Suggestions! .. Little Bit Of Ammonia

[chelsiethegreat]

so yesterday my ammonia was at 0.. and today it was slightly higher .. im planning on doing a 10 percent change in my 10 gallon tank... but do i need to rustle up some dirty water to take out? or gravel vac out that gallon? or just take a gallon straight from the tank without rustleing or vacuuming.. ?

 

[FishFanatic04]

Is your tank cycled already? I always use a gravel vac to take out water just because its easy.

 

[chelsiethegreat]

yeah... well.. i had a fishless cycle with a dirty filter from a friend for about 2 weeks.. then i did a water change and after a few days changed the filter (which i feel now was a bad idea ) but now a few days after a 40 percent change my waters' already getting cloudly... its been 4 days, so i think i'm just gonna do a 10 percent change with the vacuum the keep as much waste outta there as i can... i have a half dead argentine sword in there as well.. should i take it out?

 

[FishFanatic04]

When you say changed the filter, did you change the whole filter? Or the media? DO you still have any of the original media that belonged to your filter in it?

My point is that I use old media to cycle my tank, and after a few weeks I was able to take out the bits of old media because the media that came with my filter was colonized with enough bacteria. But if you completly switched to new media you may have lost your bacteria. I keep reading that dying plants create ammonia. You could try that.

 

[chelsiethegreat]

yeah... i realize that now.... i suck! i should have just rinsed it with my tank water.. .. now i'm starting all over.. my poor guppies.. suggestions?

 

[FishFanatic04]

Can you get more media? I started my first cycle with fish and no media and its kinda awful. You'll end up doing 90% water changes during the nitrite spike

 

[chelsiethegreat]

no not really.. i just have to hope whats on the one i have in theres' enough.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Yikes. I've heard the bacteria can double every 24 hours. I hope its enough. Goodluck!!

 

[chelsiethegreat]

did a 15 percent change this morning... readings are normal this afternoon..i have plans to do a 40 percent change on wednesday and maybe another 10 percent before then if i have to.... i'm just thinking that i need to keep as much waste off the tank floor as i can to help the bacteria even itself out! ! ! ? am i thinking wrong?