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Ammonia Questions?

1K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  goldfishyman 
#1 ·
Okay so I've had my little guy for almost 2 weeks now and I've already done a couple of 50% water changes (he's in a 3 gallon tank, artificial plants, small heater, small filter, aerator that he loves to play in). I checked the ammonia levels a couple days after I got him and it read 0.5. I thought that maybe it would cycle out and I just checked it again today and it is still reading 0.5.
This probably sounds really dumb but are there any products or natural ways that will help lower the ammonia in the water? I heard that adding bacterial supplements will help but I want to ask the experts before I put anything in!
Also, will changing the filter cartridge make the ammonia spike again? (The box says to change the filter every 2 weeks but that seems too often..)

Thanks so much! Leo and I will appreciate the advice :love:

(This is the first cycled tank I've ever owned so I want to make sure I'm doing it right!)
 
#2 ·
You don't have to ever change the filter cartdrige unless you care about having active carbon. By removing the filter you will get rid of mot of your bacterial colony.
It takes way more than 2 weeks to cycle a tank. Leave it alone and up your water changes.
Even when cycled because of the size of your tank you will need more frequent water changes to keep it stable.
 
#3 ·
When cycling a small tank while your fish is in residence (fish-in cycling) it is important to keep the ammonia below 0.25ppm. If you are using a liquid test kit to get your readings, you already know that you have to at least double the number of water changes.

Leave your filter media alone. That's where most of the bacteria live. Swish/rinse it in tank water every few weeks or when it gets funky.

Read this: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ssories/nitrogen-cycle-betta-specific-107771/

Keep us up-to-date on your progress.

Welcome to the forum.
 
#5 ·
Some fast growing live plants will suck up the ammonia. Some easy plants to get for this cause would be a floating plant like duck weed, water lettuce, amazon frogbit.. or a stem plant like hornwort or pennywort.. or wisteria. If you don't really want any future plant maintenance, I would suggest the water lettuce or frog bit. Your fish will love feeling the security of the plant canopy and they're both very easy to care for and very easy to get rid of if you decide you don't want them at all.. these are all pretty easy plants though, and grow pretty fast so they quickly absorb things from the water column.
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#6 ·
Thanks for all the advice! I went to my LPS and unfortunately they didn't have a very good selection of plants (tall Anubis and sickly looking onion plants). But I did manage to snatch up a wisteria (hope they make it they are so tiny!) and an Amazon Spear plant (honestly it looks pretty). I just did a 100% water change - mostly so I could rearrange the tank for the plants- and I will be upping the water changes. Rinsed out the carbon filter in the tank water and decided to take out Leo's beloved aerator...which he totally forgot about the moment he discovered all the leaves he could hide behind. Also, got 3 ghost shrimp on sale for 20 cents each and so far the only thing they've done is run head first into him.
But at my LPS I helped a lady decide on a 10 gallon tank and proper heating/care of her beautiful new pink betta girl (which she bought after I told her I'd hate to see her die there). Saved a betta from the tiny torture cup! :)
Again thanks so much everyone!
 
#9 ·
So I tested the tap water last night (just curious as to what it will say) and it read as 0.5ppm. Good thing I don't drink from it! I feel bad putting Leo in with it but hopefully the plants will help.
I didn't know that about the bacteria needing air so I'll put it back in thanks!
 
#11 ·
Welcome to the forum sounds like your doing a great job ! I just cycled my first tank a 5 gallon doing a fish in cycle, its great you have the testing kit and are keeping up with water changes I hope it all goes smoothly for you and just ask if you need any help or have questions there are many awesome people here to help !
 
#12 ·
If your tapwater is as high as 0.5ppm, you'll want to use a conditioner that reduces ammonia by turning it into harmless ammonium.

Many of us use Seachem Prime which does that. Other brands do also, but I'm not sure which ones. What are you using?

A few drops a day will do it. It works for about 48hours. Your test will still read 0.5ppm, but that will be ammonium.

It'll be nice, when the cycled and the ammonia test reads yellow, to know that your fish's water is cleaner than yours. ;-}
 
#13 ·
I've heard of people using Prime and I've been looking for it everywhere but so far I've been unsuccessful. I almost bought some AIP "Ammo-Lock" but then thought that I'd rather save my money and go with a brand that others have tried and had good results with. Unless of course that's a good brand too. (I feel like I go out almost every day after class to get stuff for him that he needs!)
Honestly I'd rather have his water cleaner b/c I can control if I drink out of the tap or not. He really doesn't have a choice!

Also, I know this probably goes under the "diseases" threads but I figure since this one is pretty active... So yesterday I got some ghost shrimp and I got one of those little packets of the small algea tablets. I broke it in half and put it in the tank and today Leo was doing fine. Well tonight he has a really distended stomach and a little bit ago was actually "sinking" when one of the shrimp was crawling on him (weird)-but then he started swimming again. Could this be because he ate the algae tablet? (I read that sometimes that can happen when they do that.) He's still pretty active but I am a constant worrier and hoping it's not something more serious. But he doesn't have clamped fins and from the top looking down there's not "pinecone" scales or anything. Now I feel really dumb for putting that tablet in if that's what's causing him to look like that. He's not eating the ghost shrimp, which was my first thought but they are all there. I feel so bad!! If anyone could help...I'll really appreciate it. :-?
 
#16 ·
Vegetable matter like algae wafers and peas are not good for carnivores---actually, insectivores. Your first step should be to fast him for a day or two to see if he recovers his appetite and energy. He might get hungry enough to eat the shrimp, which are good for him. ;-}

Frozen daphnia or frozen brine shrimp are considered roughage/fiber to enhance digestion.
Frozen is much better than freeze-dried unless that's all you can get.

A varied diet, consisting of a couple types of good-quality pellets (protein source as the first ingredient) plus bloodworms every few days and occasionally daphnia, is optimum, but you don't have to get carried away.

In any case, as with all pets, it's good husbandry to monitor his feces.
 
#17 ·
Could he have stuffed himself on some of the algae wafer? Betta's are carnivores but he may have tried it and liked it. A slice of pea every so often wont hurt him, but if your looking to clean him out and give him a treat grab some daphnia. You can find it in the frozen fish food area of your big chain stores.
 
#19 ·
I think he basically stuffed himself on the algae but today he looks a little better, not like he's going to explode. I was asking about the pea because I had read about other people using it but I wasn't sure because I know that veggie matter isn't good for them. I plan on fasting him for at least today. I do try to vary his diet but maybe he did like it! I know he liked it better than the shrimp..
He is doing a little better today though- I always freak out and worry anytime there is something wrong with one of my pets. I will go out (again) and try to find some daphnia or the frozen shrimp.
 
#21 ·
I would stop using the cartridge that came with it and replace with a sponge. Might have to strip off the cloth filter material and place it in the filter with the sponge. This will help it to seed if it already started. API ammo lock will work fine. You could use ammo chips to absorb the ammonia this way your test kit will not show false positives by using prime or ammo lock. Don't bother replacing the carbon. It actually removes some trace minerals and should only be used to remove medication after treatment. The original purpose was to remove the fish smell from the water and because in the old days of aquarium keeping it was believed old water was better and water changes were frowned upon. So they used carbon to remove what they can instead of doing water changes.
 
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