ammonia 0.25!!

orb4me · 09-24-2008, 12:24 PM

1 gourami died. all are sluggish.

API Master Kit
29 gal f/w (6 gourami's)
established since feb.
ph 8.2
no chlorine
nitrites 0
nitrAtes 20
ammonia 0.25
temp 76 degrees
HOB filter carbon and sponge

Monday: normal w/c and media cleaned (no water tests)

Yesterday after finding dead fish and NitrAtes 40 and ammonia 0.25..W/C 50%, removed all decor and cleaned same. media change.

Yesterday evening readings : NitrAtes 20, ammonia 0

this morning ammonia 0.25 NitrAtes 40.

I removed fish from tank and put them in hospital tank a few hours ago, all are still sluggish.

Suggestions?

LiVe4fIsH · 09-24-2008, 03:27 PM

Sorry to hear Orb! May your fish swim in the endless ocean above!!! Hopefully someone will be by shortly to help you out on this one. Until then, I may try my best to not make you so nervious. I believe that a reading of .25 for ammonia is normal. But the nitrates reading at 40 after a 50% w/c and a reading of 20 and then it shoots up to 40 is really weird. Maybe you need to do larger w/c more often to get your nitrates stabilized again. I will try my hardest to start searching for an answer for that one but again, I think the ammonia reading is fine, you dont need to worry on that one. I will hurry!

-Izzy

orb4me · 09-24-2008, 05:31 PM

Thank you for help, izzy.
Im in a tizzy.

5p update. gouramis more active in 10 gal hospital tank. good sign!!

The 29 gal is running but I havent done anything with it yet.

Ruadh · 09-24-2008, 06:39 PM

Is this correct? You changed the filter media 1 day after doing the water change?

I'm thinking that this could be part of the problem. If, indeed, you changed out the filter media, you've thrown out the very media that does most of the chemical changing in the nitrogen cycle.

I'm at a lose to explain the (20ppm)N'ates with out any N'ites, though.

I think, if you can, run the tank through the fishless cycling process to settle it down and if there are no more dead fish in there, you should be all right.

Just my thoughts.

Rick

Judge · 09-24-2008, 08:17 PM

Sorry Orb. I am not sure what is going on here but Ammonia and Nitrites are killers and the high Nitrates is not good. I agree that losing all your beneficial bacteria could be a big contributor. You have accounted for all your fish??There are no hidden dead fish that could be causative? How are the quarantined fish doing at this point? Hang in there.

gregpape23 · 09-24-2008, 10:11 PM

That is very wierd, to have ammonia in such an established tank. I dont know what could've caused the ammonia. But, (if I am reading this correctly) you removed/ cleaned all decor and filter media. If I were you, I wouldnt have done this (hope this doesnt sound harsh lol

) Because, unless you know that the filter media or the decor is the cause of the ammonia, the filter med. and decor carrry a lot of good bacteria that I wouldve wanted to stay with me if I had high amm.
p.s. 95% of the time water changes wont hurt.

RJRofFL · 09-24-2008, 10:12 PM

Hey Orb,

Try to remember that the media, substrate and decor are the breeding ground for the ammonia eating bacteria (the good guys.)

Let me offer this refresher course. Remember the little pac-man guys as the good guys and the little ghosts as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you remove by cleaning too many of the pac-men, there won't be enough good guys to eat the ghosts. I suspect that is why you're seeing ammonia.

Cleaning sort of disrupts the "cycle", which remember is constantly going on.

In my 29gal, I simply "rinse" the filter media weekly in a "tank water bucket" and only actually change the media every other month.

Water changes of say 25% weekly should keep the little buggers down.

Hope this helps, my friend.

Bob

orb4me · 09-25-2008, 10:30 AM

I assumed so wrong. My thinking; gravel, inside walls of tank, heater and the filter its self would be enough

first thread post then today update, as follows

.................................................. .................................................. .....

API Master Kit
29 gal f/w (6 gourami's)
established since feb.
ph 8.2
no chlorine
nitrites 0
nitrAtes 20
ammonia 0.25
temp 76 degrees
HOB filter carbon and sponge

9/22: normal w/c and media cleaned (no water tests)

9/23: after finding dead fish and NitrAtes 40 and ammonia 0.25..W/C 50%, removed all decor and cleaned same. media change.

9/23 evening readings : NitrAtes 20, ammonia 0

9/24 morning readings ammonia 0.25 NitrAtes 40.

I removed fish from tank and put them in hospital tank a few hours ago, all are still sluggish.

9/25 moring reading:

Ammonia 0.25-0.50
nitrites 0
nitrAtes 80
ph 8.2
temp 76

I havent done anything with the tank yet.

6 gouramies in 10 tank look good, one still sluggish, but he did eat a little last night. I hesitate to feed again this am, 6-2" (estimate) in 10 gal is a lot.

I just dont know what step to take now. Start a new cycle? more w/c's? dump the water and start new cycle?

Is the tank starting a new cycle and if so, what do I do about the nitrAtes climbing? water looks clear.

A thought. Maybe I didnt rinse decor in tank well enough and clorox still there? 19:1 mix.

gregpape23 · 09-25-2008, 03:37 PM

I would do a considerable wc to get those nitrates down.

orb4me · 09-28-2008, 05:51 PM

I did some fancy footwork. lol

today reading are good, so im going to test a couple more days. If reading stay good, Ill put the gourmais back in.

I put filters from other tanks in the filter, gravel from other tank in a piece of panty hose and did 30% w/c's.

Sudden "Family experts" decided the fish had been dead longer than I thought it had along with other well meaning advise that I just nodded my head on.

Anyone else have sudden experts around? drives me crazy.