To Much Ammonia ?

[sugarcookie]

Hi...

I did a water test (API) on my tank, it's telling me that the ammonia was high. I picked up this stuff from Wal-Mart (the only store we have) by Jungle the name of it is: Ammonia Clear....it in these fizz tablets to dissolve in water before adding to your tank (55 gallon). Has anybody used this stuff? I'm afraid it might hurt my fish.

My Reading the day after I did a 50% water change & clean the gravel was:

pH 7.6
High Range pH 8.0
Ammonia 0.50
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

Thanks,
Sugarcookie

 

[WILDER]

Best to find out why you have the ammonia reading.
Is the tank cycling as you have a nitrate reading of 0.
Is your tap nitrate reading 0
Do you have live plants in the tank.

 

[rdd1952]

The Ammonia Clear. It actually detoxifies ammonia so it would still show on your test kit. I am not a proponent of using chemicals other than dechlor and fertilizers. I think water changes are the way to go.

How long has your tank been set up? It sounds as though your tank is cycling. Do water changes as needed to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at or below .25 ppm until the tank cycles and they both are at zero. It is particularly important that you get the levels down because of your high pH reading.

 

[sugarcookie]

The Ammonia Clear. It actually detoxifies ammonia so it would still show on your test kit. I am not a proponent of using chemicals other than dechlor and fertilizers. I think water changes are the way to go.

How long has your tank been set up? It sounds as though your tank is cycling. Do water changes as needed to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at or below .25 ppm until the tank cycles and they both are at zero. It is particularly important that you get the levels down because of your high pH reading.

I'm a newbie at all this stuff so the people at Wal-Mart told me just to set up my tank and let it run for about 2 weeks, I ask about cycleing they told me it would be ok in the 2 weeks, so after 2 weeks I added some fish so it's on the 4 week now. Now I know it's wasn't cycled. I have been doing about a 20% water change from the start (with a few fish) after about the 3rd week I added more fish, which I used the test strips (before I rec'v the API kit). Friday night did a test with the API kit the reading was the same as above, Saturday I did a 50% water change & cleaned the gravel with vac., so Sunday I did the test, the reading was the same as Friday (same a above). I also did a test on my tap water which showed zero ammonia, (I do use a Chol-Out). No...I don't have live plants I have silk. I have a 55 gallon tank.

Sugarcookie

 

[WILDER]

I wouldn't add anymore fish till the tanks cycled.
I would do a test on your tap nitrate reading alway good to know.

 

[rdd1952]

Just keep up the water changes and try to keep ammonia and nitrite as low as possible. They are both toxic and even exposure to low levels will cause some harm. As mentioned, don't add any more fish until your ammonia and nitrite readings are at zero for a week. When you do add more fish, don't add more than what is already in there (if you have 6 fish, don't add more than six more similar sized fish) so the bacteria can catch up quickly to the new bio-load.

 

[crazyaussie]

HI
my ammonia was 1.0 and my fish are okay i think nothing will happen to your fish

but i have never heard of ammonia tablets before



Regards : Crazyaussie

 

[rdd1952]

An ammonia reading of 1 ppm is definitely a problem and will kill fish. The fish may not be showing outward signs of problems but they are still being harmed by the high level. You should be doing water changes to get the ammonia level down below .25 ppm until the tank finishes cycling. If you have an ammonia reading, what is your nitrite reading.

 

[sugarcookie]

An ammonia reading of 1 ppm is definitely a problem and will kill fish. The fish may not be showing outward signs of problems but they are still being harmed by the high level. You should be doing water changes to get the ammonia level down below .25 ppm until the tank finishes cycling. If you have an ammonia reading, what is your nitrite reading.

Thanks Everybody