# What's the best way to get rid of ammonia in new tank?



## wendex (May 24, 2008)

I thought my tank was cycled cos I got readings 0 for nitrites and ammonia but just over a week after getting first fish the ammonia went up to 0.25 and fish weren't moving much.

I was advised to do a 50% water change and told that the chances are my tank wasn't cycled. After water change I treated the water with cycle and the fish have been swimming around and looking quite happy since but my ammonia readings are still 0.25 even though the cycle bottle says it gets rid of ammonia and I can only use that every 7 days. 

Should I do water changes until ammonia reads 0? Will this prevent the build up of good bacteria? I think I may have over fed the fish and there's a lot of food on the bottom of tank but I was told not to clean the gravel cos it's a new tank but I'm thinking it might help if old food makes ammonia levels rise.

Please can anyone advise me what to do cos I don't want the fish to get sick.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hi
do a water change and just hoova above the gravel to get
rid of the food.
you may have made a spike due to the amount of fish you added,
may have been to many for ther filter to cope with.
keep checking the water and let us know how you get on.
but don't panic.


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## herefishy (Dec 14, 2006)

Patience and water changes.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

+1

Water changes if levels are at or above .25, otherwise it takes longer to fully cycle. It's possible the Cycle stuff is giving you a false reading so you may wish to avoid it to know what your parameters are doing.


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

Flashygrrl is right. A lot of those treatments will "detoxify" the ammonia so it doesn't hurt the fish, but the water tests will still get readings of ammonia.


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## wendex (May 24, 2008)

Hi fish seem ok, they tend to be inactive for about a day after I do a water change 20% I'm testing every other day to check ammonia levels the test water is ever so slightly green not even reading 0.25 now so that's good I'm hoping. I'm thinking that I should I revert to weekly water changes to give the tank a chance to build up it's bacteria, cos the fish don't seem to like it when the water's changed and it seems to be causing them stress. I'm not sure what's the best thing to do now?


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

Are you treating the tap water to remove chlorine and other things? Is the water you are adding the same temperature as the tank water? You need to use an accurate thermometer to test this, NOT just your hand.


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## wendex (May 24, 2008)

Yeah I'm using a water conditioner and a thermometer, I'm boiling a kettle and adding hot water to get the right temperture water b4 adding it to the tank, and I thought maybe cos I'm not letting the water reach room temp. slowly maybe the water conditioner I'm putting in doesn't have time to work b4 I add water to tank, this is the only thing I can think I'm doing wrong. The water conditioner doesn't say it gets rid of ammonia, but I've been told the ammonia levels that I've got shouldn't be having 2 adverse effect on fish. Thanks for taking time to help


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

why don't you test your water right before adding it to the tank so we know for sure?


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## Andyandsue (Jan 23, 2007)

Water changes and patience are the best thing for cycling a tank once it's been started. Sounds to me like it may have been cycled and then you added more fish? If you got a 0 reading on nitrites and ammonia without any fish it's because there was no ammonia to get the cycle started, unless you did a fishless cycle by adding ammonia.

Read up on cycling here. It is the easiest way to understand it. 
http://www.bestfish.com/newtank3.html
http://www.bestfish.com/breakin.html

Some people do not like this product or have not had good luck with it, but I HIGHLY recommend Biospira. I can't say enough about it. It's a natural product, and will give your cycling a huge jump start by adding nitrifying bacteria to rid the tank of ammonia overnight. I have used it to cycle every one of my tanks. It does not cycle the tank completely, but gets rid of ammonia. It must be purchased at a reputable LFS with a high turnover, and it must be refrigerated to ensure freshness. I've never had a fatality during cycling with with thanks to this product.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Susan-

Great links. I think I FINALLY get it.  
I've printed out the info and will keep it on hand so anytime I'm tempted to post another question regarding cycling I'll refer to that first.

Thanks so much for posting that!
Kym

PS. That's a great looking dog. Yours?


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## Andyandsue (Jan 23, 2007)

You're welcome. Those two links are what taught me about cycling when I first started. After I read it I was like "oooohh now I see" and I'm always posting them here.

Yup, that's my girl. She is a 10 year old boxer-lab mix that we rescued from a vet. She was taken to this vet by her owners who had her for 7 years because they didn't want her any more and thought they could have her just put down. As a life-long dog owner I can say she is one of the best dogs I've ever had. She is great with my kids and my cats.


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## wendex (May 24, 2008)

Thanks for the links very helpful, I really should have read up more b4 getting started but I think my tank is ok now been over a month and ammonia, nitrites reading 0. but I have got a cherry barb with a silver spot (I've asked what it might be on another thread) just hope he's not sick. Thanks again


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## Andyandsue (Jan 23, 2007)

Silver spot could be anything if there is only one. It may very well be just a scale missing. I would use Melafix until you know more. Another natural product that will not effect the water parameters, fish, or plants in any way but works wonders. I use it regularly when I change the water. It's avaialble at all chain stores. Works miracles!


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