Ammonia Problems

[N4T4SH45]

We are now nearing the end of our second week with our new tank. This is what we have.

http/www.theaquariumshop.co.uk/ishop/1029/shopscr45.html

The Ammonia level has risen to nearly 1.0 and the Nitrite nearly 1.0 also. We have made a number of water changes every other day (20%-30%) but it doesnt seem to be dropping the levels.

We have lost one fish already, a silver shark

These are the other fish we have:

6 balloon mollies
5 neon tetra
5 Glowlight tetra
3 silver tip tetra
3 glow tetra

These all seem to be ok, but we are worried about the levels rising.

Can anyone suggest what we can do to get the levels to drop?

 

[N4T4SH45]

We are now nearing the end of our second week with our new tank. This is what we have.

http/www.theaquariumshop.co.uk/ishop/1029/shopscr45.html

The Ammonia level has risen to nearly 1.0 and the Nitrite nearly 1.0 also. We have made a number of water changes every other day (20%-30%) but it doesnt seem to be dropping the levels.

We have lost one fish already, a silver shark

These are the other fish we have:

6 balloon mollies
5 neon tetra
5 Glowlight tetra
3 silver tip tetra
3 glow tetra

These all seem to be ok, but we are worried about the levels rising.

Can anyone suggest what we can do to get the levels to drop?

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Oops, should add that the tank is three weeks old, just had fish for two weeks.

 

[modernhamlet]

Keep doing those water changes. You have stocked your tank with many fish too early and the biological filter of the tank has been unable to establish fast enough to keep the ammonia (and soon the nitrite) down to safe levels.

Keep up the daily water changes, doing your best to keep ammonia and nitrite as low as you possibly can. .5ppm at the most.

If you can get some from a friend or LFS, add some used, wet filter media from a previously cycled tank to your filter. It will "seed" it and help it along.

If you haven't had the opportunity, take a look at these helpful articles on getting started: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=88643

Good luck and welcome to the forums!

 

[N4T4SH45]

Thanks for that, we will continue with the water changes.

We found out that we had stocked too many fish to start with "after" we had bought them. We went into the LFS and spoke to this woman who when we said that it was a new tank and we wanted this, this and this, she said thats fine to start you off!! We had 17 fish to start with!!!!

When going into another branch of the same store, thats where they told us we should have only started with five neons!

We hope the others will be ok.

I was reading about removing carbon filter sponges from the filter when using liquid medicine for the fish, does this include things like Ammo-Lock??

 

[big mick]

When going into another branch of the same store, thats where they told us we should have only started with five neons!

That is also bad advice, neons would be one of the worst fish to put in first, I would start going to a different shop if i was you.

Guppies or Danio's yes but neons no....not that it matters now of course.

As for you 'ammo lock' question, Ive never used it Im afraid but good luck with the water changes and hope all goes well.

 

[trace1]

from what i have heard all ammo-lock will do is make the ammonia safe & will not get rid of it so you will always have amonia reading in your tank. think safest thing to do at the moment is daily water changes. evenually the nitrite & ammonia will go. good luck. i did my first tank with fish in & it took bout 4 weeks to cycle. i also had neons when cycling but i gota say mine are still ok only ever lost 1 so maybe i was lucky

 

[rdd1952]

from what i have heard all ammo-lock will do is make the ammonia safe & will not get rid of it so you will always have amonia reading in your tank. think safest thing to do at the moment is daily water changes. evenually the nitrite & ammonia will go. good luck. i did my first tank with fish in & it took bout 4 weeks to cycle. i also had neons when cycling but i gota say mine are still ok only ever lost 1 so maybe i was lucky

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It will also severly slow (or completely prevent) the cycling process. Stay away from it.

Your tank is actually severly overstocked even for an established tank. I would strongly suggest returning at least half the fish or you will end up losing them anyway. Depending on the type of mollies you have, you are between 40" and 60" of fish. Too many for a 25 gallon tank.

 

[IMCL85]

I dont think that tank is cycled yet atm. As its a brand new tank. And u adding too much fish at once. Carry out with 50% water change and keep an eye on ur water. To make sure that the ammonia lvl is stable again. If its continue raising just continue doing daily water change. Good luck