low ph high amonia

X

x38wrestlersmom

Medium Fish
#1
May 9, 2010
57
0
0
#1
my tank has been up for over 5 months. the problem is i am always having is very low ph (not showing up on the stick) than high amonia. i am told to do 25% water change, but the problem is still there, no change. i have added before ph increaser, but, at one time it killed all my fish do to rapid change, i guess. these pet stores all they want to tell u to do is buy buy buy there products. what can i do to get the ph normal and the amonia normal?? and to stay that way? it is a 10 gallon aquarium and have on beta and 2 tedtras. feeding them like every other day just a small pinch. I have done everything, and no change, my fish seem ok, but I can't add any new ones cause they die to to the ph low and amonia high. so any suggestions i'll take. please email me at x38wrestlersmom@aol.com..
thank you..
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#2
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#2
Hi, and welcome, and happy mother's day!
For now I wouldn't worry about your pH. Really it's the ammonia that is most problematic. I'm assuming you didn't 'cycle' the tank? What you need to do now is a 'fish-in' cycle to get rid of the ammonia.
First you will need to get a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (meaning you add drops to vials of the fish water and compare the colour against a chart). The stick tests - it sounds like you are using stick tests - are very inaccurate.
Also, while you invited people to email you directly, if you don't mind keeping this on the forum, it becomes a great learning lesson for everyone reading, and then if one person perhaps makes a suggestion that isn't right, people with better knowledge can chime in to correct.
I'm running out the door right now, so I'll let someone else start with a description or a link on fish-in cycles, but you need to buy those liquid test kits asap.
Cheers,
Laura
 

X

x38wrestlersmom

Medium Fish
#3
May 9, 2010
57
0
0
#3
high amonia and very off the board ph

hi thank u.. ok, u said: I'm assuming you didn't 'cycle' the tank? What you need to do now is a 'fish-in' cycle to get rid of the ammonia.
ok now what u mean by cycle the tank? my tank has been up and running like 5 months or more. and in the beginning i did cycle the tank of over a month w/out no fish. so don't worry about the ph? and i take my water in to the fish store and have them to test my water and yes they use the sticks. so u say they are not very good? ok on the kit u are talking about. does it have something to put in the tank to lower the amonia? i am not sure how high the amonia is, i didn't ask the person. acidic i heard a lady say. well, if i have to add chemicals to the tank to lower the amonia i don't want to shock/kill my fish. went thew that one time, tank went belly up killed all fish but my beta. and how do u keep the amonia down? amonia lock? maybe tomorrow i'll look at the kit u are telling me about. so if i get the amonia down, the ph will go up? by its self? this has been a contunious problem since i have had my tank for 4 years. hopeing to hear from u again. thank you
 

X

x38wrestlersmom

Medium Fish
#4
May 9, 2010
57
0
0
#4
so once i get the liquid test kit for ammonia how do i lower the ammonia? is there something in the kit i use?i have been dealing w/2 pet stores and they use the test strips and they are both the same reading.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#5
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#5
The only way to lower ammonia is by doing water changes and ensuring that your tank has enough beneficial bacteria established to eat up the ammonia that fish waste naturally produces. pH is a separate thing. If you can get a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and give us the readings, we'll be able to figure out why your ammonia is still high - after a tank has been properly cycled it shouldn't show any ammonia if water is being changed regularly enough.
 

X

x38wrestlersmom

Medium Fish
#6
May 9, 2010
57
0
0
#6
low ph and HIGH amonia

ok, i have did water changes as what the pet store has told me to do. in 2 days i took a sample to them and it did not change anything. they are stumped. than they told me i was doing to much water change, taking the bacteria out. there is a live bacteria called nuturlizer (sp wrong) i was told that i got to get the bacteria built up.? ok hoping tomorrow i can get the test kit. pet stores cost 32.oo. wow.
walmart is 10. is there a difference to buy? ten for me is better. hubby will swollow a cow if i spend 32. lol... i have cut back on feeding. every 3 days. or so. changed filter. water changes gravel cleaner. does temp of aquarium play a part would it be to high in temp and makes the amonia not change? i did a 25 % water change sunday. ok, hummmm but what ever i have did isn't doing anything to improve it. nothing at all :( thank you
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#7
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#7
x38wrestlersmom said:
ok, i have did water changes as what the pet store has told me to do. in 2 days i took a sample to them and it did not change anything. they are stumped. than they told me i was doing to much water change, taking the bacteria out. there is a live bacteria called nuturlizer (sp wrong) i was told that i got to get the bacteria built up.?
Click to expand...
Do not listen to the pet store people. You cannot change too much of the water. They just want you to buy more products from them.

The beneficial bacteria live on the hard surfaces in the tank (gravel, deco) and in the filter's media. DO NOT CHANGE THE FILTER'S PADS!

x38wrestlersmom said:
ok hoping tomorrow i can get the test kit. pet stores cost 32.oo. wow. walmart is 10. is there a difference to buy?
Click to expand...
You need a liquid test kit (uses test tubes) to check for AMMONIA, NITRITE, and NITRATE. Anything else the kit tests for is a bonus. The strips are not known for accuracy. I've never seen a liquid test kit at walmart for $10. Just makes sure it tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and is a liquid kit, not a bottle of strips.

x38wrestlersmom said:
changed filter. water changes gravel cleaner.
Click to expand...
Do not change the filter's media. If it is really dirty, when you are doing a water change, swish it around in the USED water to get some of the 'gunk' off it. The gunk houses the bacteria you NEED to have to take care of the ammonia and nitrite. High levels of either can kill/harm your fish.

x38wrestlersmom said:
does temp of aquarium play a part would it be to high in temp and makes the amonia not change?
Click to expand...
No.

You should be doing daily water changes with dechlorinated water, minimum of 25% until you get the kit. Once you have accurate readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, we can advise further to get your aquarium healthy for fish.

As lauraf said, don't worry about the pH and don't ever add chemicals to increase or decrease it. Fish will adapt to what pH you have for the most part and the changes in the pH are far more stressful than getting an 'ideal' pH.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#8
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#8
x38wrestlersmom said:
ok hoping tomorrow i can get the test kit. pet stores cost 32.oo. wow.
walmart is 10. is there a difference to buy? ten for me is better. hubby will swollow a cow if i spend 32. lol...
Click to expand...
I know that $32 seems like a lot to spend, but unless you have your own proper water test kit, you will be wasting not only your time and gas driving to the store for what may be inaccurate water reports, but also be subject to them trying to sell you something that you don't need. Plus, if your water isn't okay, your fish will keep dying, and then where is the joy in fishkeeping? These tests will last you a long time, so think of them as an investment.
Ensure that you are buying a freshwater kit that tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate - and it should be the kind where you put a small sample of tank water into a vial as orangecones said; then you add the liquid chemicals to it according to the instructions, and measure the colour against the paper colour menu that comes with it.
Also, when you do your water changes, are you using a water conditioner/dechlorinator like Prime?
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#10
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#10
Your tank is not yet cycled. What dechlorinator brand do you use?

Any ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.5ppm, you should do a 25-50% water change with gravel vacuuming. Make sure your new water is dechlorinated prior to putting it in the tank, and that its the same temperature as the tank's water.

Don't change your filter pads and don't add anymore fish until the cycling is complete.

Good luck with your fish and keep us all posted!
 

Last edited:
lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#11
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#11
Makes me think your tank isn't cycled. Perhaps it was previously, but something happened to put it out of whack. What you need to do now is at least 25% water changes daily, treating with Prime, and testing the water daily too. With diligence you should see nitrite readings soon - that's a good thing, because eventually they'll convert to nitrates, which will naturally eat up the ammonia that your fish waste produces. This may take several weeks, so be patient, and be consistent. Eventually your tank will be cycled and you can add more fish. Your pH isn't so low that you should worry about fussing with it - most fish will adjust to any reasonable pH. The fluctuation in pH is what is more stressful for them.
But first things first - let's cycle this tank!
 

Last edited:
X

x38wrestlersmom

Medium Fish
#15
May 9, 2010
57
0
0
#15
i have been doing this water change for over a month now, and no change at all NOthing.. yeah putting in dechlorinator in also.. this is a endless battle.. doesn't make any difference if i do water change ever day, every week, no change. amonia is high. tell me about the fish in cycle.. what do i do there? i think i need to put in somekind of live bacteria, u would think that if i've been getting this for over a month or two, and no break somthing is doing this.. the first 2 or 3 months it was ballanced out cycled and all ok than after the 3 months i am at this point every time.. battleing this amonia problem and ph and w/only 3 fish in the tank.. help please, i am more stressed out than the fish.. lol
 

X

x38wrestlersmom

Medium Fish
#17
May 9, 2010
57
0
0
#17
tap water conditioner (api) aquarium dechlorinator. ---removes chlorine and breaks
water change, i have a tube, it is a gravel sucker. i clean the gravel. what ever % , Than, i have jugs of water, at room temp. i had aquuarium stress coat and stress zyme and the aquarium salt when adding the new water.remembering it is a 10 gallon..
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#18
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#18
x38wrestlersmom said:
---removes chlorine and breaks
water change,
Click to expand...
Not sure what this means 'breaks water change'?

If your tap water contains chloramine instead of just chlorine (your local water company can tell you what they use to treat tap water), then each time you are using that product for a dechlorinator, you are ADDING ammonia to your tank.

Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. When the dechlorinator does not say 'binds ammonia' or 'detoxifies ammonia' then it is just breaking the chlorine away from the ammoina that makes up chloramine. It removes the chlorine, but leaves behind ammonia.

Stress Coat says it removes ammonia on the companies website. Not sure if that means it binds/detoxifies it or if it is chemically removing it. I've never used that product. If it is removing it, it may prevent your tank from cycling. Stress Coat also adds other things to the water like aloe vera.

Stress Zyme claims to be 'bacteria in a bottle.' I've never used it so don't know if it works. Based on your experience so far, I would not put a lot of faith in it.

I would recommend you use a dechlorinator that detoxifies or binds ammonia, removes chlorine, and detoxifies heavy metals. Seachem's Prime is one example, there are others.

When is the last time you changed the filter pads?
 

Last edited:
X

x38wrestlersmom

Medium Fish
#20
May 9, 2010
57
0
0
#20
ok just talked to the water company, they treat our water with chloramine... bingo.. maybe we hit it.. so the water conditioner that i am using is taking out the clorine but not the ammonia :) ok, now, whaT??? I KNOW NOT to used that water treatment now. get prime..... i bought today, nutrafin cycle. which is biologicalaquarium supplament for bacteria.. but prime is on my list

but when the shops did a test on my water, they said all was ok and they push this water conditioner..
 

You must log in or register to reply here.