I have a 55 gallon tank that has been set up for about 3 to 4 weeks. I have the Marineland 350 canister filter running on it. I cannot get my ammonia levels to go down. This is why I upgraded from a 20 to the 55. I have one Oscar one small silver dollar and an algae eater. I am a newbie and I think my pet store is full of poo poo. Can someone please help me. This fish tank is eating my pocket alive!!!! Any feed back would be appreciated.
I Hate Ammonia! Help Me!!
- Thread starter aspguru
- Start date
Do have Bio-wheel attachment on the outlet of Magnum. 3 to 4 weeks of Ammonia doesn't sound right. The Pro System has Bio-wheel atachment. If the Magnum 350 is you only filter, and no UGF, then you have no Bio-Filter. Plain Magnum 350 is only mechanical & chemical filtration unit. This would explain why you ammonia is high and not declining. *crazysmiley*
R
What filter media do you have in your canister? Any bio spheres (or whatever they are called) or any room to put them in? In my canister I have a container with them in. Do you clean the media often? It sounds like your tank is not cycled yet. Have you been checking nitrites and nitrates? How often do you do water changes?
Ok in the filter I have the sleeve that goes over the carbon canister, the carbon canister with Ammo Carb in it, which I did last night. I got the tank about 4 weeks ago. I have not been checking nitrites and nitrates. I just ordered the Bio Wheel pro 60 today from bigals for the filter. I think that will help a little. I am still at work so when I get home, I am going to check the ammonia to see if the ammo carb has helped. I just changed the water on monday about 20%. That is the first change.
ASPGURU,
If you're running just a 350 without any type of biological filter (UG, Bio Wheel, etc...) your Amonia levels should be on the high side.
The Amonia Carb will help to absorb some of the Amonia, but it won't contribute to a healthy Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate cycle. The Bio Wheel you have on order will help develop culture the bacteria you will need to convert Amonia to Nitrite and Nitrite to Nitrate.
Even then, you will still need to perform regular water changes to keep the Nitrate levels down.
Good Luck
If you're running just a 350 without any type of biological filter (UG, Bio Wheel, etc...) your Amonia levels should be on the high side.
The Amonia Carb will help to absorb some of the Amonia, but it won't contribute to a healthy Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate cycle. The Bio Wheel you have on order will help develop culture the bacteria you will need to convert Amonia to Nitrite and Nitrite to Nitrate.
Even then, you will still need to perform regular water changes to keep the Nitrate levels down.
Good Luck
Well, it won't do the trick right away, but it will get the process rolling along. Read this. It will explain the nitrogen cycle (which is a bit of a misnomer...but that's neither here nor there...).
Remove the ammo-carb from your filter when you install the bio-wheel, otherwise your bacteria will have no food, and we don't want hungry microbes now do we...
-Josh
Remove the ammo-carb from your filter when you install the bio-wheel, otherwise your bacteria will have no food, and we don't want hungry microbes now do we...
-Josh
You cycled your tank without any biological filtration (bio wheel as an example) which effectively did nothing, which is why your ammonia levels are still high.
Once you get the bio wheel on and remove the ammonia chips, the true cycle will start.
In the meantime, you should continue with water changes.
Once you get the bio wheel on and remove the ammonia chips, the true cycle will start.
In the meantime, you should continue with water changes.
R
If you read in the articles section about the nitrogen cycle, it will give you good knowledge about the nitrogen cycle. I first guess would be that your tank is not cycled because there is not place for the bacteria to "culture" or grow.
Please be aware that when you first put your bio wheel in the tank, the ammonia levels will not come down quickly. It will take around 1-3 weeks. Not much you can do to speed it up but keep doing regular water changes to keep the levels down and not kill your fish.
Once the bio wheel has been established, you need not worry about the ammonia or nitrite levels unless you are over feeding or adding new fish. *thumbsupsmiley*
Please be aware that when you first put your bio wheel in the tank, the ammonia levels will not come down quickly. It will take around 1-3 weeks. Not much you can do to speed it up but keep doing regular water changes to keep the levels down and not kill your fish.
Once the bio wheel has been established, you need not worry about the ammonia or nitrite levels unless you are over feeding or adding new fish. *thumbsupsmiley*
J
Your tank isn't fully cycled yet, that is why your seeing high ammonia levels, also Oscars are messy fish. So not having your tank fully cycled yet with Mr Oscar in there, that is probably your case.
Give it another 2 weeks and you should be smooth sailing
P.S. It takes awhile to get a bacteria growing on your bio wheel. NEVER clean your bio wheel! in a couple of months it will start to turn a browish color "this is bacteria growing" and it will get darker and darker brown "this is good"
Once you see that, you will know you have some good bacteria growing and you will never have to worry about those nasty ammonia levels again *thumbsupsmiley*
Give it another 2 weeks and you should be smooth sailing
P.S. It takes awhile to get a bacteria growing on your bio wheel. NEVER clean your bio wheel! in a couple of months it will start to turn a browish color "this is bacteria growing" and it will get darker and darker brown "this is good"
Once you see that, you will know you have some good bacteria growing and you will never have to worry about those nasty ammonia levels again *thumbsupsmiley*
Jay, you are the man. You make me feel so much better about this. See, the reason I am so upset about this is because, the reason I got the 55 gal in the first place to replace my 20 was because of ammonia levels being so high. And that I have done it, I am still having the same problem. It is just discouraging. Lets just hope that it gets better. My Oscar gets bigger every day. He is a big old mother. And he is the best pet ever. He lets me pet him sometimes and he eats out of my hand. I just want him to be happy.