Please Please Can Someone Help Ammonia At 4!

[Loobie]

Request Help

Please can some one help me, I have got a new biorb 30litre and had 3 platies (1 died, RIP). I've really been struggling to get my ammonia down, the fish were put in on 5th July and the tank had been running for a week before.

I have been doing regular water changes putting safe guard in, more recently using ammolock, and when I tested the water today my ammonia was 4!? and Nitrite 0.25. What else can I do cos I concerned that another fish isn't looking too well. The tank seems to have a cloudyness to it, not sure if it's just my eyesight!

Tank size: 30 litre biorb
pH: 8.3 on 13-7-06
ammonia: 4 today
nitrite: 0.25 today
nitrate: 10 13-7-06
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 26 degrees c

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):

Constantly want feeding, not sure if thats a symptom, clamped fins, swimming at the bottom of the tank

Volume and Frequency of water changes:

For the past week everyday 6 litre, but done a 10 litre change today to try and reduce the ammonia

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

Safe Guard on water changes and ammolock a couple of times.

Tank inhabitants:

2 x Platies

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

None

Exposure to chemicals:

Only Ammolock and Safe Guard

Digital photo (include if possible):

Don't think it would show anything

 

[mpoulton12345]

You'll have keep doing big (50%) water changes until the bacteria in the filter build up. Don't feed them too much or they'll make more waste. Only feed every other day.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

ok, doesn't sound like you did a fishless cycle before you started, so your tank is probably cycling now which is why your stats are all over the place.

i think your best to get the cycle completed as quick as possible so the fish are stressed for the least possible time. If you know anyone with a healthy mature tank ask them for some of they're filter media, add that to your filter and it should really speed things up.

not 100% sure but maybe adding some aquarium salt would perk the fish up enough to get them through it.

You may well loose them though. If you do, then read up on fishless cycling next time and do that. Basically you add amonia to the tank daily to simulate fish producing waste, the filter then goes through it's process of maturing with the tank levels all over the place, then when it's settled you put the fish in and there's no danger to them. Loads of really good topics in the beginners section though which give more detail

 

[Loobie]

Thanks

Someone told me about the articles after I'd joined the forum which was too late cos the fish were already in, wish I'd joined sooner, I feel so guilty that I'm putting them through this!!!

I'll carry on with the water changes, bigger ones and see if I can get them through it. How long can the fish tolerate such high ammonia as it's been at 1 since a couple of days after them going in. Yesterday it was fine, well not fine, but no change and then this afternoon it was at 4!! Don't know what happened or why, I'll just keep plodding along with the water changes.

What will salt do?

 

[colinco]

Your nitrites are still relatively low.

Reduce feeding immediately and use a treatment such as Ammo Lock to reduce the toxicity of the ammonia.

Adding Common Salt / NaCl is usually beneficial for Platies however combined with; will make Ammonia much more toxic so in my opinion is not advisable.

Bear in mind that many test kits will still show high readings of Ammonia after Ammo Lock is added despite it being in the safe Ammonium form.

 

[Loobie]

Okay

I've done the water changes of 10 litres yesterday and put some ammolock and I've come home this afto and it's now at 8!!!!!!! Aaaaaggggh

What am I doing wrong. I've done a 14 litre water change and put the king british safe guard in, and I tested after I've done the water change and it still show between 4-8.

Are there any test kits which will show all types of ammonia, cos I don't know if this reading is correct after using the ammolock. The fishies don't look happy.

 

[confusion]

The most effective way to get them down now is this:

drain the tank so there is only 1" or so of water in the bottom. just enough for the fish to not be laying on the gravel.

Fill it back up with decholinated water. Re-test. You should be considerably lower. From now on, only feed once every 2 days.

You may still need to do another immediate water change, possibly 80% again. If you are at 8, and you replace 80% of your water, you'll still be at roughly 2. If you do another 80% change, you'll be down below .5

You will likely need to keep doing 50% water changes every day.

remember, the only way to get it down is by removing it. If you don't remove a massive amount of water, you will are leaving a lot of ammonia in the tank.

 

[hogan53]

The most effective way to get them down now is this:

drain the tank so there is only 1" or so of water in the bottom. just enough for the fish to not be laying on the gravel.

Fill it back up with decholinated water. Re-test. You should be considerably lower. From now on, only feed once every 2 days.

You may still need to do another immediate water change, possibly 80% again. If you are at 8, and you replace 80% of your water, you'll still be at roughly 2. If you do another 80% change, you'll be down below .5

You will likely need to keep doing 50% water changes every day.

remember, the only way to get it down is by removing it. If you don't remove a massive amount of water, you will are leaving a lot of ammonia in the tank.

I also have a orb i didnt like the filter capacity i thought it didnt mature well enough even with water from
my four foot tank so i modified it to take a external filter what test kit are you using?

Request Help

Please can some one help me, I have got a new biorb 30litre and had 3 platies (1 died, RIP). I've really been struggling to get my ammonia down, the fish were put in on 5th July and the tank had been running for a week before.

I have been doing regular water changes putting safe guard in, more recently using ammolock, and when I tested the water today my ammonia was 4!? and Nitrite 0.25. What else can I do cos I concerned that another fish isn't looking too well. The tank seems to have a cloudyness to it, not sure if it's just my eyesight!

Tank size: 30 litre biorb
pH: 8.3 on 13-7-06
ammonia: 4 today
nitrite: 0.25 today
nitrate: 10 13-7-06
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 26 degrees c

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):

Constantly want feeding, not sure if thats a symptom, clamped fins, swimming at the bottom of the tank

Volume and Frequency of water changes:

For the past week everyday 6 litre, but done a 10 litre change today to try and reduce the ammonia

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

Safe Guard on water changes and ammolock a couple of times.

Tank inhabitants:

2 x Platies

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

None

Exposure to chemicals:

Only Ammolock and Safe Guard

Digital photo (include if possible):

Don't think it would show anything

see last reply from hogan53

 

[Loobie]

I've got the Freshwater Master Test Kit, the one with the two angel fish on it! I don't think the ammonia test tests for ammonium. If I'm using the Ammolock though would it not still show ammonia in the tank, so should I really be freaking out?

This is really driving me crazy, I really didn't think it was this technical. I really feel for the poor fish, but I'm doing all I can, arn't I?

Thanks, I'll do another bigger water change tomorrow, I think the poor little things have been torchered enough today.

I don't know if this would make a difference but I have notice that the fish tank does get sun on it for about an hour a day, this couldn't be having an effect, could it??

 

[confusion]

the biggest problem the sun will cause is an algae problem on the glass. I have a tank that's in the sun for 2 hours a day with no algae and one that's in an office with no sun and it's full of algae, so I don't think that's even true.

If you read the label on the ammo lock, it's really aimed at dealing with ammonia spikes on an otherwise normal, cycled, aquarium. I don't really know if the test kit will detect ammonium or not. I suspect it will, since your tests are showing such a high level.

Anyhow, I don't think you or your fish will regret you doing the water changes to get the levels down well under 1.

 

[The-Wolf]

ammolock does just that it locks ammonia making it harmless,
but it still registers on any ammonia test.
also by useing ammolock the bacteria can not break it down into nitrite.
stop useing ammolock now!. and follow the advise given above.

 

[Loobie]

Thanks guys

I'll keep doing the water changes and see how it goes.

Please keep an eye on this fourm as I maybe back with more queries.

 

[Loobie]

Just thought I'd let you know that I've done a 20 litre water change today and filled back up with dechlorinated water and checked the ammonia which is now reading 1, thank god!! Still not good but better than 8.

Should I do another 20litre change tomorrow even if the reading is still at 1, to try and get rid of it completely? My Nitrites have come down to 0 Nitrates 10 and PH 8.3, it's definately looking better than it did, but should I keep on with the 20 litre changes until it's gone?

 

[confusion]

Yes, do another. The closer you get it to 0, the happier your fish will be. As far as feeding your developing bio-filter, I would not worry about that too much. Your fish will continue producing ammonia to feed it. You may well find that once you get the parameters under control and down to 0, that your tanks stays cycled. That happened with mine.

 

[Loobie]

Will see how it goes overnight and do another tomorrow.

I was getting a little fed up in doing all these water changes as I had a cup, bucket and stool, and it took ages, the BiOrb is not easy for these things!! It's not so bad now, as I've raided my father in laws cupboard and found a old piece of tube he used for wine making, it's alot easier now.

I'll post again once I have news

Thanks