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amonia

2K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  redchigh 
#1 ·
Hello,
I was the dumb novice who added my fish before cycling my tank...well Here it is two months later, noone has perished in almost that long etc..
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-aquariums/help-38819/

I can't keep my amonia under control, my nitrites and nitrates are at 0...my ph is 7.6-7.8 consistantly..but my amonila is always around 2 on my chart. I have done several 25-30% water changes in the last couple of weeks, there are alot of live plants,(hornwort, moneywort, and mondo grass..with a potted arrangement of plants I do not know the names of, my filter is the aquaclear 110tank is 46 gallon
My fish are as follows: 7 betta, 2 small pleco, 2 ballon mollies and one male guppy. All seem healthy but what can I do to reduce my amonia?? My filter has an amonia remover, but it doesn't seem to help.

Both of my 10 gallon male betta tanks are fine, amonia stays at o...? What am I doing wrong for my big tank?
Thanks!
 
#3 ·
Have you tested your tap water for ammonia? If not, test it. If your water tests for ammonia just use a water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia, like Seachem's Prime. You will still get a reading for ammonia when testing, but the Prime changes the ammonia into harmless ammonium. Ammonium does not harm fish.
 
#4 ·
noone in my area that I know kelly.
Lisa, I filter the water...same water that goes into my betta tanks..BUT I DID NOT filter it when I started the tank! So most of the water is from my tap originally. Ewe!!
So I should take out the amonia eater from the filter then?
Thanks girls!
 
#6 ·
ok just checked the tap water. Unfiltered is at .25ppm and filtered is at oppm. So that rules that out. :( where to go from here? Last week my betta girls all had what appeared to be amonia burn on their gills(red lines) ...this week only one remains like that.
Lisa I use a conditioner and stress coat too
 
#9 ·
I don't think an ammonia "remover" would keep the ammonia from the bacteria since I'm pretty sure bacteria can use ammonia and ammonium (just like plants do)

Now the ammochips actually absorb ammonia, not convert it... so if that's what you're using, maybe they're full and leaching it back out.

If you want to use them until your tank cycles, I don't see a problem with that- that won't remove ALL the ammonia.

Ammochips look like activated charcoal, only white. If that's what you have, remove them and let them soak in a STRONG saltwater solution overnight. That will "recharge" the ammonia chips.

Then rinse them, and put them back.

When nitrites and nitrates appear, remove the chips.
(assuming nitrite and nitrate are 0, you are somehow killing your bacteria.)
 
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