Urgent Need Help ASAP Ammonia levels high

[patrickriley2010]

I have done everything in my power to lower them daily water swaps, adding tetra safe start, cleaning the gravel with a vacuum. I got this little 1.77 gallon tank from my sister, her husband used it in college. I brought it home and ran hot water through it and the rocks for about a half hour. "this was last thursday" and then i made the mistake of putting 2 plattys in the tank and one died. Im really trying my best not to lost my other one. I seem to be out of options i could really use some help!

I have used the tetra easy strips and even after a water change it is reading harmful? i dont get how i can swap out half the tank and the levels still be so high? Yes i checked my tap water it tested at the .5 my tank constantly is at 3.0.

Thanks.

 

[lauraf]

With that small a tank, you should probably just replace all the water. It will mean putting the fish in a temporary cup, changing the water, adding a dechlorinator and making sure the temp is the same as the old water, then acclimating the fish to the new water. Your tank is really, unfortunately, too small for anything but shrimp.

 

[patrickriley2010]

With that small a tank, you should probably just replace all the water. It will mean putting the fish in a temporary cup, changing the water, adding a dechlorinator and making sure the temp is the same as the old water, then acclimating the fish to the new water. Your tank is really, unfortunately, too small for anything but shrimp.

im looking to get a bigger tank like a 20 gallon how many fish could i have in that do you think? or do you think i should save up and go even bigger?

 

[Thyra]

Bigger is almost always better - assuming you have the proper space for it because it is also heavier. The number of fish in any tank will depend on which fish you want to put in the tank. Some fish need more room than others - even if they appear the same size.

 

[patrickriley2010]

Bigger is almost always better - assuming you have the proper space for it because it is also heavier. The number of fish in any tank will depend on which fish you want to put in the tank. Some fish need more room than others - even if they appear the same size.

Do you think dumping the tank and cleaning the gravel and tank walls with bleach would help cut the ammonia levels?

 

[Thyra]

I, personally, don't think so. I agree with Laura, but I would go a step further and recommend you then continue to change about 75% of the water daily adding dechlorinator and being sure the temp is the same until you get the ammonia to zero. A small tank like that is difficult to cycle and the only way to keep fish safe is with the daily testing and water changes.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I agree with the above, but 2 platys in only ~1.8 gallons of water is WAY too small a habitat for them.

Did you try to establish a nitrogen cycle in this little tank before adding fish?

What ever you put in there is going to have an ammonia issues because it takes some time to establish a nitrogen cycle in any tank.

What type of filtration are you running in it?

I know space, costs, etc are a concern, but I wouldn't bother with anything less than 10gal.

 

[patrickriley2010]

I agree with the above, but 2 platys in only ~1.8 gallons of water is WAY too small a habitat for them.

Did you try to establish a nitrogen cycle in this little tank before adding fish?

What ever you put in there is going to have an ammonia issues because it takes some time to establish a nitrogen cycle in any tank.

What type of filtration are you running in it?

I know space, costs, etc are a concern, but I wouldn't bother with anything less than 10gal.

No I never got a nitrogen cycle going it was a filter called elite and it worked great with the shape of the tank creating a stong current keeping the tank cleaned but it used a basic piece of foam. So I got a wisper 3 which seems to not suck as much debri up as the other one as the wisper goes to gravel level almost and the elite was about mid tank

 

[FreshyFresh]

Patrick, if you can't re-home the remaining platy, keep her/him in there and keep doing water changes until you see no ammonia. Don't be afraid to take the water level right down to where the fish barely has enough room to swim.

You can also dose the tank with dechlorinator products like Prime (or equiv) to detoxify the ammonia. Don't clean the hardscape in the tank, or the bio portion of your filter until your cycle is complete.

 

[patrickriley2010]

Patrick, if you can't re-home the remaining platy, keep her/him in there and keep doing water changes until you see no ammonia. Don't be afraid to take the water level right down to where the fish barely has enough room to swim.

You can also dose the tank with dechlorinator products like Prime (or equiv) to detoxify the ammonia. Don't clean the hardscape in the tank, or the bio portion of your filter until your cycle is complete.

When i got the tank it had been used i only used hot water to clean the tank no bleach or anything so i think that could be a problem

also how long does a nitrogen cycle to start?

 

[FreshyFresh]

The only way you know where you're at in terms of a nitrogen cycle is by testing the water. You need to test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Your cycle is complete when all you see is nitrates. It took me weeks to cycle a 10gal and over a month to cycle a 29gal.

 

[Thyra]

Not cleaning the tank with bleach has nothing to do with your ammonia problem. I have found that the smaller the tank, the harder it is to cycle it and keep it that way - it will take constant water changes.