Help Sudden Spike In Ammonia And Nitrite

[Dutchie]

Over the weekend both my Ammonia jumped from .25 to around 1.0 and nitrite from 0 to around .50........

I've have since done 3 water changes at around 30 - 40% and just did a complete gravel vac with not much change in test results.

Am I doing something wrong......tank is a month old (and I did not do a fishless cycle as I did not know nor my LFS did'nt say anything).....

Fishies seem o'k at the moment......

We have had extreme hot weather here the past 7 days......>40 degrees celcius.....

Please advice someone...........getting worried.........just when I thought it had cycled and I understood everything, now this suddenly happens....

cheers

 

[Miss Wiggle]

did you do anything that could trigger it?

clean the filter? add more fish? loose a fish? accidentally overfeed?

 

[bobbicus]

hi

on newly set up aquariums the micro-organisms needed are in delicate quantity - and therefore and what could be classed as OTT cleaning can destroy and remove this which when being cycled can cause a mini spike to occur

no feeding no more cleaning sides filters etc just water changes

rob

 

[Dutchie]

Thanks Rob & Miss Wiggle,

Did add another Clown Loach to keep the other company.......

I think my tank if finally starting to cycle.
Tested it again after another 30% water change last night and todays readings are
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5.0 (finally my first Nitrate reading after 4 weeks)
Ammonia 1.0......

So, I've just completed yet another 30% water change but only through syphoning using a 1 litre container and no gravel vac.
I'm assuming this is what you mean about not trying to clean it too much??

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i'm confused by your tank dutchie!

yeah i think all you can do is keep up the regular water changes and keep your fingers crossed!

 

[Dutchie]

i'm confused by your tank dutchie!

yeah i think all you can do is keep up the regular water changes and keep your fingers crossed!

What part are you confused about Miss Wiggle??

I've never had any Nitrite or Nitrate reading full stop...........had Ammonia but never Nitrate.
This has finally happened........

I think part of my problem may have been that my cleaning was to efficient with the gravel vac and not leaving enough bacteria in the tank.

Now if simply take a cup and take the water out that way and only gravel vac once a week. I did not do that for the past 4 weeks.....
You think this may have been the problem?

Each time I think I understand and then something else happens............

 

[bobbicus]

hi dutchie

did you go thorugh a process similar to this???

http/www.bestfish.com/newtank3.html

if you DID then it seems as though adding another clown loach has created a mini spike - and H2o changes will hopefully dilute the level until it is back to 0...........if you DID NOT.......then i think that is what miss wiggle is confused about..... i think we think that your tank has not cycled properly and you could be now cycling your yank with the fish you have!!!!!!

i think ???
rob

 

[The-Wolf]

I had great success with an ammonia problem recently by adding Zeolite to the filter.
HTH

 

[fenwoman]

you could be now cycling your yank with the fish you have!!!!!!i think ??rob

<pictures an American in cowboy hat, on a bike, balancing a fish tank on the handlebars>
typos are funny sometimes lol

 

[Dutchie]

Nope here is what happened.

We purchased the tank a few days before Xmas and added several fish straight away as LFS said O'K after a few hours.....

Next two days 4 out of 6 fish dead...........Swordtail and Neon battle for survival and swimming round like nothing has happened.

Showing Ph 7.0
Ammonia 4.0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

Do several water changes over the next 3 or 4 days and Ammonia drops to around 1.0..........

Add new fish........
Ammonia keeps dropping with either water changes daily or gravel vac.......both 30% in way of water change.......Ammonia drops to around .25....

Two weeks later, Ammonia still lingers around .25 and still no Nitrite or Nitrate......

Last weekend, I added the 2nd clown oach to keep the other company.
Then yesterday the sudden spike in Nitrite and Ammonia again. No Nitrate.
Then today, Nitrate has kicked in to 5.0.......Ammonia back to 1.0 and Nitrite also showing just over 1.0

thats it i think............is this simply now cycling for the first time?

All fish seems to be doing well though.

 

[Dutchie]

Nitrite still showing around 1.0
Ammonia still around .25- .50
However Nitrate jumped up to 10.........
Ph 7.0


Off do do another 30% water change.................

 

[The-Wolf]

please, add Zeolite to your filter
you will have zero ammnia within 24hrs if you do.

 

[Dutchie]

Does Zeolite have a particular brand everyone uses and do I need to do anything to my filter?

Lastly, does it seem my tank if cycling finally now based on the above happenings?

cheers

 

[Irf]

Sorry - I don't know anything about the zeolite thing.

You tank is only cycled when both ammonia AND nitrite are reading zero, having each spiked previously. When this zero is reached, you should see a large increase in nitrate.

The final step in the cycling process is to remove the nitrates by carrying out a large water change (around 80% I believe).

Best of luck.

Irf.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Does Zeolite have a particular brand everyone uses and do I need to do anything to my filter?

Lastly, does it seem my tank if cycling finally now based on the above happenings?

cheers

dunno about zeolite sorry!

yes it does look like it's cycling now, daily 20% water changes until it's done