Ammonia level won’t go down. Please help

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Members have had good results using Dr Tim's One and Only or Tetra Safe Start.

...Or Microbe-Lift.

 

[Rocky998]

Did you shake both bottles of test solutions thoroughly? What are your nitrate reading? Did any fish disappear overnight? Do a 75% water change daily till all tests result in normal readings--- .25 or less ammonia, 0 nitrite and 20 ppm or less of nitrates.

If your tank was never properly cycled or you lost your cycle, you must continue daily water changes till your tank becomes cycled again. It may take weeks to complet the cycle. You could add bottled beneficial bacteria to speed up the cycle. Members have had good results using Dr Tim's One and Only or Tetra Safe Start.

I think 75% is a bit extreme... I would do a 50% water change everyday.

 

[Tenaj]

I think 75% is a bit extreme... I would do a 50% water change everyday.

I’ve been doing upto 50% like 3 times a week. The water has been fine other than still .50 ammonia. I stopped by a local owned aquarium shop yesterday, and explained all I’ve done so far. He stated the .50 will eventually go to 0 as I’m doing what is correct. He said it could take another month or so to fully cycle and to continue to do what I’ve been doing. He also stated I should not be doing 3 times a week partial water changes. How in the world and why did it spike from .50 to over 8 and cloudy water from very clear, in less than 24 hours I’m so stressed right now. I don’t want to lose any fish!

 

[Myraan]

8ppm overnight seems sudden and weird though. Regardless of whether you are overstocked; you were equally overstocked on the previous day. I would not regard a "steady 0.5ppm" ammonia as "great" however.

Have you any dead fish you need to remove? Do you have any helpful children or visitors who fed your fish half a tub of flakes when your back was turned? Have you double checked the test results; was the 8ppm due a mistake by accidentally adding several squirts from the API bottle rather than several drops?

In the circumstances I would not say 75% is extreme at all; maybe you even need to do TWO 75% changes. The time and effort and water "wasted" through this could be regarded as extreme and unnecessary in certain circumstances I guess. Has anyone ever actually harmed their fish by performing too many water changes? This is genuine question, not rhetorical, I am assuming the answer is know but if I am wrong I would like to know for the sake of my own fish if I have a similar issue in future.

 

[Tenaj]

I think 75% is a bit extreme... I would do a 50% water change everyday

Did you shake both bottles of test solutions thoroughly? What are your nitrate reading? Did any fish disappear overnight? Do a 75% water change daily till all tests result in normal readings--- .25 or less ammonia, 0 nitrite and 20 ppm or less of nitrates.

If your tank was never properly cycled or you lost your cycle, you must continue daily water changes till your tank becomes cycled again. It may take weeks to complete the cycle. You could add bottled beneficial bacteria to speed up the cycle. Members have had good results using Dr Tim's One and Only or Tetra Safe Start.

Problems like you're seeing here is why we recommend cycling a new tank before adding fish. It may take several week, but no fish will be harmed or lost.

I added bottled beneficial bacteria. The only reason I did in fish cycle is because that’s how I started in thing 10 gallon tank I purchased, with fish, from petsmart. No one ever told me about cycling and I lost a few fish which then brought me to researching and learning what I now know. Too late to do a no fish cycle. I did shake the bottles. Here I was following all I’m told to do, only .50 ammonia , was the last thing I’ve been working with, from water changes and following the less food, less light ,add live plants, test daily instructions, not sure how in less than 24 hours, ammonia spiked to 8!!! I don’t want to give up on this. It’s been challenging, educational, expensive, and lots of fun. I just want to get it right!!

 

[Tenaj]

8ppm overnight seems sudden and weird though. Regardless of whether you are overstocked; you were equally overstocked on the previous day. I would not regard a "steady 0.5ppm" ammonia as "great" however.

Have you any dead fish you need to remove? Do you have any helpful children or visitors who fed your fish half a tub of flakes when your back was turned? Have you double checked the test results; was the 8ppm due a mistake by accidentally adding several squirts from the API bottle rather than several drops?

In the circumstances I would not say 75% is extreme at all; maybe you even need to do TWO 75% changes. The time and effort and water "wasted" through this could be regarded as extreme and unnecessary in certain circumstances I guess. Has anyone ever actually harmed their fish by performing too many water changes? This is genuine question, not rhetorical, I am assuming the answer is know but if I am wrong I would like to know for the sake of my own fish if I have a similar issue in future.

No kids. Just my husband and I. No dead fish. Did find a dead leaf on one of the plants. Which I removed this morning. Correct, ammonia at .50 is not a good number. I just meant that it was all I’ve been working towards getting at 0, being that all else was going in the right direction. Water was and has been very clear. The only time it was a bit cloudy, is right after my water changes but they clear right up. Today it looks like I poured milk in it this morning as soon as I turned the light on, I knew something was wrong which immediately got me to testing. If I keep changing water, how will the good bacteria stay there?

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I'll stick with my 'House of Cards' metaphor.
I could throw in a pebble causing an avalanche, or a small crack in the dam, etc..

Even 0.5 ammonia will cause the fish some stress, which can cause more ammonia, which will cause the fish more stress, etc..

Has anyone ever actually harmed their fish by performing too many water changes? This is genuine question, not rhetorical, I am assuming the answer is know but if I am wrong I would like to know for the sake of my own fish if I have a similar issue in future.

No.
Remember, back in the wild, the fish experience 100% water changes, 24/7...unless it's a stagnant pool.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Today it looks like I poured milk in it this morning as soon as I turned the light on, I knew something was wrong which immediately got me to testing. If I keep changing water, how will the good bacteria stay there?

That milky cloudiness is a bacterial bloom and, whilst unsightly, should not be a problem and suggests that you have excess bacteria in the tank.

Please note that the bacteria you need is NOT (normally) in your water in any significant amount, it's on every surface in the tank; in the substrate, in the filter, on the landscaping and plants. Changing your water 100% should not significantly impact on your population of beneficial bacteria...PROVIDED the water is properly conditioned.

 

[Fishmanic]

What is your nitrate reading?

 

[Essjay]

That milky cloudiness is a bacterial bloom and, whilst unsightly, should not be a problem and suggests that you have excess bacteria in the tank.

Just to add - bloom bacteria do live in the water but they are not the ones we want to grow.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

The more water you can change at once the better...no such thing as clean water being 'extreme'....nonsense piece of advice there

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

@Tenaj How is it now? Have you done the water change(s)?

There is a lot of misinformation and bad advice out there, as you've seen. But the people above are experienced and they're right about needing to do large water changes to save your fish now. The beneficial bacteria will not be affected by this, and you're now doing a fish-in cycle, so priority always has to be keeping the fish safe. The ammonia is literally burning their gills and skin. The water changes to reduce the ammonia (and any nitrites) back down to zero is crucial.

 

[Tenaj]

@Tenaj How is it now? Have you done the water change(s)?

There is a lot of misinformation and bad advice out there, as you've seen. But the people above are experienced and they're right about needing to do large water changes to save your fish now. The beneficial bacteria will not be affected by this, and you're now doing a fish-in cycle, so priority always has to be keeping the fish safe. The ammonia is literally burning their gills and skin. The water changes to reduce the ammonia (and any nitrites) back down to zero is crucial.

I have done 2 water changes today. 50% and 25% about 30 minutes ago. All the fish are at the top gasping for air. after the first water change, the ammonia was still reading almost 8. The water has an oily film in it. I removed all 4 live plants. What has caused this overnight ammonia spike??? I’ve done nothing different to the tank. Water was extremely clear just yesterday. The were all swimming in their usual spots. The only thing I saw overnight was, a cloudy tank and a dead leaf on one of the plants. Checked ammonia which then read 8. It’s been at .50 for the past week, which went down from a 1.0.
I have no idea what caused this sudden spike. I think I am much more stressed than they are. I do not want them to die

 

[Tenaj]

@Tenaj How is it now? Have you done the water change(s)?

There is a lot of misinformation and bad advice out there, as you've seen. But the people above are experienced and they're right about needing to do large water changes to save your fish now. The beneficial bacteria will not be affected by this, and you're now doing a fish-in cycle, so priority always has to be keeping the fish safe. The ammonia is literally burning their gills and skin. The water changes to reduce the ammonia (and any nitrites) back down to zero is crucial.

I forgot to mention that I added ammolock which send to look oily but not sure of that is where the oily film is coming from. How do I help my fish!! I will do water changes again, tomorrow but want to make sure they do not die overnight. I feel so bad for them

 

[Myraan]

Have you tested the ammonia in your tap-water? Are you using a bucket or a hose that's contaminated with cleaning chemicals?

I doubt it is caused by the live plants unless they are dead and rotting, removing them means that they are now not removing ammonia.

Logically the water change should have changed the ammonia to 4ppm, that is why I ask about testing the tap-water. An oily film suggests something has contaminated the water, we all probably see an oily film if we have overfed a fatty food. That is why I wondered in earlier post if someone might have tipped a half pot of flakes in tank. But now I am worried the contaminant is something in the tap-water, though I am sure you have noticed if something oily is in your tap-water.

Did you add a bottle of Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride mistakenly thinking it was bottled bacteria?