Ammonia
- Thread starter micah2012
- Start date
Weird. What kit you using? Are you testing tapwater? Any ammonia in tap water indicates one of three things: City hooked up the sewer to the waterline on purpose (or mistake), test kit is blown, or, since you list nothing in the way of how much ammonia you're adding; that.
Me? I vote for a blown kit.
Me? I vote for a blown kit.
You also need to let us know if you're using any products that say they're supposed to help 'detoxify' ammonia. Some of those products will give you a false positive on your test kit...
Did your nitrites go up and fall back to 0 yet?
How many fish and what size tank?
What temperature are you keeping the tank at? Cool temperatures can slow down or kill the bacteria, but warmer temperatures (say around 82 or so) can speed up the speed that the bacteria multiplies...if the truly is the issue and its not your test kit or a false positive... you might try raising the temp of the tank a tad.
Did your nitrites go up and fall back to 0 yet?
How many fish and what size tank?
What temperature are you keeping the tank at? Cool temperatures can slow down or kill the bacteria, but warmer temperatures (say around 82 or so) can speed up the speed that the bacteria multiplies...if the truly is the issue and its not your test kit or a false positive... you might try raising the temp of the tank a tad.
I keep my tank at 80 degrees. I have tested my tap water and it shows 0 Ammonia. I know my test kit works 'cus i tested it on a friends tank. My tap water conditioner does detoxify ammonia but there shouldn't be any to detoxify after 2 months of cycling. Oh and my Nitrites only barely showed for 1 day.
What kind of test kit are you using? Just because you've tested it on another tank, doesn't mean it 'works'.
It's a fish-in cycle...are you sure all fish are accounted for? I know I've forgotten how many of a certain fish I've bought in the past.
How often do you feed? How often do you do water changes, and how much do you change?
Have you been doing filter maintenance? Have you cleaned the gravel at all?
How often do you feed your fish, and how much?
It's a fish-in cycle...are you sure all fish are accounted for? I know I've forgotten how many of a certain fish I've bought in the past.
How often do you feed? How often do you do water changes, and how much do you change?
Have you been doing filter maintenance? Have you cleaned the gravel at all?
How often do you feed your fish, and how much?
I'm using aquarium pharmaceuticals master test kit. I know it works fine 'cus it read what my friends tank read and it reads accuretly what my 6 gallon is. I've borrowed my friends, who uses a different kind and i got the same results. All my fish are accounted for. I feed once a day. I water change once a week about 15 to 30% depending on the ammonia levels. I do filter maintenance once a week with my water changes using the tanks water. I do clean the gravel.
With fish in the tank, it's necessary to do water changes when the ammonia gets to dangerous levels - which it sounds like you're doing. Unfortunately, this can slow down the cycling process. I'm not sure that it would slow it down to the extent you're seeing though.
I believe though, that filter media shouldn't be rinsed at all until the cycle has completed...and gravel cleanings should be kept to a minimum too. Maybe holding back on those two things would help.
Good luck!
I believe though, that filter media shouldn't be rinsed at all until the cycle has completed...and gravel cleanings should be kept to a minimum too. Maybe holding back on those two things would help.
Good luck!