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Ammonia .25Ppm In A Cycled Tank?

stanleo

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I just did my weekly tests and I have a reading of 0.25 ammonia. Its not quite the color but it is close, definitely not 0ppm. 
 
I finished the fishless cycle on August 21. Put most of the fish in the next day and added some more later. The details of all of this are in my journal linked in my signature. I was testing every day for a week and the next week every other day and after that every week. Last week test was 0ppm. This is the first time I have gotten a reading for ammonia.
 
Stats are:
 55gl heavy planting
CO2 injection
Flourish trace and Flourish every 5 days
Two T5 HO 6500K and 10000K
1 angel
3 pearl gourami
7 harlequin rasporas
8 von rio tetras
5 otos
10 corys
1 clown pleco
3 bamboo shrimp
10 Ampulariidea snails
I do 50% water changes every 5 days. I started this schedule because initially I had a horrible brown and diatom algae issue but I have corrected that by changing the lighting and balancing the nutrients so i don't have that problem at all anymore.
 
Test results are
 
Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
Ph 7.2
Kh 4
GH 8
 
The only thing that is different from the results before the last WC five days ago is the ammonia
 
After the WC
 
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm (My test kit for this goes from 0ppm to 10ppm
Ph 7.4
All just like last time.
 
There are a couple of new things to the tank. Last week (Sept 14) I got the bamboo shrimps so I added a small adjustable powerhead so there is more flow. I also put in bamboo plants. I didn't research them before I bought but I have read a few things that says with CO 2 they are fine. With the ammonia reading I have taken them out today cause maybe they are dyeing and releasing an increased amount of ammonia? For the shrimp I do squirt a little fine powdered algae and shrimp pellets into the current when they are feeding but never more then once a day. Maybe that could be it? 
 
I feed flakes and 12 shrimp pellets and alternate that with 2 cubes of brine shrimp once a day. Also every night at lights out I feed 3 algae wafers. 
 
Why am I just now seeing ammonia?
 
 
Api kits known to show 0.25 sometimes I'd leave it
 
As techen says API can sometimes give false results. Try rinsing the test-tube in a bit of tank water then dispose of it and get some fresh tank water to test. Sometimes you get residues of the previous test in the tube and it can muck up the results too.
 
what's probably happend is bits of residue have got stuck on the side of the test tube from when you were cycling and had like 3 ppm of ammonia and it is quite possibly leaching back into the water and/or the test reading is false
 
I wouldn't worry either, unless of course it rises.
 
I was thinking it could have been the kit but I am glad other people are saying it. Thanks guys. 
 
I have the same problem, my tests haven't came back as zero for over a year now. Always a slight green tinge to it. Could just be my eyes though. :nerd:
 
TallTree01 said:
I have the same problem, my tests haven't came back as zero for over a year now. Always a slight green tinge to it. Could just be my eyes though.
online2long.gif
 
Your eyes have a slight green tinge?
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