not helping the ammonia problem... at all.

I'm gonna keep doing water changes, but tomorrow i'm gonna buy about ten gallons of distilled water (to keep in storage, not drastically change the water all at one time).

Or should I get spring water?



Also I just decided to ditch the ammonia lock.....petsmart better give me a refund!

Apparently I read that it slows the buildup of bacteria.....and i'm out of patience!

and maybe get a plant or two? to speed the cycle? (not like it's been 2 months)

 

[Amunet]

Looking at the description for ammolock. It turns ammonia in to the non-toxic form. So your ammonia reader is probably reading that.
Although I don't put much faith in those ammonia removing products.. at least not on a long term basis. A regular water dechlorinator should be just fine to use.
Your best bet to combat the rising lvl of ammonia is to just up your water changes.
Just continue to use your tap water. No reason to use spring water or anything like that if nothing is wrong with your tap.
Sounds like you're still going through a fish-in cycle. So best bet is to do water changes every day, or as often as needed to keep ammonia readings to 0.25 and below.
I wouldn't buy any "bacteria in a bottle" products. Most of them don't work. There are some (that are kept refrigerated) that do work, such as Bio-Spira, but from what I understand, the freshwater version isn't being made any longer.
Buy some if you want to, but don't expect anything from it.
If you can, you could ask your LFS if they could give you some mature filter media, or maybe some gravel from one of their tanks. The filter media would be best, but the gravel should have at least some of the beneficial bacteria in it. But only ask if the LFS is a good one and they get it from a tank that doesn't have sick fish in it.
Put the gravel in to a little nylon baggy and if you have enough room, put it in to the filter, or just float it in the tank.

Also, you really don't need to be using carbon in your filters. You can go ahead and remove it completely if you want. Most people only use it to get rid of tannins or meds in their water. Also, from what I understand, if kept in the tank too long, it could leech whatever it absorbed back in to the tank.

As for the the green brown stuff you're seeing.
Sounds like algae. The brown stuff is diatoms... pretty much occurs in all new tanks. High amounts of ammonia doesn't help, but it should eventually go away on its own after a few weeks. Just clean off as much as you can.

A couple of plants will use up a small amount of ammonia, but not much. IME, adding plants doesn't speed up the cycling process.
Read up on aquatic plant care in the planted section of the forums.
If you're seriously interested in a planted tank... you could ask about how you could go about doing a "Silent cycle". I personally don't recommend it, but a few of the planted folks do.