Trace Of Ammonia?!?

[XeroTolerance]

Hello everybody. For the past few months I have really cut down on feeding my tank. Only once a week. now I have started up again and started to feed in larger quantities. Well, that was a mistake. I tested my water 2 days ago and it read .25-.50ppm of Ammonia. I did a 25% water change to lower the levels down and stopped feeding. Today I checked and it read .25ppm, maybe a little less. I was thinking about getting some more fish, but that idea is scrapped for now until my tank gets up and running normally. Do you think some of the good bacteria colonies died when I wasn't feeding? How long do you expect for it to get up and running? Should I feed them nothing or just a little?

Thanks for your help!

 

[minnnt]

Do a 50-75% water change mate to lower it down and don't feed tonight. Then tomorrow do another 50% water change and don't feed again. Then on Wednesday you can start to feed again. It may take a few decent water changes to combat the problem.

Another situation where Seachem Prime is useful

 

[XeroTolerance]

Thank you very much!

 

[minnnt]

Don't worry about not feeding for a few days, your fish will be fine and there will still be enough ammonia to feed your filter as the fish will still be pooing.

 

[XeroTolerance]

Thanks! Do you have an idea what happened to the bacteria though? Was it because I was only feeding once a week?

 

[smokeyjo]

It may have been because u stopped feeding them some of the bacteria died off but I would of thought the fish pooing would of kept most of it alive I'm not certain on that though

 

[minnnt]

I feed once a day 6 times a week, and always 0.

 

[XeroTolerance]

I think thats going to be my plan now too. I was feeding once a week. Then I went to 3 times a day a couple of days a ago. Im pretty sure thats what caused it.

 

[minnnt]

That will be it without a doubt.

 

[XeroTolerance]

Glad to hear that I know why, even though I had a nagging hint that it was that.

 

[minnnt]

At least you know why and what to do to rectify it.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

how are you testing the water?

 

[minnnt]

With his tongue...

 

[BigbruiserAl]

With his tongue...

If its API he might aswell be

 

[eaglesaquarium]

It may have been because u stopped feeding them some of the bacteria died off but I would of thought the fish pooing would of kept most of it alive I'm not certain on that though

Fish will only poo as much as they are fed. If they are only fed once a week, they will poo far less frequently than if they are fed multiple times a day.

I think thats going to be my plan now too. I was feeding once a week. Then I went to 3 times a day a couple of days a ago. Im pretty sure thats what caused it.

That's a pretty drastic change! Why go from so little to so much all of a sudden?! Did you win a year's supply of fish food or something?