# Ammonia Problems - HELP!!



## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

I have a 20 gallon freshwater aquarium (for about 1.5 months now). It seems I'm doing everything wrong. I don't think I ever let the water cycle correctly. I have 10 fish, 6 of which are catfish (albinos and others). I added them gradually to the tank. The other fish are orange with black tails (sorry I don't know the name). When I first started testing the water, the Nitrite levels were sky high. I tried various chemicals from Petsmart and nothing seemed to work correctly. I heard that high nitrite levels would kill the fish. My fish were also gasping for air at that time. So I started daily water changes (about 40%) for about 3 weeks straight. I added API Quick Start, Stress Zyme, Prime, and Stress Coat as directed with water changes. The nitrite levels are now non-existent as well as the Nitrate levels, but now the ammonia is about 4.0 ppm. I was told that the frequent water changes probably stressed the fish out and that I removed all the good bacteria from the tank and never let the tank cycle properly. I've used API Ammonia Lock, Top Fin Bacteria Supplement and Prime every other day but with no good results. I stopped doing water changes (now going on 10 days). Today I went to a regular fish store and this guy told me to put in Tetra SafeStart which has Bio-Spira bacteria. I did that today. Will that take care of the problem? My fish don't appear to be stressed. They are not gasping for air. No fish have died. Should I just stop and do nothing? I'm at a complete loss. He also told me to put in AquaClear Ammonia Remover (some kind of resin) in the filter system. The associates at Petsmart told me that would kill the bacteria. I'm confused. Any suggestions on what I should do with this ammonia problem?

I have two filtration systems. One filter with a bio-wheel and I just added a canister system. You would think that having two filter systems would help. I feed small amounts of food (once a day). My fish don't move that much now (orange fish with black tails); they just sort of stand in the middle portion of the tank (not on top or bottom). Does that mean they are stressed? Need oxygen? 

Thanks,
Eric in Fairfax, VA


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

Partial water changes should bring the levels down.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

I was doing partial water changes before and that didn't seem to help. Then I just stopped. Based on your advice, I did another water change (~20%). Anything else I can do? Anybody?


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

First of all I would stop using all those chemicals as they just mess with your water levels. The only thing you really need is something to dechlor the water, and IMO something to help kickstart your filter. To dechlor I use Nutrafin aqua plus, and to help the filter I use Nutrafin cycle. Now that you stopped using all those things I'd do a 20% water change every other day untill your filter had the chance to build up some beneficial bacteria. After that you can start doing regular weekly water changes. You will know once your tank is cycled if your ammonia levels are 0, nitrite levels are 0, and your nitrate levels are above 0. Untill then, regular waterchanges are the key.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

I'm guessing the black fish with red tail you're talking about are redtail sharks. I've been having ammonia problems a week ago. My ammonia levels have dropped to .75 (light greeish color according to broher-in-law's test kit) It's definitely has gone down some but I'm still a ways away from a healthy tank. Water changes is the key and it wouldn't be a bad idea to get your local fish store to test your water levels and let them point you in the right direction. 

It's been a learning curve for me the last 3 weeks but I'm slowly getting it.


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## fish boy (Sep 9, 2012)

A water change shauld do the trick. if the situation gets more serious and the fish get sick give it an aquarium or epsom salt bath. if you have any cocerns just post another reply to me. i had a problem recently where i had a fish that died because it was terribly sick and i dont want other people to have to do the same.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

hmmmmm...cats coulds be anything from cories to channel cats...orange with black tails could be swords or platies or goldfish...quite a bit of a bioload....not too good , but not that terrible either..
STEP AWAY FROM THE CHEMICALS !!!!!!!!!!!!
the quick start may be ok...but the only chemical you really need is "DECHLOR"..
prime will rob the aquarium of oxygen...i wouldn't rish using it if they paid me....
your tank is definitely not cycled...check your readings like this...
Ammonia first..then nitrItes...for now forget about nitrAtes..they are not important right now..
do 30% daily water changes...

one of the things i always tell folks......

THE MORE YOU SCREW AROUND WITH YOUR TANK ; THE MORE PROBLEMS YOU CAUSE FOR YOURSELF.......

the old " Keep It Simple" adage holds very true for this hobby...
your filtration sounds ok , just keep it running and don't disturb it.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

Thanks for everyone's help. I don't have any chlorine in my water. When I do water changes, I use bottled water (spring water). I test it before I place it in my tank. No chlorine, no nitrates, no nitrites and no ammonia. If I do daily water changes, am I not removing beneficial bacteria from my tank? 

I brought a water ample to Petsmart and they confirmed my ammonia levels were too high. They told me to stop doing water changes and to add the Stress Zyme and Quick Start every other day or so and let the cycle happen naturally. 

After adding the SafeStart (bacteria) last night, I see no change in my water. Ammonia levels are getting close to 8.0 ppm. 

Everyone here seems to agree that daily (or every other day) water changes are the key. You would think that taking out bad water and adding new water would dilute the ammonia levels, but it hasn't in the past. And yes, the orange with black tails are platies. 

If anyone has other ideas, please let me know. With ammonia levels this high, I fear I will start loosing my fish.


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## kcrunch (Aug 17, 2012)

IN your canister filter use some ammonia remover mixed with charcoal on one of the levels, that should help to remove and reduce the amount of ammonia as well. I am going to add the ammonia remover today again for my 2nd Eheim which is a 2213 only for mechanical and chemical. Its been about 2 weeks since the install, I might be changing it too often I am not really sure but I know the ammonia remover and the charcoal dont last long but I am not sure how long. I plan to do 3-4 oz every 3 to 4 weeks in the second filter of a combo mix. Hope this helps.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

All my fish are now gasping for air at the top of my tank; even the cat fish. One of my cat fish is about to die. Should I do a 50-60% water change today? I went to Petsmart again and they told me to start all over again with a new tank. I don't think that's the right answer.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

3 drops per gallon of hydrogen peroxide will oxygenate the water, if that's why they are gasping at the surface. I think I would do a partial water change and see if that helps the gasping issue first, though. Like loha said, stay away from the chemicals, like any type of ammonia remover, it will kill all the ammonia and the tank cycle will have to start all over again.


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## kcrunch (Aug 17, 2012)

So the ammonia remover and the charcoal from marineland would be bad in his case. Not saying if you use a little and change it every few weeks that would hurt the tank, I am unsure myself and seems like you guys here have experienced a lot. I am not talking about the one you pour in the tank bu the type that goes into the filter??? Out of curiosity do you have a medic or spare tank that you can take some of you current water out like 50% and add 50% new and add your fish to the second tank until you get the levels under control???


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Don't stop the water changes. If you do that your amonia levels will go through the roof. Do regular daily water changes (I know I said every other day before but this seems critical). I would still add a bit of dechlor to the spring water as bottled water is normally always treated to make it last longer. 

You said that the amonia level doesn't decrease? The only explanation for that would be that the water your adding has an amonia content, I know you said that you test the water before you add it but that seems to be the only explanation to me. 

If you do daily water changes you are not removing beneficial bacteria from the tank. The bacteria builds up in the filter, the only thing your removing is bacteria food (amonia in this case). But since you don't remove all of it there is still enough left to get your aquarium cycled.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

quit using the bottled water...just use tap water....i would also suggest getting an airpimp and a couple of airstones and run them...that will give the tank good aeration..


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

I tested the bottled water and it indicates 0 ppm of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrates. My tap water has 0 ppm of ammonia, but moderate levels of nitrites. If the tap water has nitrites, wouldn't that mean I would need to add some chemicals to bring the nitrite level down? By the way, one of my catfish did die. He appeared to suffer a great deal. I felt terrible. My other fish appear to be doing fine at the moment even with the extremely high levels of ammonia levels. 

It just doesn't make any sense to me. Even with a 40% water change, you would think the ammonia would become diluted but it doesn't seem to make any difference at all. 

My plan at this point is continue with the daily water changes (~ 20 to 30 %). I think I will go back to tap water and the declor and see what happens. 

Thanks
Eric in Fairfax, VA


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Ammonia should drop with water change. 8ppm ammonia can be high enough to kill off cycling bacteria, including the ones in the bottle. Bad advice not to change water. 

8 parts per million is a concentration. Changing 40% should give you (1-.40) * 8 ppm = 5.6 ppm. Still in pretty high territory. If the concentration of nitrate in the water was actually above 8 to start with, you could well still have 8 after a change. 

Nitrites is tap water is bad news. While nitrates are fairly common from fertilizer runoff, nitrites aren't. In most bodies of water, like aquariums, it gets converted to nitrate. Have this result checked by another test or test your test by using a standard.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

I decided to run some tests on my tap water compared to bottled spring water. As I noted earlier, the bottled spring water contains 0 ppm of ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. After I would do the water change with the bottled water (~40 - 50%), I would add API Stress Coat, API Quick Start, API Stress Zyme and Prime into the tank. I've been doing this for daily for several weeks. Ammonia levels still remained sky high. A few minutes ago, I filled up 10 (1) gallon jugs of tap water (preparing for another water change), added API Stress Coat and API Quick Start to each jug. I tested a sample from the jug and noticed that the ammonia level was between .25 ppm and .50 ppm and Nitrites were about .25 ppm. I then tested just plain tap water with no chemicals. Test results showed 0 ppm ammonia and 2.0 ppm Nitrites. I tested tap water with just API Stress Coat and it showed 0 ppm ammonia. I tested tap with with just API Quick Start and it showed .25 ppm of ammonia. 

I dumped out all jugs of water and refilled with just API Stress Coat (for chlorine and chloroamines). These are the results:
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: between 0 ppm and .25 ppm
pH: 7.6
Nitrates: between 20 - 40 ppm

From Test Strips:
Nitrate: Safe
Nitrite: Caution
Hardiness: Hard
Chlorine: Safe
Alkalinity: Ideal
pH: Neutral - Alkaline
Ammonia: Ideal

I am going to do my water change in an hour and will report on my results tomorrow morning.

Eric in Fairfax VA


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I wouldn't use that tap water. It seems way to "dirty" to use in a fish aquarium to me


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Are you sure it is a true reading? Is you tap water tinted, maybe with rust, giving it color before you add reagent? 

Once your tank is cycled, changing water with such low amounts will be safe as they will be converted to nitrates by your filter quickly enough. 

The important thing with water to the fish will be consistency, so you want to do now, what you plan on doing long term.

If you have ammonia at eight, don't feed the fish. Do not add more potential ammonia until you get it down around 1 or less.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

I just did a 50% water change and the ammonia levels haven't changed a bit. The tap water is clear. I think I'm going back to using bottled water tomorrow. I'm at a complete loss. If the high ammonia levels are killing the good bacteria, and I can't get rid of the high ammonia levels, what should I do? Can I buy frozen bacteria someplace? Should I clean the gravel again? I'll keep on doing water changes but if any one else has any ideas, let me know. It seems at least that the daily water changes are keeping my fish stable. Stopping the water changes (as recommended by Petsmart) was probably a bad idea.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I think youre adding way to many chemicals to that water. The only thing I know is to dechlor and keep up the water changes. I really hope your fish don't die. Don't replace the gravel, and stop changing things in your tank. Keep the same filter media, gravel, deco etc and just do water changes. Stop feeding like emc said. Your fish can survive without food for two weeks.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

you are going to keep having problems,.,.,.,you keep jumping back and forth with water and chemicals...causing everything to rise and fall erratically....if your tap water is well water you don't need to treat it at all...

now i am gonna catch all kinds of heck from the experts but...............................


if you have well water.........NO CHEMICALS AT ALL.......all the junk you are putting into the tank is probably giving you false readings...and very often prime will rob the tank of oxygen...

20% water change every day.......DO NOT TEST...........
make sure that the new water is within 2 or 3 degrees of the tank water.....
oh yeah......what is the tank temp ????...put it at 78 degrees F.....
after 1 week test the water....do not mess with filter cartridges...every couple of weeks 
swish it around in a bucket of clean water....then put it back in....there is nothing in the well water to kill the gacteria that is needed...
check in every few days to let us know how things are going....


these are just my suggestions...you don't have to do anything that you don't want to.....like i tell folks...i am not the expert....i am still learning this hobby....


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

The tank temp is 78 degrees. Our water is from the Potomac River; it's not well water. The only chemical I put in my water yesterday was the Dechlor. I didn't put any other chemicals in the tank after the water change. My tap water has some traces of Nitrites so I'm going back to bottled spring water. I'll stop feeding the fish for a couple of days. I haven't done anything with the decor in the tank other than cleaning the gravel a few weeks ago. I figured all the decaying food would contribute to the high ammonia levels. I do have four live small plants that are surviving well (no decay). I checked the ammonia levels this morning and there is no change.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I'm sorry I missworded something about the gravel. I meant not to change the gravel, but you should siphon out the decaying food. That being said only siphon where you have decaying food right now as bacteria also builds up on the gravel and you don't want to disturb that. 

Keep only using dechlor and stop with all the other chemicals.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

some of the chemicals will cause what is called a "false positive" test reading...prime is one of them...
i still recommend that you use the tap water and just do the 20% daily waterchanges...
look closely at your bottled water label and see what kind of filtration system is used on it...many types of bottled water such as aqua-fina are put through an RO type filtration..a 7 stage RO system at that...that water is so pure that it will not support aquatic life..
i am a firm believer that the more we mess with our tanks , the less stable they are and the more problems we have with them..keeping our tanks in the least complicated manner as we can results in fewer problems such as deaths and diseases...
check with your city water department to see what their most recent analysis is and if they are adding any special chemicals to the water that would give you elevated readings...

it is your tank and your fish....it is your right to do as you see fit with them...these are only my suggestions.....the very best of luck to you..i hope everything works out well...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Some of the "bacteria in a bottle" products have ammonia to feed the bugs.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

Ammonia in the bottle of bacteria? That's nice to know. I was wondering how bacteria could live in a closed system. When I asked the guys at Petsmart how can bacterial live in a bottle with no food or oxygen they said "call the manufacture and ask them". So much for subject matter experts. I beginning to think all the chemicals they sell is a big racket. I did another water change this evening. Tap Water. No chemicals other than the stuff to remove chlorine. I stopped feeding the fish yesterday. I won't feed them again until this weekend (5 days) after I clean the gravel. I'll continue with 20% water changes every day using tap water. No chemicals. I'll let you know if the ammonia levels come down at all. 

Eric


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Good plan, I wish you luck


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

*Status of Ammonia*

I've been doing 25% daily water changes since my last post. The only chemical that I have added to the tap water is something to remove chlorine. Minimum feedings. Yesterday I vacuumed up the decomposing food and poop from the gravel/stones. The ammonia levels still remain about the same. Nitrate and Nitrite levels and everything else, besides ammonia (4.0 ppm) and water being acidic, is fine. I've lost an albino cat fish. If there is anything else I should be doing, please let me know.

Thanks,
Eric in Fairfax, VA


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## sean_130 (Sep 19, 2012)

Air pump and air stones will help as lohachata had said


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## aMawds (Aug 29, 2012)

I have to disagree with Lohachata about prime. I used it in two tanks during a cycle. It allows ammonia levels to rise a bit without effecting the fish by changing the ammonia into ammonium which is still eaten by the same bacteria while being much less harmful to the fish. So it does not effect the cycle. You do also get a "false positive" on the test kits because the ammonia is still there, just in a less harmful form. It isn't really a false positive, you can just allow the levels to go a bit higher than normal. I would absolutely suggest double dosing it. It can rob the water of oxygen at very high dosages if you have low water movement but a bubbler on the opposite side of the tank or the two filters you're running take care of that. It also neutralizes nitrites while still not affecting the cycle. This stuff saved a lot of fish when I was being an idiot. Within an hour most fish immediately change their behavior.

Keep up the gravel vacuuming though. Bacteria will not be disturbed enough to matter in the gravel when we're talking about getting rid of massive sources of ammonia. 40% water changes daily as well. With a double dose of prime initially, then single doses every single water change. As in dose for the whole tank, not just the amount of water you're changing. Prime is also a dechlorinator so do not add anything else. Do not change filter media as already said. Do not go on days of not doing water changes like those people at the pet stores claim. Water changes slow down cycles when the levels are still pretty low. But ammonia above 8 as mentioned just kills the cycle, and of course at that point the fish will likely be dying as you've noticed. But also as others have said, changing routine over and over again stresses fish and messes with things as well. Those chemicals likely were never tested together and plenty of them have overlapping ingredients that do the same thing. So while dosing all those chemicals, you're likely double or triple dosing some of the ingredients. Stay away from all the magic bottles. Pick one thing tried and proven, and use it. I'm telling you right now, prime is not a magic bottle like some people claim, but it's one tool I refuse to work without anymore when cycling a tank with fish in it.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

There is honestly no reason, at all, to use chemicals like Prime. Dechlor is all you need. You have messed with the water so much in the last little bit that I am not surprised it is all out of whack. IF you add anything you could use the cycle or a product called Stability. Stability has the biology you need to cycle a tank. I have used it with good success. However you do not "need" it. Stop messing with the tank. 

You really really really don't need stress zyme. It adds slime coat to your fish unnaturally, often by irritating the skin. It's a pointless product, your fish are capable of defending themselves without that. 

I get how having high ammonia will freak you out, it would freak me out too. I have often done water changes without an immediate drop in high amounts of ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. However they stabilize out lower inside about 5-6 hours. 

Now that your ammonia back down to 4.0 things should start getting better because it's no longer so high that it will kill off the bio-filter before it can establish. 

Obviously do not add anymore fish. 

For future reference: Small tanks like this (less than about a 55ga) should always be cycled fishless. Some folks disagree with that but I stand firm on it. Without fish if things get like this you have no worries, you just wait it out. With fish you have to pay more attention.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Fishless is best, but most beginners don't find us until they've lost a fish or two in their brand new tank. Stores tout the bacteria in a bottle as an instant cycle, but it often doesn't work out.

If you have a bacteria in a bottle, you could try another dose. I think the super high ammonia killed off you bacteria, so you are essentially starting over. When these products work, they are a great help and shave weeks off the "cycle". This issue is that even the best brands don't always work. Maybe they got killed in shipping, or something in your water isn't compatible with that particular strain or your ammonia is high enough to kill them.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I lost my whole first tank because I didn't know about fishless. I didn't have a ton of fish in there, but 100% more than I wanted to loose for sure.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

I have two air pumps / stones in my tank. I've had them there for over one month.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

aMawds said:


> I have to disagree with Lohachata about prime. I used it in two tanks during a cycle. It allows ammonia levels to rise a bit without effecting the fish by changing the ammonia into ammonium which is still eaten by the same bacteria while being much less harmful to the fish. So it does not effect the cycle. You do also get a "false positive" on the test kits because the ammonia is still there, just in a less harmful form. It isn't really a false positive, you can just allow the levels to go a bit higher than normal. I would absolutely suggest double dosing it. It can rob the water of oxygen at very high dosages if you have low water movement but a bubbler on the opposite side of the tank or the two filters you're running take care of that. It also neutralizes nitrites while still not affecting the cycle. This stuff saved a lot of fish when I was being an idiot. Within an hour most fish immediately change their behavior.
> 
> Keep up the gravel vacuuming though. Bacteria will not be disturbed enough to matter in the gravel when we're talking about getting rid of massive sources of ammonia. 40% water changes daily as well. With a double dose of prime initially, then single doses every single water change. As in dose for the whole tank, not just the amount of water you're changing. Prime is also a dechlorinator so do not add anything else. Do not change filter media as already said. Do not go on days of not doing water changes like those people at the pet stores claim. Water changes slow down cycles when the levels are still pretty low. But ammonia above 8 as mentioned just kills the cycle, and of course at that point the fish will likely be dying as you've noticed. But also as others have said, changing routine over and over again stresses fish and messes with things as well. Those chemicals likely were never tested together and plenty of them have overlapping ingredients that do the same thing. So while dosing all those chemicals, you're likely double or triple dosing some of the ingredients. Stay away from all the magic bottles. Pick one thing tried and proven, and use it. I'm telling you right now, prime is not a magic bottle like some people claim, but it's one tool I refuse to work without anymore when cycling a tank with fish in it.


I'm sorry to disagree with this but don't add anything but dechlor to your water. You need that steady routine and adding another chemical now will just mess with things. You will also not need bacteria in a bottle products as this would introduce even more amonia to the water. The bacteria will form by themselve, just give them time and keep up the regular waterchanges.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I use Prime for new tanks and if I find a dead fish I use the "emergency" 4x dose to protect the survivors from ammonia until I change water. It is usually safe to use as directed, but the oxygen deprivation risk is real and it more expensive than plain dechlor. Never OD a water conditioner that says something about "slime coat". They are either oily (fake slime) or irritating (make slime). The is one place where we disagree. We each recommend what works for us.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

True that about everyone recommends what works for them. But honestly I think we can all agree on using the littlest amount of chemicals as possible.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

like comes from like. Spontaneous generation was disproved 200 years ago. bacteria doesn't materialize out of thin air, though it can be carried on the wind. All tanks get seeded with bacteria from source water, air, gravel, people whatever. Loha's fish room is probably full of the good stuff. But the better job you do with all new and sterile stuff, the longer it will take for seeds to take root. I like the idea of buying the good stuff, but some bottles are better than others and it is entirely possible for it not to work. The whole "instantly cycle add your fish right away" thing is a big gamble.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Everything you add, you should use for a reason that you understand and you should know the risks and drawbacks. Stores are full of "proprietary formulations" that promise all sorts of things without telling you how they work. Don't go there. 

I am not opposed to chemical waste removal in theory. I just think it is complicated, expensive and requires more effort to watch than I am willing to put into a tank.

Chemical is not a bad word. Natural is not a good word. Spider venom is natural.

But Loha is quite right that the more you "mess with" a complex system the more likely you are to create additional problems. You shouldn't change more than one variable at a time and you need to keep a detailed log of what you've done when. The simpler you keep it, the more likely you are to keep things consistent and successful.


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## aMawds (Aug 29, 2012)

BettaGuy said:


> I'm sorry to disagree with this but don't add anything but dechlor to your water. You need that steady routine and adding another chemical now will just mess with things. You will also not need bacteria in a bottle products as this would introduce even more amonia to the water. The bacteria will form by themselve, just give them time and keep up the regular waterchanges.


Prime is a dechlorinator. That's the magic of it. And it's something that I've never heard of people complaining about. I can just speak from my own experience, and others who praise it. I really do love the stuff. It isn't a bacteria in a bottle either. It's just a neutralizer of ammonia and nitrites, just like dechlorinator is a neutralizer of chlorine. It works on exactly the same method. It contains the "other half" of ammonium. It simply adds a proton to ammonia, converting it. Again, ammonium is readily eaten by the same bacteria. Also, adding prime until things settle down does become a routine. We're talking about ammonia levels at twice to four times the levels we normally see as lethal to fish. At those times, chemicals may be necessary. But the amount he's adding, because idiots at the store and bean counters in advertising are telling him to, is a horrible idea.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

My ammonia levels appear to be on the way down (between 2.0 and 1.0 ppm). FINALLY!! I continue with the daily water changes. I did add one thing to my tank (don't yell at me). I added a small Eco-Bio Stone. I did research on it and about the only negative comment anyone has made on it is that it claims to reduce the need for water changes. The perception is that you don't need to do them at all, which is not true. Since I added the bio stone, my tank water has become crystal clear and the ammonia levels are going down. I'm not sure if that's just coincidence or not. I will continue with the daily water changes until ammonia levels are down to 0 ppm. Then I will go to weekly water changes. I did loose an albino catfish which I can't find in my tank.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I hadn't heard of those. any porous rock can hold bacteria, so they could've seeded it. It mentions calcium, so it will likely up your hardness a little like putting in a shell.


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## GuynVA (Sep 15, 2012)

http://www.onedersave.com/ecobio-stone-l.htm


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

great to see things finally settling down for you guy...keep at it..


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## aMawds (Aug 29, 2012)

GuynVA said:


> My ammonia levels appear to be on the way down (between 2.0 and 1.0 ppm). FINALLY!! I continue with the daily water changes. I did add one thing to my tank (don't yell at me). I added a small Eco-Bio Stone. I did research on it and about the only negative comment anyone has made on it is that it claims to reduce the need for water changes. The perception is that you don't need to do them at all, which is not true. Since I added the bio stone, my tank water has become crystal clear and the ammonia levels are going down. I'm not sure if that's just coincidence or not. I will continue with the daily water changes until ammonia levels are down to 0 ppm. Then I will go to weekly water changes. I did loose an albino catfish which I can't find in my tank.


Don't forget, Ammonia going down means Nitrite's going up. You're half done with the battle though. But pay attention to that Nitrite spike. Not until those levels are down to 0 as well, and everything is getting converted to nitrates, can you say your tank is newly cycled.


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