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Hey everyone. i was woundering, i bought test kits to test my amonia and nitrite levels. is it uncomon for them not to be at zero?

My nitrite is at .25ppm and the amonia level is at .50ppm

If anyone has any information about keeping stable levels please reply.

Thanks Ben_C

Hi Ben,

There are a couple of things to think about, first when
purchasing test kits, and then later with the results of
those tests.

First, the kits themselves. The most popular ones are
either test strips, or liquid tests. Strips are notorious
for giving false results. They must be kept cool, and
dry, and out of any sunlight. They "age" easily, and
do not give the best results. Most frequently the colors
they turn are somewhere between the color chart provided,
and one has to guess the results.
The liquid tests are, generally speaking much better and
"age" slower.
In either case be sure that whatever you buy is within
its expiration date. Never buy an "old" kit.

Next, the results.
Most water treatment plants now-a-days, use a mixture of
chlorine and a chemical compound called chloramine to kill
off bacteria. Chlorine will eventually dissipate off into
the air on its own. The chloramine, however, will not and
it must be removed with one of the many additives that are
sold in pet shops for that purpose.
Chloramine is a mixture of Chlorine and ammonia.
When you treat the water to remove the chlorine
and chloramine, the conditioner changes it to chlorine,
which dissipates, and a non toxic form of ammonia.
Your test kit is designed to reveal any amount of ammonia
of any kind. So, reading a small amount of ammonia
(usually around .25 to .5) is generally normal
and can be considered the base level.

If you are using untreated well water, then the tests
results you have listed, would reflect the runoff
of fertilizers or other contamination, getting into
your well.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi Ben,
Welcome to the site
When you mention that your test results are .25 and .5 is that the results from your tap water or from the water in your tank?

If it's from the water in your tank it looks to me like you're cycling a new tank or an established tank is going through a mini cycle. You can read more about the cycling process here

If those results are from your tap water there are a few things you can do to stabilize your water before it goes into your tank rather than using chemicals. Let us know we can help direct you better .

^_^

Yes the tank is relatively new. Although the hole fish thing isn't that new to me. I have had tanks before but have never really gotten that technical with it. The tank is probably three weeks going now. There is fish in it and they all seem to be pretty healthy. Thank you everyone for your input. Very helpful

At three weeks you're cycling

Read up on the link I have in my earlier post, feel free to ask any questions you have about it.

Keep doing water tests once a day. At this point don't change anything about your tank, and hold off on doing a water change till the ammonia and nitrite naturally drop down to zero. Keep a close eye on the fish, if they start having troubles let us know, you can do a small water change at that point but the cycle needs to complete itself so that the tank is fully established.


Sorry if you know any or all of that already, it's always good to have a reminder of the process for other people reading the forums.

^_^

I just recently started a fish tank that's 1.28 gallon and had it for three weeks now.I have two black angels and two neon fish,i've been taking sample of my water to the fish shop and my water isn't normal,the sales associate suggested that i should change my water and add prime and stress zyme+ to my water,however my fish seems to be doing good otherwise without me changing the water with prime added to it. What should I do? Also my tank is a picture frame aquarium.

alfred johnson

Hi Alfrejohn Welcome to the site.

First off, unfortunately your tank is way to small to house the fish you have. What you're trying to do is the equivalent of keeping three St. Bernards in a camper van. Sure it'll work 'ok' when they're a week old, but not for very long.

Have a chat with your fish store, see if they'll exchange the fish you have for a betta. They're also known as siamese fighting fish. Have a read through their profile that I linked to.
In as small of a tank as you've got one single male betta is all I'd suggest keeping in it. If they won't do an exchange, keep your eye on the classified section of your paper for a larger tank. You'd want a 20 gallon tank at the very least. If it comes with filter and heater and a stand all the better, but you can also purchase those online for a lot cheaper than in any of the chain pet stores.

Have you read at all about the cycling process? There's a link in my earlier post, here it is again, have a read through that as well. It's really really really good to have your own set of test kits so that you know yourself what the specific readings are. Having someone tell you your water is 'not normal' really doesn't help. Seems the sales associate only wants to sell you products and doesn't really know anything about keeping fish.

Keeping an aquarium does require weekly water changes, of about 10% of the water. This is done to remove the nitrAte that is the final stage of the biological filtration which is explained in the cycling process link posted earlier, and also to provide fresh water. When doing water changes you will need some form of chlorine neutralization since the chlorine and chloramine that the water company adds is lethal to fish. However a properly cycled tank that is not overcrowded (like yours currently is) will not require any additional supplements once it is cycled.

^_^

Hi All
I'm sure I'm not the first or will be the last...have a 44 gal aquarium for several months and in it I have 4 mollies, 3 zebra daninos and 2 tiger barbs. I had several tetras and platys but they all died within a short time...it seems my ammonia level is quite high. I change the water at weekly at 10% but then went to 15% and now did 30% and add 2 caps of ammonia lock each time but when the water is tested the ammonia is 3-4(blue) but everything...nitrates and ph are okay. I've reduced the amt to a sprinkle for feeding once a day. I also use a battery operaed siphon vaccum besides the siphon when changing the water. I've replaced all filters,charcoal, sponge, bio filter and have even added an extra filter that is supposed to reduce ammonia...the 9 fish have been with me from the beginning and seem to be happy but I'm concerned about adding addtional as the level of ammonia would just kill them. I'm at a loss to what to do to rectify the problem. Any suggestions no matter how wild will be appreciated...except the one "trade in fish for a dog" smirk...thanks

Hi VIN,
Let's start at the basics and work our way up.
First, what are you using for a test kit, strips,
or liquid? How old is the kit (is it still within the
life span on the container(s)?

Second, have you tested the tap water?
Draw a CLEAN (no soap residue) glass of water, let it
stand for 12-24 hours (no kitty or dog spit added) and
then test it.

Third, "we" all tend to be skeptical when someone says
some reading is "normal" so would you please also include
readings for all of your tests your kit is capable of?

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi
At first I was relying on the pet store to test the water as it was free...and there is no reason for them to lie as if my ammonia is high then they frown on purchasing new fish. So for weeks I would try different things..reducing their food..changing the water 10%,20% and now 30% weekly ..using ammo lock and then I went and bought my own kit just a few weeks ago so I wouldn't have to keep going back to the store but according to the kit and the store ...my ammonia level is like the fish are swimming in urine but they have all survived except for the cardinals and the platys and I was warned that they are not hardy fish. My water is clear and there is no algae..the ph is okay and the nitrates are okay. Tried testing tap water and it passed with minimal discoloration 0 ppm of ammonia. Thanks for the quick reply hope this helps give you more info to help me correct the problem.

I lost two angel fish today,however dont no the cause. Why is the rest of my fish wiping against the gravel as the pass by.

alfred johnson

Hi Al,
You were "tipped off" about the potential problems with
your tank in an earlier post. You have a "tiny" tank and
are trying to house fish in it that do not belong in there.
Additionally, it's a "new tank" that can't have
"cycled" yet and the buildup of toxins is weakening
and killing your fish.
From your comment about the fish that are still
alive, swiping themselves against the gravel you may also
have a parasite that came in with one of the fish and is
now spreading to the others. That activity is called
"flashing" and is generally the result of an irritation
by the Ich parasite. The parasite, Ich, looks like a grain
of salt sitting on the skin of the fish.

You will need to have the water tested. The Ammonia, and
Nitrite are probably too high. If you can see even one
"grain of salt" on one of the fish, you will need to treat
the tank with a medication to eliminate that parasite.
A trip to a petstore with knowledgeable employees is a
necessity. Talk with them about your problems and follow
their advice. Pick up a basic book on aquariums, one that
covers the tank, its size, the gravel, filtration, and
heaters, basic plants, and maintenance, and read through
it. As you read, and learn, you will soon discover that
successful fish keepers soon learn some biology,
and chemistry, as well as some geology, physics, botany,
and interior decorating. It's not a matter of picking a
tank, tossing in the gravel or marbles (the worst thing
to use) pouring in the water, and chucking in some pretty
or odd looking fish, and expecting success.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi Vin,
Well, your comment about having the tank setup for months
should eliminate the problem of "cycling" as the cause.

It sounds like there is a breakdown somewhere in the
cycling process. According to theory, if you were to
put some ammonia in a cycled tank, the ammonia reading
should rise and then radically drop off as the bacteria
colonies in the tank grow from the additional "food" and
the ammonia level return to normal within a few hours.

Have you any undiscovered dead/decaying fish hidden
somewhere in the tank, behind/under rocks, inside some
sort of castle or something? That would be a great, but
terrible cause of the ammonia.

You are doing the correct things to eliminate the problem.
Water changes, and cutting back on the amount of food are
a good start. Are you also vacuuming the gravel at the
same time as the water change? You should. Look at the
tank, and mentally divide the unplanted areas into four
sections. With each weekly water change, vacuum the gravel
in a different section, right down to the bottom of the
tank. That way each month the entire, unplanted sections
of the tank have been cleaned. With your cutting back on
the food, you might keep in mind that generally speaking
a fish's stomach is no larger than its eye! It doesn't take
a whole lot of food to feed a fish! You should not feed
so much that the food reaches the bottom of the tank in
any even small quantity.

I would do a massive water change and besure to keep the
replacement water within a degree or two of the water in
the tank so you don't temperature stress the fish.
Start out with 50-75% of the water. Change it again the
next day, wait a day, and do it again. Wait a couple of
days and do it again, etc. With the replacement water
reading "good" coupled with good house keeping and sparce
feeding, you should soon dilute that soup down to normal
values.

By the way, that chemical that you are using "Ammonia lock"
simply changes the "type" of ammonia from the toxic kind
to a non-toxic kind but.. it is still a "variety" of
ammonia, and your test kit will still read it.
So, a reading down around "point" something -not- something
point something, is generally ok. .01 or .02 "might" be
normal for the tank.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--