Ammonia spike after the tank was cycled

[Berksou]

I think I may be overfeeding. I wasn't at first, but I've noticed my top/middle swimmers eat all the food before it sinks to the bottom. I have corydoras and they usually don't swim to the top to feed so they don't get any. I bought sinking pellets to try to fix this, but the other fish still beat them to it! Especially silver dollars they take the pellets or wafers and swim away.... The cory catfish seem to have a harder time finding the food.

So I've been feeding a lot to try to make sure the corys get some food. And now my ammonia which was zero before has gone up ... it's about 1 ppm. Please help what to do now and in future.

 

[enricosonic]

Have you already tried Hikari sinking wafers? My angelfish always try but they fail to steal them on the way down because they’re just too big and haven’t had a chance to soften. Your silver dollars may be a bit larger and/or greedier and this may not matter.

Perhaps if they’re much larger than the corys you could place the wafers or pellets in a tight spot on the floor of the tank they cannot easily get to?

 

[enricosonic]

And of course at least a 25-50% water change to lower ammonia. Repeating if needed.

 

[Berksou]

Have you already tried Hakari sinking wafers? My angelfish always try but they fail to steal them on the way down because they’re just too big and haven’t had a chance to soften. Your silver dollars may be a bit larger and/or greedier and this may not matter.

Perhaps if they’re much larger than the corys you could place the wafers or pellets in a tight spot on the floor of the tank they cannot easily get to?

I'm using this algea wafer from top fin https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...C2WespKwKBIcJU7bvJBoClFQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

So do you think that ammonia spike is due to the overfeeding just want to relax other potential problems

 

[Berksou]

Have you already tried Hakari sinking wafers? My angelfish always try but they fail to steal them on the way down because they’re just too big and haven’t had a chance to soften. Your silver dollars may be a bit larger and/or greedier and this may not matter.

Perhaps if they’re much larger than the corys you could place the wafers or pellets in a tight spot on the floor of the tank they cannot easily get

My silvers are very picky and they always get the wafers....

 

[enricosonic]

I'm using this algea wafer from top fin https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...C2WespKwKBIcJU7bvJBoClFQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

So do you think that ammonia spike is due to the overfeeding just want to relax other potential problems

Not sure, certainly could be. How long has the tank been established?

Are the silver dollars large enough to where you could creat a barricade of rock or wood they couldn’t get past but the corys could? Even a cave they can’t fit in where you could place wafers? I’m just kinda spit balling here.

 

[Berksou]

Not sure, certainly could be. How long has the tank been established?

Are the silver dollars large enough to where you could creat a barricade of rock or wood they couldn’t get past but the corys could? Even a cave they can’t fit in where you could place wafers? I’m just kinda spit balling here.

The tank is pretty new but I was sure I finished cycling it because I was reading zero ammonia and zero nitrite for of days.

The silver dollars are not that big so I'm not sure where I can put the waffles and they cannot get them. Almost double size of the cories around 2 inches.

 

[Byron]

First, we need all the data to assess the ammonia issue. Tank size, fish species and numbers, are there live plants,...a photo would answer some of this.

How long has it been since you completed the initial cycle?

Does Ottawa add chloramine, or just chlorine, to the water?

While waiting for this, we can look at the food issue. Cories are out and about at night after darkness, unlike most upper fish, so feeding the sinking food meant for the cories well after dark can work. This means an hour or longer after the tank is in total darkness--no room lights, but black darkness. The upper fish will still be active if there is room light.

You also need different food for cories, not algae based wafers. They cannot properly digest plant/algae matter and need carnivorous foods that sink. Fluval Bug Bites are so far as dried/prepared foods are concerned #1. Good for upper fish too, but feeding these at night may work. Stir them in right away and they sink. Omega One Shrimp Pellets are also very nutritional, and low in protein which cories need (low protein I mean, too high a protein is more intestinal trouble for them.

 

[Berksou]

First, we need all the data to assess the ammonia issue. Tank size, fish species and numbers, are there live plants,...a photo would answer some of this.

How long has it been since you completed the initial cycle?

Does Ottawa add chloramine, or just chlorine, to the water?

While waiting for this, we can look at the food issue. Cories are out and about at night after darkness, unlike most upper fish, so feeding the sinking food meant for the cories well after dark can work. This means an hour or longer after the tank is in total darkness--no room lights, but black darkness. The upper fish will still be active if there is room light.

You also need different food for cories, not algae based wafers. They cannot properly digest plant/algae matter and need carnivorous foods that sink. Fluval Bug Bites are so far as dried/prepared foods are concerned #1. Good for upper fish too, but feeding these at night may work. Stir them in right away and they sink. Omega One Shrimp Pellets are also very nutritional, and low in protein which cories need (low protein I mean, too high a protein is more intestinal trouble for them.

I have a 37 gallons tank. There are six serpae tetra and one dwarf gourami and three silver dollars. I have no live plants.
Initially I had five albino cories but three of them died recently probably because I was treating ich. Temperature was 87 for two weeks and added few salt (around a teaspoon per 3 gallons). The salt did not stay the whole period and I started diluting it just after few days of treatment. Now it should be almost zero. An additional power head for oxygen was added during treatment.

Today I finished treatment and brought the temperature back to normal. However I found a spike in ammonia. Also my pH was relatively high around 7.6. my water is very soft and previously I was suffering from low pH. Weeks ago I added a small amount of crushed coral to my gravel but did not do any noticeable change. Now during the ich treatment with heat and salt the pH raised.so my guess is that the salt has some effect on the disolving rate of the crushed coral.

During these days I was overfeeding because I was worries about my cories not eating.

Now I am in a total mess and tired because I face problem after problem. I am new to this hobby and although I learned a lot I am still struggling to get things stable. Attached is a pic of my tank.

 

[Oblio]

Fluval Bug Bites are so far as dried/prepared foods are concerned #1. Good for upper fish too, but feeding these at night may work. Stir them in right away and they sink. Omega One Shrimp Pellets are also very nutritional, and low in protein which cories need (low protein I mean, too high a protein is more intestinal trouble for them.

Put Bug Bites in a small container with tank water and allow to soak a few minutes. Suck them up with a turkey baster and distribute on substrate and any places that your mid/upper feeders can't get to but Corys can. Around plant crowns, inside caves etc.

 

[outofwater]

I'm fairly new to the hobby as well, but having live plants would help in the long run in many ways. Some plants like Amazon swords or Java moss do absorb ammonia and they're very easy to maintain.

As for the current spike, I'd guess the overfeeding is the cause, and feeding the cories at night will probably fix both issues. Funny you mentioned a gourami, I had to move my dwarf gourami out of my main tank to a new one because he was straight up bullying all others for food, the guy eats like he's been starving his whole life.

 

[enricosonic]

I have a 37 gallons tank. There are six serpae tetra and one dwarf gourami and three silver dollars. I have no live plants.
Initially I had five albino cories but three of them died recently probably because I was treating ich. Temperature was 87 for two weeks and added few salt (around a teaspoon per 3 gallons). The salt did not stay the whole period and I started diluting it just after few days of treatment. Now it should be almost zero. An additional power head for oxygen was added during treatment.

Today I finished treatment and brought the temperature back to normal. However I found a spike in ammonia. Also my pH was relatively high around 7.6. my water is very soft and previously I was suffering from low pH. Weeks ago I added a small amount of crushed coral to my gravel but did not do any noticeable change. Now during the ich treatment with heat and salt the pH raised.so my guess is that the salt has some effect on the disolving rate of the crushed coral.

During these days I was overfeeding because I was worries about my cories not eating.

Now I am in a total mess and tired because I face problem after problem. I am new to this hobby and although I learned a lot I am still struggling to get things stable. Attached is a pic of my tank.

Do your best not to feel defeated or overwhelmed, most of these problems are totally solvable. Many of us have been through stretches where it seems like you just can’t win.

Byron and more experienced members will help and answer questions. I will say silver dollars should not be kept in a tank smaller than 125 gallons. You’ve experienced their voracious appetite and man will they grow,
so you've got to take into account this eventual growth. For that reason they should be returned. The good news is it will eventually open opportunities for new fish that fit your tank’s size and factor in the compatibility of its current inhabitants. But first, determining all your water parameters is key.

 

[Berksou]

Do your best not to feel defeated or overwhelmed, most of these problems are totally solvable. Many of us have been through stretches where it seems like you just can’t win.

Byron and more experienced members will help and answer questions. I will say silver dollars should not be kept in a tank smaller than 125 gallons. You’ve experienced their voracious appetite and man will they grow,
so you've got to take into account this eventual growth. For that reason they should be returned. The good news is it will eventually open opportunities for new fish that fit your tank’s size and factor in the compatibility of its current inhabitants. But first, determining all your water parameters is key.

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes getting silvers was a mistake but honestly I like them and feel attached to them now. I will return them after few months when things are really impossible.

 

[enricosonic]

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes getting silvers was a mistake but honestly I like them and feel attached to them now. I will return them after few months when things are really impossible.

I hear ya. I have a similar issue with clown loaches. 3 little guys who will outgrow my tank(s). They’re the life of the party and my kids’ favorites.

Who knows, maybe I’ll get an even larger tank…

 

[Berksou]

I hear ya. I have a similar issue with clown loaches. 3 little guys who will outgrow my tank(s). They’re the life of the party and my kids’ favorites.

Who knows, maybe I’ll get an even larger tank…

That's also an idea of mine, I will see maybe a bigger tank in the basement with Titanic fish (sharks, oscar, clown loaches, silver dollars).