High ammonia... can't get rid of it .. someone please help

[Ryan231211]

And I'm trying to get to the pet shop some how as will probably be no good on that link... very greatfull they suggested it for me.. problem is I live in middle of no where so probably wouldn't get anyone wanting to travel this far for a couple of fish if you know what I mean

 

[Ryan231211]

Just googled how many gallons my tank is.... I think I got it wrong before... it's 117 litres.... I converted it on Google.. it's actually saying my tank is 30 gallons...... if Google is right does this mean I can keep all my fish?

 

[Byron]

Yes in the tap water there is a hint of ammonia but in my tank there is no ammonia at all.... my nitrates are still at 40... in fact maybe a little higher... do you suggest a water change tomorrow to try lower them? Or shall I just leave my tank how it is for now? As there is no ammonia now..... sorry for all my questions I'm just trying to get the hang of it all... and yes trying to find away to reduce my fish... hopefully will find a way....

Ammonia issue. This is likely resolved. The ammonia in the tap water if present can be detoxified by a water conditioner like Prime at water changes. I wouldn't worry about it after that, as I said earlier.

Nitrate issue. This must be dealt with quickly. Nitrate is poisonous to all fish, just slower to act than ammonia and nitrite, and it depends upon the level and the fish species. But nitrate should never be above 20 ppm, and as low as possible below this. As it is likely due to the fish load, water changes, substrate vacuuming (into the substrate) and keeping the filter clean should keep it under control. Reducing the fish load is your next issue.

On this, earlier post gave:
There is 1 mollie
Around 10 cardinals
4 black widow
6 small fish sorry again not sure what they are
7 rummy nose tetras
2 guppy
1 tiger pleck(only a tiny baby)
Around 6 neons
Another 6 small fish that I'm not sure on what they are.

As you have soft water (I believe that was determined at some point?) the molly should go as it is not going to be healthy or live long. Guppies also. These are livebearers and they need mineral in the water.

The Black Widow Tetra I would remove, because they need a larger group and tend to be fin nippy with sedate fish.

 

[Ryan231211]

Right thank you very much for your advice you have helped me a lot... now I know what should be In my tank

 

[seangee]

The nitrates are definately a problem in the long term. The fact that the ammonia does clear and the nitrates are going up suggests that the filter is doing the best job it can. But your target should be to keep the nitrates below 20ppm at all times.

The Plec certainly has to go. You may manage if you keep feeding low and do multiple water changes per week - large changes. Adding lots of fast growing plants will also help. You may hear people say that experienced fish keepers are able to overstock tanks. The truth is its not the experience that matters, its the discipline to keep up with the water changes week after week. Adding more filtration won't help - but keeping your filter and substrate clean will, once again that's discipline.

All of the above only applies to the water parameters. I can't remember exactly what you have in there. Factors such as compatability and swimming space do also come into play.

 

[Ryan231211]

Thanks for the advice... so when would you suggest I clean my filter? It's a brand new one 1000ltrs per hour... only been up and running a week..... and how often do I clean my filter? I have been told not to clean my filter for about 2 months as it's new and needs to build up bacteria... and I was told after that to clean it once a month... is this right?

 

[Byron]

Yes, I missed the Tiger Pleco. You should determine which species this is. I just searched under Tiger Pleco and came up with several, that get various sizes.

I also don'\t know about the 12 small fish unnamed.

 

[Ryan231211]

The man who sold me the pleco said it wouldn't grow big.. he doesn't like big ones he said and does not stock them or sell them.... he told me it was going to be fine for my size tank.... weather he lied to me or not I don't know...

 

[Byron]

Thanks for the advice... so when would you suggest I clean my filter? It's a brand new one 1000ltrs per hour... only been up and running a week..... and how often do I clean my filter? I have been told not to clean my filter for about 2 months as it's new and needs to build up bacteria... and I was told after that to clean it once a month... is this right?

When you clean it, rinse the pads/foam/media in a bucket of water taken from the tank. The bacteria adhere to surfaces and just rinsing these, not scrubbing to death, will not harm the bacteria. You want to rinse out the brown sludge. Organics contribute to nitrates. It is probably not bad at this stage after only a week. Filters have to be kept fairly clean so water can easily pass through the media, otherwise there is not much point to the filter if water is getting blocked. And organic buildup will slow the water movement through the filter.

 

[Ryan231211]

Thank you very much for explaining that to me

 

[Byron]

The man who sold me the pleco said it wouldn't grow big.. he doesn't like big ones he said and does not stock them or sell them.... he told me it was going to be fine for my size tank.... weather he lied to me or not I don't know...

Do a search of the common name and find a photo of the species you have so we know. Most of the ones I saw were in the 4 to 5 inch length range, but these fish produce a fair amount of waste.

 

[Ryan231211]

I have managed to take a photo and shrink it down so it allows me to post on here.. sorry it's not the best picture... it likes to hide a lot so hard to get a good one

 

[Byron]

I have managed to take a photo and shrink it down so it allows me to post on here.. sorry it's not the best picture... it likes to hide a lot so hard to get a good one

That is certainly a beautiful pleco. I will not even try to guess at the species, there are so many and I am not well versed in the loricariids. But other members should be able to pin this down for you.

 

[Ryan231211]

Thank you very much byron

 

[Ryan231211]

Quick update to you all.... my ammonia rised to 0.25ppm.... for some reason all my fish are nearly dead...vice had about 30 fish die in the past 2 days. What's going on? I thought my water was good.... how can 30 fish die in 2 days ... in stuck and very upset about this... does anyone know why this could of happened