# Am I Screwed?



## Zolbaxil (Feb 28, 2010)

Yeaaahhh.... I have a moderately planted 10 gallon tank with an Opaline Gourami and an African Butterfly fish. Tank water chenistry is consistantly at....
Ph <6
Am 1ppm
Ni 0
Na <5ppm

The tank has been running for about 3 months now. I have an Aqueon 20 and an Aquaclear 20 for filtration. I keep the Aquaclear on low so the fish don't get blown about. I put a couple of seashells (after cleaning of course) to attempt to slowly raise the ph....and if the water is not changed for about a week it does actually make a difference...Brings it to about 6.4.

I simply cannot bring the ammonia levels down and keep them down. My tapwater tests at 1ppm consistantly. but its ph is 7.8....I'm at a loss.

The fish I have left seem to be just fine....and they have been here for the whole time....

Any good ideas?:fish9:


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## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

Aside from letting you tank mature more which would me my first idea. What kind of filter do you have?

Another option would be using Amquel to treat your tap water before you add it to your tank. It neutralizes Ammonia Chlorine and Chloramine. Here is a link to the products page. Kordon LLC - Kordon - The Original Amquel


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## Zolbaxil (Feb 28, 2010)

I have an Aqueon 20 and an Aquaclear 20 for filtration. Both are HOB's...the Aquaclear is about 2 weeks newer than the aqueon...both filters have a piece of established tank filter in them....


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## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

I would go with the Amquel then personally that way your tank isnt trying to catch up as soon as you do a water change


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## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

OR you could get an RO/DI unit
i love mine


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

yep, same here, love my RO/DI!!!! under 200 bucks for the unit, 25gpd, weekly changed 45g holding tank thats heated...yeah I love mine alot!


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## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

Are you treating your tap water before you add it to or while you add it to your tank? If not the chlorine will kill the bacteria in your filter. Also get some of your tap water and put it in a bucket with a bubbler going in it for 24 hours, this will tell you what your pH acutally is. My changes some too, but to test 7.8 at the tap and be below 6 like you say is odd. I am having the opposite problem right now, mine is testing 7.4 at the tap and is way over 8 once its in my tank and I have three huge pieces of driftwood. 
Either way you need to add Amquel or Prime and do daily water changes to get the ammonia down or your fish will die. They might not die right away but being exposed to ammonia levels of 1.0 for months at a time will shorten their lifespan drastiaclly. The Prime will detox the ammonia for 24 hours but it will still be available for the bacteria to feed on. ( Ijust remembered your tap water is testing 1.0 ammonia, and that is not good, you might have to go to an RO unit.
Good luck


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## Zolbaxil (Feb 28, 2010)

For treatment of ammonia from the tap I have been using Jungle A.C.E. (Ammonia Chlorine Eliminator) ... I have no idea if it actually works for the ammonia but given my fish are still alive...I figure it's doing the job on the chlorine or chloromine.

As for the tap water....the 1ppm is an average....sometimes it is more some times less...even zero....but the total average is 1ppm... 

and then there is the ph.... I think I'll follow your suggestion and airate some water for 24....see whats goin' on...one bucket treated one bucket not....might take a couple days as I only have one bucket.....


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Ammonia locks lock up the ammonia but normal test kits like the api ammonia test kit still test for ammonia even if all the ammonia is locked and safe. They also lock up oxygen and can cause pH to drop.

With your fish being fine my recommendation would be to stop doing the water changes.

I predict the ammonia will drop to 0 and the pH will rise.


but then my powers of prediction are sometimes not all that great.

all of which is worth at most .02


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