# Help Me Please! Ammonia. then Nitrites now Ammonia again???



## CherylGass (Oct 25, 2007)

I am hoping someone can tell me what is going on. I unfortunatly bought a new 33 gallon tank almost 6 weeks ago and the next day bought some fish. (1 Heros Notatus(South American Cichlid), A Raphael Catfish, 6 Neon Tetras, 3 Glass Catfish and a goby Dragon) If I knew then what I know now then I would have waited for the addition of the fish. I used cycle, did 30% water changes every couple of days, sometimes every day if the ammonia levels or later the nitrite levels got too high. My ammonia levels dropped to 0ppm about 2 1/2 weeks ago and the nitrites began to spike. I started to decrease the frequency of the water changes at the advice of my local pet store to reduce the stress on the fish. Well yesterday the nitrite levels started to drop and today I have a reading of 0ppm. I was thrilled 5 weeks 3 days and I was cycled. Just for fun I tested the ammonia and it is up from 0ppm to 0.25 ppm. Am I starting over again? I have not added any fish. I did use mardel to treat for fungus but this was complete over a week ago and have been assured that this would not hurt my cycle. Please HELP me understand I can't find any other incidents of this happening.
Cheryl


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Welcome to Fishforum.com, Cheryl.:wave:

May I ask why you used the Mardel treatment? Was one of your fish affected by fungus? My advice for you is not to treat unless you know exactly what happened to the fish.

Stay calm. I'd do water change if I see ammonia again.

Good luck. Please don't hesitate to ask more questions if you do.8)


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## CherylGass (Oct 25, 2007)

*Thanks For the quick response*

I used the mardel to treat fuzz like spots on a few of the fish. I forgot to mention my bala shark (oops) He got it first and I put him in a small 10 gallon tank and treated him in there but then the cichlid got it and a couple of neons so I treated the bigger tank. ( I have purchased a 120 gallon tank I have some large species but i am trying to get this tank settled before I start messing with the big tank set up. I am planning to try fishless cycling with the 120 gallon) I have a under gravel filter as well as a power filter on the 33 gallon, and have been studying the cycle process like you wouldn't believe but I have never heard of the ammonia going up again w/o the addition of additional waste.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

*Re: Thanks For the quick response*



CherylGass said:


> I used the mardel to treat fuzz like spots on a few of the fish. I forgot to mention my bala shark (oops) He got it first and I put him in a small 10 gallon tank and treated him in there but then the cichlid got it and a couple of neons so I treated the bigger tank. ( I have purchased a 120 gallon tank I have some large species but i am trying to get this tank settled before I start messing with the big tank set up. I am planning to try fishless cycling with the 120 gallon) I have a under gravel filter as well as a power filter on the 33 gallon, and have been studying the cycle process like you wouldn't believe but I have never heard of the ammonia going up again w/o the addition of additional waste.


It would be best if you have pictures of the spots. It doesn't sound like fungus to me. Fungus happens only if wounds are not treated.


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## CherylGass (Oct 25, 2007)

I have read that fungus Can happen when the fish are stressed from poor water quality. The mardel seemed to work the spots all healed within a couple of days and the fish have been normal for a week, i don't have photographs but i researched fish disease and it looked like fungus from all the pics I saw. I wouldn't want to treat with anything else since the fish seem healthy. No ideas on what could be screwing up my cycle though I am soo frusterated I don't want my fish to suffer any more.  
Thanks so much YOU ROCK its good to have someone answer so promptly


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## CherylGass (Oct 25, 2007)

It also was only one spot on each fish not lots like ich they were also quite large considering.


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## Falina (Feb 25, 2007)

A number of thinghs can cause amonia to rise. Changing too much water at once, changing the filter media, addition of new fish etc. But regardless as to the reason for it the treatment is the same, frequent partial water changes until your levels are back down to 0. If amonia is present I recommend 20% water changes every second day to eliminate it safely and quickly.

Good luck.


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## dr heckle (Nov 1, 2007)

i have on thing to say if you dont have a filter buy one this will go a long way to fix the problem also try feeding a little less fish may not be eating all.
try these two things im confident that this will help.
it helped me when i had this problem.
another thing find a good pic of the nitrogen cycle in tanks this may help also. :wink:


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## CherylGass (Oct 25, 2007)

Thanks I actually have 2 filters one rated about twice the size of my tank. I am thinking that maybe because I was doing such large water changes during the ammonia stage that the bacteria did not get large enough to handle the load. So when I started doing less water changes I had a mini cycle. I am happy to report that I currently have 0 total ammonia and 0 total nitrites. Nitrates are high I am just waiting a couple of days to do a water change (just in case :wink: ) Thanks everyone for your support I'll see you again I am sure


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