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Rook40
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Help with Ammonia levels - 2008/06/13 12:08 Hi,

I have a 29 gallon tank with 5 african cichlids (about 1 1/2 inches each). The tank has been setup with fish for 40 days and my ammonia levels are outragiously high. (6 to 8). I have a cascade 500 canister filter and have changed it once so far, I've completed 3 partial water changes (1/3rd each time) and added Biospira a week before adding the fish. I only feed them once a day and still cannot get the cycle to start. My nitrite and nitrate levels are still at 0. My local pet store recommended that I add a small bottle of smartstart which I did a week ago and ammolock to the water. I have done this and still levels have not changed. I have 1 fish showing signs of illness and another that shows red gills, but acts normal. Does anyone have any suggestions on anything I can do to lower these levels?

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Usmc2b2004
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Re:Help with Ammonia levels - 2008/06/20 18:36 Do you have any kind of rock in the tank?

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Robin
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Re:Help with Ammonia levels - 2008/06/21 08:31 When you clean your filter, squeeze the white filament or sponge (whichever you use) directly into the tank for the live bacteria and change the charcoal only. It will cloud your water for a few minutes but bacteria neutralizes ammonia. Keep up with the water changes without cleaning the substrate and change slightly more water. Sea salt or uniodized table salt will produce necessary slime coat for the fish and is less expensive than chemicals. Only put more salt when you change water. About 4 Tbsp. per 50 gallons or a handfull of rock salt. Keep plenty of oxygen going. Good luck

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riffraff
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Re:Help with Ammonia levels - 2009/03/01 15:10 The problem it would seem is that you've never cycled the tank. When you started out did you add all the fish all at once or did you add the fish slowly,like one a week so you could build up the necessary bacteria to break down the ammonia? If you didn't, even when you finally get to the point where the ammonia levels drop,you are going to have a problem with high nitrite levels which is just as bad.
If this is what's happened,see if you can arrange with the lfs to take back four of your fish and introduce them slowly,like once a week.
I would also do more water changes,like 10 percent weekly to keep the nitrate levels down when you finally get your tank cycled.

Post edited by: riffraff, at: 2009/03/01 15:11

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