low ph high amonia

[OrangeCones]

Likely it has a bigger profit margin than other products. Don't listen to pet store employees for the most part. There are always exceptions, but they are in it for the sales mostly.

I've used Prime for over...umm...20 yrs maybe? Back when I was doing saltwater reefs. It is cheap per dose because it takes 2 drops per gallon (but some look at just the bottle size and compare prices that way). As much as I've recommended their product, they should give me free bottles!

I've cycled tanks with just Prime. If they have it and for your own peace of mind, see if they have the Ammonia Alert too (made by Seachem, the maker of Prime).

If you test your water that has been treated with Prime, it will still say it has high ammonia, because the ammonia is STILL THERE, but in a non-toxic form. The good bacteria can consume it in that non-toxic form, but it doesn't hurt the fish. The Ammonia Alert will show zero when the ammonia is in the non-toxic form, so you know its not hurting the fish. My LFS sells them for $6 and they last a year or so. I've used them in my fry tanks since February with good results (catching a few spikes quickly before the fry are adversely affected).

And yes, do NOT change the filter pads. To do so, you are taking out the good bacteria you've established and starting your cycle over.

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

low ph high ammonia

ok now what do i do.. do water changes, adding the prime? and if so how much, how often.?
have u heard of the nutrafin cycle which is biological aquarium supplemnt? to help get the bacteria started again? can i use that? ok, so now u think we are on the right track? waiting for my next step..

 

[OrangeCones]

I've never used anything except Prime in an aquarium (unless I need to treat a disease). Just follow the label instructions for Prime: treat the 'new' water with 2 drops per gallon. Until your tank is stable again, increase the aeration with an airstone or lower the water level if you have a 'hang-on-the-back' type filter, so it will splash a bit more.

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

2 drops per gallon, i got 10 gallon, so i'd do,20 drops?

oh thank u

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

ok mine u can't drip to get drops. so it says one cap full per 50 gallons so i got 10 gallon, so how much in a cap?

 

[OrangeCones]

2 drops per gallon, i got 10 gallon, so i'd do,20 drops?

oh thank u

You would do 20 drops if you were doing a 100% water change. You treat the 'new' water you are putting back in. If you take out 5 gallons, then you would treat the 'new' 5 gallon water with 10 drops.

The small bottle has the dropper in the cap. I use the larger bottle as a 'refill' on the smaller one. If you got a larger one, you can use an eye dropper to count the drops. Or see if the store has the smaller bottle and exchange it plus store credit? The small bottle will last you a long time!

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

lol ok.. well, i have already open the bottle. what i do is use one gallon water jugs to fill my tank, so what a 1/4 or smaller of a cap full per one gallon jug?

 

[OrangeCones]

what i do is use one gallon water jugs to fill my tank, so what a 1/4 or smaller of a cap full per one gallon jug?

1 capful treats 50 gallons. To treat 1 gallon, you would need 1/50th of a capful. Its not really possible to measure it without an eye-dropper. Overdosing it is dangerous.

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

ok in an eye droper, for a gallong jug, how many drops?

 

[OrangeCones]

ok in an eye droper, for a gallong jug, how many drops?

The instructions are on the bottle: 2 drops per 1 gallon of water being treated.

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

hopefully one more q.. ok now do i do a water change, and if so how much.? and how often do i do the water change? to get this problem under control?
now once ammonia gets settled, will the ph go by it's self to normal?

 

[lauraf]

I would do a 25% water change every day (so, two and a half jugs), treated with Prime (5 or so drops), and test the water each day to monitor your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels.
Please don't worry about the pH. It really isn't a concern unless you are trying to keep very persnickety fish or breeding them. Even then, most fish will acclimate to their pH.
You are on the right track now!

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

ok so far, tell me what is going on.. here are readings
tuesday. ammonia 1.0, nitrates 0, nitrites 0, clorine, 0, ph. 5.8
wed. ammonia .5, nitrates 0,. nitrites 0, clorine 0, ph. 5.8

thursday.. ammonia 2.0, mitrates 10, nitrites 0, clorine 0 ph. 5.0.

now what did my amonia do? from wed, to thursday? i used the prime, and did one gallon water change.
what is the ammonia number where u want it to be?

ok tell me what do do now.. thank u..

i am learning, but a bit so far confused.

 

[OrangeCones]

Ideally, you want the ammonia and nitrite to be zero, and nitrates 20 or under. Be sure to read the instructions on the nitrate as they are a bit different from the other tests (lots of shaking before the test).

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

ok so do i want to do another water change? and if so how much or waite till tomorrow to do another one?

thank u..

what do u think the prime is working now on the numbers i posted earlier? if u want the ammonia at 0 and i got 2.0, did it go upor heading down, from the last testing of .5

 

[OrangeCones]

As I said earlier, the test kit will show ammonia, even if Prime has made it a non-toxic form. As long as there is ammonia or nitrite, I would do a 25-50% water change daily, for the health of the fish.

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

ok thursday: ammonia 2.0, nitrates 10, nitrites 0, clor. o, ph 5.0

testing friday: ammonia .05, nitrates 10, nitrites .4, clor 0, ph 6.5

how am i doing?

seeing that the nitrites are up to .4 to where thursday was 0. what is causing that?

how do u kee nitrites down?

 

[xarumitzu]

Your Nitrites went up because the bacteria in your tank are converting the ammonia into Nitrites. Then a different bacteria will convert the Nitrites into Nitrates, and you take Nitrates out of the tank with water changes.

 

[x38wrestlersmom]

ok checking in: sunday on readings. ammonia, .5 Nitrates 0, nitrites 0, ph. 6.5.

today.. amm. 5 or/6 nitrates 0, nitrites 0, ph 7.2.

now, how is my ammonia reading?
_________________________________________________
using prime. u said it well show high, so how will i know i am safe??

should i do another water change?

 

[lauraf]

Do you mean that your ammonia is 5 or 6 ppm? Or 0.5 or 0.6? Your ammonia should keep spiking, along with your nitrites, until you start to get a steady reading on the nitrate after which your ammonia and nitrite will drop, so I'm a bit confused by the readings in your last post.
And if you are using Prime, your ammonia will still show, even if it is not toxic to fish, so in that case the nitrite spike is what to look for as a sign that your tank is starting to cycle properly. You want to see a spike in nitrites!