2 Questions On Testsing And Slight High Amonia

[AndreaC]

Hi. This one is for me: I have the API master test kit, Its great but I have difficulty reding the results. Im starting to wonder if im colour blind or something Sometimes I just keep looking and looking at it and cant figure out the reading, it neither looks 0ppm or 0.25ppm. Its only the amonia one I have difficulties with reading and the 2 colours to me look very simular. Does anyone else have this problem?? I end up walking round the house with a testube and card trying to get a good light in hope I can see a set reading, even been stood outside before looking, but you can stand in one spot where it looks one colour then turn to your right and look again (or left, any other direction) and its looks different Its really peeving me off.

The second question isnt for my tank but a friend who bought a water sample round for me to test. I tested it and just couldnt determine her amonia level, again it didnt look like the 0ppm or the 0.25ppm and definatly not any others?? Ive been testing her water twice a week for a month as she is having problems. Im putting the test down to 0.25ppm amonia because it definatly doesnt seem 0ppm (wondering if its lingering inbetween the 2 if thats possible) Thing is her water has had this reading for 2 months now with nitrite being 0ppm and nitrates being 0ppm. The tank is well established and she hasnt had this problem before. I recommended 50 % water changes until the amonia comes down but it doesnt seem to help. I tested the tap water and thats a definate 0ppm.

Ive never actualy had this problem happen before so I havent a clue as to what to advice her or whats causing the amonia stay up slightly. Can this harm her fish, is it a dangouras level?

Im out of ideas on what to advice her nom. She is sat here with me now to see if we get a fast reply lol.

Thanks.

 

[sketchy]

yea - i have the same problem. 0ppm nitrates seems pretty low. most tapwater has more than that! (i'm lucky here with 0ppm but most arent!)

what fish do they have in there. if theyre pretty hardy fish, it should be ok. most people experience a small spike in ammonia and/or nitrites if new fish have been recently added.

as for the test, it is possible for the reading to be somewhere in between the colours on the card. i usually round up a little to be on the safe side, but in my experience a small amount of ammonia wont harm the fish, although they would be a little happier with 0ppm!

 

[AndreaC]

Hi thanks for fast reply.

My nitrate from my tap is is 0ppm also


She has a few guppies at the moment as its only a 10G tank. She also has a 10Gal tank with a goldfish that is also getting same readings?? She did want to buy a few more fish to with the guppies but ive advised her not until the amonia comes down to 0ppm. What would cause a amonia peak for 2 months though? She isnt over feeding them? and with both tanks? Im puzzled.

So will the amonia at 0.25ppm be ok for the guppies? I assume it will for the goldfish as there a bit more hardy.

Only time I had a small amonia peak was when just adding fish but It never lasted more than a day.

After seeing my tank she wasnted to add some neons like I have but ive advised against it as there sensitive fish and I think the slightest amonia would kill them wouldnt it??

Oh I will add that her tank is pretty bare, gravel, a polyresin rock thing and a small plastic pink plant. Would her adding some live plants help? Maybe I could give her some of my java moss when its been delivered if it helps.

ETA. Things is no matter how often she changes the water the amonia stays at 0.25ppm, how does she get it down?

Sorry to hassle you all, but like I said ive never had this happen personaly so dont know how to help her now and she gets pretty stressed out with it.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

a steady ammonia reading means the filter is not coping with the bioload.

you need less fish or more filtration. simple

 

[sketchy]

would som gravel in the bottom help? more surface area on the bottom of the tank for bacteria to colonise. i doubt it would make a huge difference, but it may well help.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

would som gravel in the bottom help? more surface area on the bottom of the tank for bacteria to colonise. i doubt it would make a huge difference, but it may well help.

the amount of bacteria living anywhere but the filter is minimal, while the theory is sound were talking such tiny quantities that it wouldn't make a difference.

upgrade the filter or re-home some fish, a steady ammonia reading is a sure sign that the filter is not coping with the waste the fish produce

 

[AndreaC]

Oh right ok. She only has 5 guppies in a 10 gallon tank. The filter is a fluval 1 internal. I will suggest she gets the next filter up then?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

when was the last time some good filter maintenance was done? pull it apart, store the media in some tank water and pull the whole filter apart, clean all the moving parts, pipes etc etc and put it back together.

fluval's aren't the best filters really, there can be all sorts of problems with them, so it could be broken in some way and therefore failing to filter the water properly. or it's simply not a good enough filter for the tank.

 

[Glod]

When she changes water is she using dechlorinator ? I tcould be that she's not dechlorinating so the water changes are nuking what bacteria she has and it's not getting to build up. That would also explain the lack of nitrates, there should be at least *some* if the tank is at all cycled.

 

[AndreaC]

Right thanks. Im going with her now to get a new filter, Im going to try and persuade her to get an external one if she has the money to stretch. I will then go back and look at her old filter and transfer the media into the new one for her. Does this sound about right?

She uses interpet water conditioner, is that ok? same as what I use and it works ok for me.

Can I ask, does to much water changing even with treating the water destroy and good bacteria and would slow the tank from maturing?? She has been doing part water changes dailey to reduce amonia and I wondered if it started a circle of changing water to much, reducing bacteria, slowing maturity, raising amonia and so on.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Right thanks. Im going with her now to get a new filter, Im going to try and persuade her to get an external one if she has the money to stretch. I will then go back and look at her old filter and transfer the media into the new one for her. Does this sound about right?

She uses interpet water conditioner, is that ok? same as what I use and it works ok for me.

sounds perfect