# Help still have lots of ammonia!!!



## dominick (Feb 16, 2006)

Does anyone know why I still have high ammonia in my 60G HEX?It's been setup for 2 months with only 3 feeder goldfishes.I change the water constant and have a emperor 280.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

what is the ammonia reading??


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## dominick (Feb 16, 2006)

8.0 dark green


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2006)

That's the PH!


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## Trouble (Oct 6, 2005)

are you using the AP master test kit? If so how often are you doing water changes and how much each time?

Have you tested your tap water..or whatever water you are using?


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

there would really have to be something wrong with the test kit if its testing at 8.0 on ammonia and you are doing water changes as you say. You really need to get another kit or take a sample to the LFS and have them test it for you.


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## dominick (Feb 16, 2006)

I'm using a brand new Freshwater master test kit.I did take a sample to my LFS and it reads the same.
I change the 25% of it once a week.


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2006)

OK well what's your nitrite, and ph reading? Just for the hell of it I would test your tap water for ammonia once BEFORE declorinating it and once AFTER declorinating it


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## Trouble (Oct 6, 2005)

Put your tap water in a container...test it...then let it sit for 24h then test again and see what ya get...also I would do more frequent water changes until you get that amm down. maybe every other day.


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## Trouble (Oct 6, 2005)

lotsoffish said:


> OK well what's your nitrite, and ph reading? Just for the hell of it I would test your tap water for ammonia once BEFORE declorinating it and once AFTER declorinating it


absolutely agree with this.


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

My tapwater has high amounts of chlorimine. When I use plain dechlor, I still get a reading for ammonia using the "Freshwater" kit. I now decholinate with "Prime" which neutralizes ammonia.


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## Trouble (Oct 6, 2005)

my tap water has 1.0 amm in it. So far it hasn't caused a prob with my cycled tanks...goes away pretty quick. I would do more then once a week water changes until you get it under control. Once a day if you have to.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

dang, do you vaccum out the bottom?? I just cant imagine ammonia being that high!


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

What kind of water conditioner do you use? Sometimes the dipstick gives a false reading depending on the type of conditioner used.

THere is a product out there called Amquel which binds with source water ammonia to make it harmless. And, used in conjunction with NovAqua, works very well to neutralize chloramines and other metals in your water. However, you will need to use a test kit with reagent bottles and not the dipsticks.


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## dominick (Feb 16, 2006)

I do vacuum out the bottom.I'm going to do that 24h test thing.
The kit i use has the bottles that change color and I match it with the Strips.
I think i might need more filtration don't you think?


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

there is a product i see in alot of fish stores called ammo chips. im not sure how well this stuff works, ive never had the need for them, but you might want to look into them, or someone on the board here will tell you if they are useful or junk. just thought i would bring it up incase everyone forgot about them.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

8.0 ammonia???

That doesn't seem likely in a tank containing still-living fish, but stranger things have happened.

25% a week water change is obviously not enough. Try 25% per day until you get things back under control. If your ammonia level is really that high, then the very bacteria which get rid of it can't function. Lower the ammonia with lots & lots of water changes until its around 1, and then you might be able to get this thing cycled.


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## Dong (Mar 24, 2006)

Get a better filter. I think your filter is not enough for your tank because goldfish produces way more ammonia than tropical fish. 

I am pretty new to aquarium but I will share my story. I upgraded to a 65 gallon aquarium on the 13th, with initial ammonia level of 8.0 because my mom dumped the water from the old 12 gallon into the 65 gallon which has ammonia reading way off the chart (should be more than 20ppm, if measureable, because we never got the tank to cycle. I think becasue it was overload, and filter was not really doing its job. I was in college so I don't really know how many fish my mom put into it, but they all died for sure).

With ammonia reading in the new 65 gallon aquarium >8.0, I decided to do a water change, which I think brought it down to 7.0 or so. I also put some bacteria booster as well as some ammo lock and ammo chip in there hoping they will keep ammonia in its nontoxic form because I was cycling with fish (yes, I admit I was desperate, lol). I also decided to try a different filter other than a power filter, so I bought a canister filter (fluval 404, creates a very nice water turbulence on the surface). I set it up on the evening of 15th, and the ammonia reading was still around 7 or 8 by that time. I did an ammonia test on the 17th and the ammonia level dropped to 4. The nitrite also rise to 2 ppm from 0. Unfortunately I was back to college on the 18th, but I called my sister last night and she did a test with 0 ppm of ammonia and 0 ppm of nitrite. I guess my tank is cycled, in a week (15th to 22nd), and all my fish survived the cycle. Thus I conclude that having an ammonia as high as 8 ppm does not delay the cycle (or maybe I was just lucky?). The major problem is with the filter.

I would recommend getting a better filter (emperor 280 is for 40 gallon). For 60G, I would spend a few extra dollars and go for a 75 or 100 gallon filter. Also, make sure the water are dechlorined before they goes into the tank as chlorine water will kill the nitrifying bacteria. I think too much water change is not recommended when cycling the tank. Just put some ammo lock or ammo chip and lower your PH to <7, but do so slowly, and hopefully your fish will survive through the cycle. Good luck.


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