I've tried everything and ammonia is still high!!

[gscorvette]

I don't know what to do. I've tried almost everything I can think of to help correct this ammonia problem and nothing is working.


I've been doing 20-30% water changes every couple of days, three good size fish have been removed, added Bio-Spira last night and none of these have helped. Ammonia test reading is same exact result time after time. I checked my tap water to make the the test was reading right and my tap water showed zero so the test materials should be fine.

I added a new bubble stone and new UG filter diffusers last night b/c the old stuff was dirty and gross. Power filter appears to be working fine.

The tank is a 30 g w/ 4 zebra danios, 4 neon tetras, 1 bala shark, 1 rainbow shark, and 1 red tailed shark. Now, before anyone has a fit the sharks are all going in to my 130 gallon. I thought it would be a good idea to buy them and keep them in the 30g until the 130g was ready. Mistake.

If possible id like to not have to bring the sharks back.

 

[Coyote]

Try feeding them every other day instead of everyday. At least it will reduce the source of ammonia.

 

[gscorvette]

I already feed them a very tiny bit once a day.

Also, just did some other tests on the water nitrites <0.3 (lowest the test goes) and nitrates at 12.5.
Ammonia way too high! Hopefully, this might help.

Gretchen

 

[KeepingTheBeat]

Yikes! I hate to hear that. This is every fishkeepers nightmare. I hate to respond to posts like this because any ideas I could come up with I am sure you have already thought of yourself. Also I am not sure if this is part of ongoing situation or not.

I am assuming this is a cycled tank (right?) so have you changed your power filter cartridges? Every 2-3 weeks is what most websites recommend. Also, I have noticed that some people do not agree with keeping both UG filters and powerfilters together because they say over time they contraindicate each other, the rationale being that UG filters suck food and waste into the gravel so the powerfilter can't do its job. (Personally I have had both in my 10 gallon tanks for years with no problems I am just pointing this out. Do you have any live plants that could be decaying or any fish that are unaccounted for? I also agree with the cutting back on the food part. Overfeeding was a big problem for me in the beginning. Have you tested the pH of your water? The more alkaline your water is the greater chance for ammonia poisoning.

Ummm, so you say you have moved your sharks already, have you thought about vacuuming your gravel and doing a major water change like 50% or so? Drastic but it can get the job done. You might have to do this several days in a row but you should see results as eventually all the water that is in there now will be replaced.

Also if this tank is cycled have you (or someone else that you don't know about) added anything to the water (medication, soap, etc) that could have caused your good bacteria to die?

 

[gscorvette]

The tank did complete a cycle before adding the sharks. The tank was not brand new when set up and its been going for one to one and a half months now.

I haven't been putting anything in the water besides Aqua Safe (i think) and the Bio Spira. No one else touches the tank besides me.

A couple of the water changes were pretty darn close to 50% and the ammonia level did not change one bit.

Also, I'm pretty sure the box on the filter recommends changing filters every 4-6 weeks. So I am right about at the point where I need to switch. Should I do this now or wait until the tank has stabilized?

Gretchen

 

[gscorvette]

Oh and I do a body count every morning. No one missing thus far.

 

[FroggyFox]

I think the sharks are *going to be* moved, haven't moved already...and its possible that they are just too big of a bio load on the tank and you can see that by the ammonia being too high. Although I always thought that if a tanks bio load was too high then so would the nitrites/nitrates. I usually suggest doing a water change when the nitrate is over 10ppm...so maybe just a bigger water change and like everyone else has said vaccuum the gravel really well (i'm sure you have been doing that)

gscorvette...do you know if your tap water has ammonia in it? Some places do...but its the "non toxic" kind...and would be throwing your ammonia test out of whack because it can't differentiate between toxic and non toxic ammonia.

Whats your countdown to when the big tank is going to be ready for the sharks? I would hate to suggest bringing them back if it is going to be soon...but it might be best all the way around. I forget, how big are they now? I was thinking they were smallish...

 

[FroggyFox]

OH and on the filter cartridge thing, I firmly believe that unless you're having problems with the cartridge itself don't change it. Companies reccomend changing the cartridge so that they'll make more money when you buy more cartridges from them. I take mine out and rinse it when I do water changes...so far no problems. Plus don't forget, depending on what kind of filter you have a lot of good bacteria lives in that filter media and changing it could mean your bacteria has to build itself back up on your new cartridge...which is something you don't want to mess with right now right?

 

[gscorvette]

The Tetra test measured no ammonia from the tap.

I am hoping to set the tank up Saturday. I decided to just buy new parts for it and am waiting for things to come in. I got a bunch of stuff yesterday, got the air pump today, and I have a canister filter and sponge filter on the way. Hopefully, I will at least get the canister filter by Saturday to get this show on the road.

I think I am just gonna use the Bio Spira in the tank before I put them in instead of doing a traditional cycle. If I don't return them I want to move them ASAP and waiting a month at least is not gonna fly.

This sucks. I was doing so good until now. I hate being a bad pet owner.

 

[gscorvette]

Froggy,

Thats what I thought and its why I haven't changed it yet.

Gretchen

 

[fishboy]

Maybe like what froggy said some places have ammonia in the water. Do not change the cartridge if you have an ammonia problem becuase this will be throwing away benefical bacter like froggy said. Try and feed every other day or every few day aswell.

 

[gscorvette]

This is probably a retarded waste of money but I'm gonna go buy another ammonia test kit. Its not like I wont be able to use it.

Ill be back with results in a few.

G

 

[gscorvette]

Yep, retarded idea. Both kits reading almost identical results. LOL. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

 

[FroggyFox]

Hmm...well how about that Aqua safe stuff you put in the water? if it does anything to detoxify the ammonia then it might also make your test kits give false readings...

How are the fish doing? Are they still not eating much? If they're acting alright then I wouldn't panic, and just keep doing water changes until you can get them into that bigger tank.

 

[gscorvette]

Here is what the back of the AquaSafe bottle says:

" Aquasafe makes tap water safe for fish by neutralizing chlorine and heavy metals present in municipal water supplies. Aquasafe also neutralizes chloramine by breaking down the bown between chlorine and ammonia while reducing both the fish-toxic chlorine and ammonia components*...

*Aquasafe will not remove ammonia from an uncycled, overstocked, or under-filtered aquarium."

So what do ya think?

 

[gscorvette]

I hope if this is giving false readings it is on the high side.

 

[CoNMaN]

did you try takin you amonia to de-tox?

 

[spikekillifish]

I beleive your tank is still quite unstable. You do not have enough benificial bacteria established yet to keep up with things. Do not vacuum your gravel yet. Doing so will wipe out large populations of your bacteria. When performing vacuums only do a section at a time and not your entire tank. Feed your fish every other day and continue to do water changes as needed. I would change no more than 20% at a time.

How long has it been since you changed your activated carbon?

Meanwhile how are your fish doing?

 

[FroggyFox]

Unless she has an undergravel filter her bacteria is going to exist in her filter media for the most part so I would disagree with not vacuuming the gravel and doing smaller water changes. Water changes keep the levels at a livable level for the fish and vacuuming well takes out any possible sources of more ammonia/nitrites/nitrates to be added to the water. Course I guess that is my opinion...and obviously something isn't right...so maybe I'm wrong.

I *think* gscorvette that if the readings are off they would be off to the high side, but that aquasafe stuff didn't say anything about detoxifying the ammonia, so maybe its not the stuff I was thinking, it just sounds like a dechlorinator. In which case it wouldn't throw off your ammonia readings...

Now stop reading and go work on that new tank LOL Seriously, I am stumped sorry Yes...how are the fish?

 

[revfred]

I think the question is whether or not AquaSafe changes the ammonia into a non-toxic form . . . which will screw up your ammonia tests. The ammonia tests . . . as far as I know . . .do not differentiate between toxic and non-toxic ammonia.