[ILLBETHEJUDGE]

HI
i have a 10 gallon aquarium with an aqua-tech 10-20 filter, heater set at 79, air pump and 1 betta, 4 platy and 5 ghost shrimp and i tested the water today and the ammonia was 1.0 and the ph 7.6, sinece i a new to this; Is this good or bad and what to do?
thanks!

 

[ao]

Im not sure since I do daily water changes out of a galon jar... but if you have ghost shrimp they'll die first when the ammonia is slightly high. Ideal ammonia levels are 0, Ive heard somewhere that even 0.5 is bad and 2 is lethal, or will give your fish ammonia burns and significantly shorten his lifespan even if he somehow survives.

Im just a novice at this though, but Ive read a lot over the past two weeks...

 

[Myates]

It's not good, no.. it depends on a number of things why the ammonia is high..

What is your water change routine?
Water conditioner?
How long has it been set up, is it cycled?

In a 10 gallon, no live plants, filtered you should be doing roughly 50% every week with siphoning of the gravel with the water change..

Your pH is fine.