# Ammonia levels just won't go away



## rico334 (Dec 3, 2011)

Hi, new member here but have had at various times over the past 30 years a 125 gal, a 75 gal, a 35 gal and several 10 & 20 gal aquariums. Never had much of a problem with any of them. 

Right now, I've got a 10 gal that's just about to conquer me !!!

Let me start from 2 months ago. I bought everything new and set up the tank in my office, treated the tap water, let everything run for a week before adding fish (no live plants). Added a couple of mollies and danio's and within a couple days, they were dead. Couldn't find my past test kits so bought a new API master test kit and found my Ammonia was approx 4.0 in the tank.

Over the next couple of weeks, I did numerous water changes along with treating with an ammonia lowering agent. The best I could ever get the level down to was approx 0.25ppm, added a couple more zebra danio's and a couple of glowtail tetra's and within a couple days, levels had shot up again and I lost a zebra.

My office building is 50-60 years old and heating and cooling are ancient. A couple of mornings when it was cold and the heat had been turned up, it was like 90 something in my office. I got to thinking maybe the high/low fluctuations of temps may have something to do with it, so I tore it all down and moved it home last week. 

I saved about 25% of the old water and added 75% new at home. I've still got one zebra and two tetra's in the tank, last night the ammonia was approx 2.0ppm, another 50% water change today along with water treatment for ammonia and just tested and I'm hovering around 0.50ppm still. 

What is up with my ammonia levels and what can I do to get them under control ?


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## Future Marine Biologist (Aug 24, 2011)

Exactly how many fish. I think your tank is overstocked. (You also need at least 6 zebra danios, and if you meant glowlight tetras you need at least 5.)


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## rico334 (Dec 3, 2011)

I don't think a one inch zebra and two 3/4" tetra's is overstocked right now. These 3 are apparently pretty durable little fish, they've survived the ammonia ups and downs along with a complete tank tear down and rebuild over the past month. 

I don't want to put any more than these hearty survivors in until I get a handle on this problem. If you're saying I need more than these to try and get the cycle going, maybe that's where I'm missing the boat, but everything I was told, you don't want many in a new tank until everything is stabilized.....


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Just sounds like your tank is trying to cycle. Put the few fish in with fresh water, not sure what the reason for re-using water was, and test for ammonia everyday. Start off with testing for nitrites as well. If it is 0, then start test every few days. If the values get above 1ppm, do a water change of at least 25-30%. If it gets up to 3+ppm, do a 50% water change. Re-test and re-evaluate the next day and so on.

Stop adding ammonia inhibitors...they will just stal the cycle.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

the ammonia is going up because of the new bio load (Fish waste) Either cycle without fish, or do as Ben said above and test daily and stay on top of water changes to keep levels down.


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## rico334 (Dec 3, 2011)

Ok, stay away from using the Ammonia detoxifier..... can do that.

From what I'm hearing, water changes are all I should be doing until the tank stabilizes, is that correct ? And can someone give me the quick version of just what the term "cycling" refers to, either a fishless cycle or cycling with fish ? I guess I'm confused about just what the term means, I've always thought that starting out with de-chlorinated water with the proper PH balance were the keys. 

Guess I also thought that the ammonia, nitrite and nitrates were all fool proof managed with the tanks filter system and unless something really bad happened, it stayed pretty stable. I guess with all my previous tanks, I've just been lucky and not had a single problem to cause concern.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Kinda nut shell here and i'm sure super simplified but as I understand it. It's called the nitrogen cycle. Each new tank/filter setup goes though this.


Essentially, fish poo, which becomes ammonia which is toxic to fish. In time bateria grows that feeds on ammonia but create nitrite, which is toxic to fish. In more time more bateria grows that eats nitrite but creates nitrate, which, yep you guess it, toxic. No bateria grows to eats nitrate. Weekly water changes get that out. Nitrogen cycle over until you physically remove all the bateria that has grown.

Until ammonia is introduced into the tank, the cycle does not begin. (ie, running tank empty doesn't prep the tank for fish.)

Welcome back to the hobbie, feel free to ask as many questions as you can.


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## rico334 (Dec 3, 2011)

Great explanation FishFlow...... I see the purpose of water changes now.... Never really had ever figured that one out other than thinking it was just fresh water able to carry more oxygen maybe than old water..... I'm certain I'll be back with more questions..... Thanks Again !!!!!!!


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## jen13189 (Oct 7, 2011)

actually you do want some nirates some nitrates are good for the tank it depends on the type of water you have and water temperature you have it when the cycle finishes.Also it depends on how hard or soft your water is for nirtates and ammonia.test your tap water first to see how much ammonia is in it.then test your tank water. sounds to me like its not cycled all the way. if your nirtItes reach 0 and your ammonia is 0 your cycle is over.if you have nitrAtes below 60 your fine i believe.


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