GUYS i FEEL LIKE A BROKEN RECORD HERE BECAUSE ITS THE SAME PROBLEM OVER AND OVER. MY AMMONIA LEVELS ARE READING OFF THE WALL AND DANGEROUS EVEN WITH EVERY OTHER DAY WATER CHANGES OF APPROX 50 % AND TWO DOSES OF AMQUEL IN 48 HOURS. EVEN MY 5 GALLON TANK THAT HAS BEEN CYCLING FOR THREE WEEKS IS READING DANGEROUS LEVELS OF AMMONIA WITH NO FISH IN IT AT ALL. I'VE ADDED SO MANY CHEMICALS TO MY WATER I'M AFRAID I'LL KILL MY FISH IF I PUT ANYMORE IN IT. I ALSO HAD ANOTHER FISH DIE TODAY AND I THINK I'M GOING TO LOSE ANOTHER ONE SOON A MOLLY. I'VE GOT A FEW FRY IN THERE THAT SEEM TO BE DOING OK. THERE IS ABOUT 8 WHY WOULD SHE ONLY HAVE THAT MANY AND NOT HAVE ANYMORE? I'VE READ THEY NORMALLY GIVE BIRTH TOI ABOUT 40 80. AND MY GUPPY FEMALE IS PREGO AND LOOKS LIKE SHE COULD BIRT HANY TIME BUT NOTHING IS HAPPENING THERE YET COULD IT BE THE AMMONIA LEVELS?
Help me please...still having my high ammonia levels
- Thread starter luv2fish35
- Start date
ok, ill try to advise with what i've learned:
1. stop adding chemicals to the water other than a dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime. only add that dechlorinator when you do water changes, proportional to the amount of water you will be replacing. stop adding dechlorinators in a way that overdoses. more chemicals in the water=more problems.
2. the fish had about that many fry, but some got eaten or sucked up by the filter.
3. the ammonia levels are harmful and discomforting to your fish. likely some will die. its really difficult to let them go, but if it does happen (and it happens often when first cycling with fish) then rest assured you did everything you could to keep that fish alive.
4. i know you want to make the ammonia and nitrite into detoxified forms, and its likely that youve already done that. fish that were poisoned by the intial ammonia spike will probably not make it, no matter how much you try to fix the water. your indicators are reading high levels of ammonia because de-toxifying ammonia and nitrite does NOT remove it from the water. you dont want it removed from the water, you want your bio filter to do that for you as it grows through cycling.
5. the 5 gal is reading dangerous levels likely because the cycling has started with the ammonia spike. leave that be and in a few weeks the nitrites will rise instead as ammonia drops to 0. just leave that tank alone, and continue treating it the way you would a cycling tank.
6. the fry might make it but are more sensitive than adults.
7. the prego guppy is lickely holding back cuz of unfavorable conditions, but will surely give birth (or in extreme cases abort) withing the next 2 weeks.
8. Check he expiration date of your tests. buy another test to see if they are consistent. theres always a chance of a bad test. I think i have a bad GH test cuz my GH is often off the charts!
9. you really just need to give this time.
I'm sorry for your losses and know that youre really attached to your fish, but try to bear with the tanks to the best of your ability.
1. stop adding chemicals to the water other than a dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime. only add that dechlorinator when you do water changes, proportional to the amount of water you will be replacing. stop adding dechlorinators in a way that overdoses. more chemicals in the water=more problems.
2. the fish had about that many fry, but some got eaten or sucked up by the filter.
3. the ammonia levels are harmful and discomforting to your fish. likely some will die. its really difficult to let them go, but if it does happen (and it happens often when first cycling with fish) then rest assured you did everything you could to keep that fish alive.
4. i know you want to make the ammonia and nitrite into detoxified forms, and its likely that youve already done that. fish that were poisoned by the intial ammonia spike will probably not make it, no matter how much you try to fix the water. your indicators are reading high levels of ammonia because de-toxifying ammonia and nitrite does NOT remove it from the water. you dont want it removed from the water, you want your bio filter to do that for you as it grows through cycling.
5. the 5 gal is reading dangerous levels likely because the cycling has started with the ammonia spike. leave that be and in a few weeks the nitrites will rise instead as ammonia drops to 0. just leave that tank alone, and continue treating it the way you would a cycling tank.
6. the fry might make it but are more sensitive than adults.
7. the prego guppy is lickely holding back cuz of unfavorable conditions, but will surely give birth (or in extreme cases abort) withing the next 2 weeks.
8. Check he expiration date of your tests. buy another test to see if they are consistent. theres always a chance of a bad test. I think i have a bad GH test cuz my GH is often off the charts!
9. you really just need to give this time.
I'm sorry for your losses and know that youre really attached to your fish, but try to bear with the tanks to the best of your ability.
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best thing to do is just leave it alone, your fish had a very small chance to live anyways, i know you hate to hear that but its true, the fish store should of let you in on this. as i said before, your fish tank is doing its natural cycle, think of ammonia as a poison, the fish are already damaged from it. eventually nature will take your ammonia away for you, just keep doing your water changes every other day 20%. thats all you can do, sorry
No prob. I know the sales clerks frustrate with their 'advice'.
Just read, read, read about cycling a tank and go buy liquid test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. This will give you accurate results. I think you're really worrying much more than necessary due to lack of knowledge. It's available here, you just have to put forth the effort and do your research. That way you can have a better understanding of what we are trying to tell you.
Here: read this. If you read it and still don't get it, post up and ask specific questions about the part you don't understand.
Just read, read, read about cycling a tank and go buy liquid test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. This will give you accurate results. I think you're really worrying much more than necessary due to lack of knowledge. It's available here, you just have to put forth the effort and do your research. That way you can have a better understanding of what we are trying to tell you.
Here: read this. If you read it and still don't get it, post up and ask specific questions about the part you don't understand.
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No prob. I know the sales clerks frustrate with their 'advice'.
Just read, read, read about cycling a tank and go buy liquid test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. This will give you accurate results. I think you're really worrying much more than necessary due to lack of knowledge. It's available here, you just have to put forth the effort and do your research. That way you can have a better understanding of what we are trying to tell you.
Here: read this. If you read it and still don't get it, post up and ask specific questions about the part you don't understand.
Just read, read, read about cycling a tank and go buy liquid test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. This will give you accurate results. I think you're really worrying much more than necessary due to lack of knowledge. It's available here, you just have to put forth the effort and do your research. That way you can have a better understanding of what we are trying to tell you.
Here: read this. If you read it and still don't get it, post up and ask specific questions about the part you don't understand.
Thank you for the link I read it and think i might be understanding it more...
as for my 5 gallon tank i didnt put anything in it other than some structures i purchased and gravel..and like i said ammonia levels were reading high...the test strips are good and not expired
ok I've been doing water change after water change and am not getting any different readings with my tests. Its says that ammonia is still high and my ph is high but shows the nitrates are good and the aklinity is soft and 180..Ive had two more fish die and have two more on the way out only have three fry left dont know what happened to them have found no bodies.. Any suggestions here....
Keep doing what youre doing. a water change every other day is good. i forget if you have liquid tests, but in case you dont, get them.
It takes time for this stuff to get going.
However if your reading didnt change when you changed the water multiple times, i'd suspect your tests are expired.
As a final test, test your tap water and see if the same "high" ammonia shows up. if it does, then youll know that the tests are wrong.
It takes time for this stuff to get going.
However if your reading didnt change when you changed the water multiple times, i'd suspect your tests are expired.
As a final test, test your tap water and see if the same "high" ammonia shows up. if it does, then youll know that the tests are wrong.
i would just use ammolock it makes ammonia non toxic will still show up when u run ur test but will go away after water changes i also would increase the amount of carbon u use all my biowheels have filter that i cut to fit and velcro mesh bags that i use for my carbon which i use the recommended amount that it says on the directions for the activated carbon
Normal tap shouldnt really have A LOT ammonia or nitrite o_o
As in not enough to read 3+ppm...and im assuming thats what the tanks are reading.
it would be harmful to wash your hands/food in such a tap...
Its unfortunate if anybody lives in an area that has tap with lots ammonia in it...
what im saying is it shouldnt register a significant amount right?
As in not enough to read 3+ppm...and im assuming thats what the tanks are reading.
it would be harmful to wash your hands/food in such a tap...
Its unfortunate if anybody lives in an area that has tap with lots ammonia in it...
what im saying is it shouldnt register a significant amount right?
