High Ammonia, Please Help!

[orli]

Hi all, I have had my 48L tank set up for just over a month now, I have 4 platies and 2 mollies in there, 4 real plants and 2 plastic, a couple of houses, heater, interpet filter suitable for the size tank. My water was perfect when I put the fish in after about 8 days of having the tank set up. Ammonia raised a little, then nitrites and nitrates. Then ammonia went to 0 and the nitrites and nitrates where all good! Now I have had high ammonia for about 5 days, it seems to raise to .5 over night and I am having to do water changes every day. I know you need a little in there to cycle the filter but also ideal conditions are 0 so as not to harm the fish. Im not sure if anyone can give me any tips or advice as I am worried about my fishies. They all seem ok other than one who is a little quiter than usual. Im testing my water everyday and changing the water as soon as I see the levels getting high.

Ammonia .5
Nitrites 0
Nitrates between 5-10

Thankyou Laura

 

[fluttermoth]

All I can really say is that your filter will still cycle with an amount of ammonia that's too small to show on our test kits, so try and keep it as near to zero as possible.

Large water changes are better for reducing levels of toxins than many small ones. I'm sure your bacteria will soon catch up; as you've had zero ammonia before there must be some in your filter! Have you disturbed it all? Changed any media out of it? Forgot to dechorinate?

 

[orli]

Hi, thanx for the reply. I do 50% water changes each time, Iv always used tap safe. I did clean out the filter as it was full of brown gunk but I did this in the tank water I had just taken out and I put the media back immediatly! I will do another large water chage in a minute, the guy in my local LFS, (small indepentant store) said to put in some tetra start thats supposed to start the filter instantly, and not to change the water! But iv had to otherwise im sure the fish wouldnt be here anymore and thats not fair on them!

 

[Malawakiwhite]

Hi, It's a case of bad advice I think. A tank should be cycled before fish are added this takes around 36 days and there are no short cuts unless you want to spend a fortune on tetra start type remedies for life and ammonia down remedies. I'd read up on fishless cycles and fish in cycles which would need to follow - search the net. The brown gunk you cleaned out is probably your friendly bacteria that eats ammonia and nitrites so you've likely reduced their numbers. I was told not to clean the filter for a good few months to let the bacteria establish. So you need almost daily 50% water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite reading to 0 until the bacteria take over. Hope this helps.