Ammonia in tap water.

[Wendyjo]

Nearly all plants, unless grown in a sterile environment, have beneficial bacteria clinging to them and if you plant heavily this can greatly help with the cycle.

[ChoclateBetta]

I don't think you can grow plants in a sterile envirement.

[Wendyjo]

I think the ones in the tube won't have much if any bacteria, whereas ones straight out of a tank will.

[ChoclateBetta]

What?

[Wendyjo]

The plants that come in the plastic tube - they are in there for so long that the bacteria will have died on them.

[ChoclateBetta]

Oh those.

[Hallyx]

Originally Posted by Wendyjo

Nearly all plants...have beneficial bacteria clinging to them and if you plant heavily this can greatly help with the cycle.

Right, all added surface area helps, silk plants or live. Nitrifying bacteria grow also on the stock and, according to Thunderloon, even in the corners of your eyes and mucus membranes---anywhere there's moisture.

[ChoclateBetta]

That is gross. Did you know there are more bacteria in your body than people on earth. Did you know most people americans included have parasites.

[colorxmexravyne]

Well, I guess I actually didn't solve the problem.

I tested my water before and after changing it today. Before the water change, the ammonia was unusually high AGAIN at 0.5ppm. This time, the nitrates were still in check at their usual 5ppm. Nitrites were (and always are) at zero. After the water change, the ammonia's back down to the *almost* zero (0.0059ppm according to this) that it was at the last time I updated.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think I might actually have a reason for the ammonia being so high this time. I was gone for a grand total of about five days. That's five days without me being here to turn my tank light on to give the plants the amount of light they need, which is usually somewhere around 8 to 10 hours. Needless to say, when I came back I had to do a little damage control because some of my plants were starting to die off and rot. Whether or not five days was enough to make nearly 0.5ppm of ammonia, I don't know but I suppose I'll know for sure next week (or possibly Thursday) when I do my water change ~

[ChoclateBetta]

Originally Posted by Hallyx

Right, all added surface area helps, silk plants or live. Nitrifying bacteria grow also on the stock and, according to Thunderloon, even in the corners of your eyes and mucus membranes---anywhere there's moisture.

And where there is food how would they get food in the corner of your eye?