[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

@ARMYVET @GameCzar @mommygourami Hey thanks everybody!! This forum really is a life saver and I appreciate everyone's input. A friend from work was actually saying he had some floaters that were taking up too much space in his community tank, so how perfect! But yeah as badly as I want to do something I just can't, so I am waiting and letting nature do it's thing. The tank looks really clear, which is really mean and deceiving btw haha, and I am waiting to see those ammonia levels drop... 3 days in to recycling the tank... so nothing happening yet lol 😅

[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

On 9/3/2021 at 10:24 PM, Hobbit said:

I’m guessing the nitrates you’re seeing are from the root tabs.

Is there a chance your bacteria starter has gone bad or mostly bad? If all the bacteria in the bottle have died, it could cause it to be full of ammonia. Then when you add it each time after you do a water change, not only are you not getting the beneficial bacteria, but you’re also adding ammonia. Just for fun, dilute a bit of bacteria starter in RO water and see if it tests positive for ammonia.

I’m with Zenzo in terms of strategy here—squeeze in some mulm from an established filter and let it sit. It could take 2-4 weeks for the cycle to fully establish even if you’re doing everything perfectly. (I’m sure you know that—just trying to give you some encouragement. 😄)

That actually occurred to me early today! I was at work all day so I wasn't able to try and test the bacteria. It struck me while I was at work, "like crap... what if the bacteria are dead and I'm just adding ammonia to the tank and doing the exact opposite of what I am trying to do." The bacteria have been kept in the fridge, which I heard doubles their shelf-life. But upon doing some research, it seems like there isn't a lot of trusted bottled bacteria and I am pretty sure it's just the basic imagitarium nitrifying bacteria. So I am going to try what you said and dilute some bacteria into my RO water and give y'all an update.

Edit** well I am delighted and equally frustrated to say it's not the bacteria. I diluted some into a 1/2 gal of RO water at the same ratio that I've been dosing her tank with and the test came back as 0ppm. So it's good that I'm not damaging my tanks with this stuff, but it doesn't solve the mystery haha. But yep I am in the waiting game now, I added some mulm and now I... do...... nothing 😅 not easy for me but ever since I got my first fish tank people have been telling me I am a more patient person 😂

[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

On 9/3/2021 at 10:17 PM, mommygourami said:

Did she out any fertilizers in her tank?  I just watched a video from Irene (Girl Talks Fish) where she accidentally poisoned her betta tank from some hardcore free root tabs she got from someone on etsy.  She ended up having to completely change out her substrate.

I added root tabs when I added crypts to her tank a month ago. Just the regular root tabs that API makes, so I don't think that would be the case. But at this point I am not sure, so I'll look into anything lol

[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

On 9/2/2021 at 1:30 PM, Patrick_G said:

Maybe @Zenzo’s onto something when he suggested some decomposing organic material in the substrate. Heck it could even be the old bacteria that had colonized the substrate. 

I'm wondering that too because I don't know where else the ammonia could be coming from. I was going to do one last water change today, so I'll make sure to clean the substrate really well also, and then I'll let the tank set for a week. Hopefully testing throughout the week will show that the ammonia is going away and the new beneficial bacteria is growing and doing its job.

[Diatom Bloom or an Actual Problem?]

On 9/2/2021 at 1:20 PM, Guppysnail said:

No matter how long you wait your bacteria will only grow to the amount of fish you have. If it were me since you have your betta in I would remove him home and add two kuhli. One will replace betta bio load one will grow more bacteria.  Wait a week before adding a third etc. test regularly 

edit diatoms will go away on their own

i also know nothing about kuhli so I’m assuming 2-3 fit in a 10

I always learn so much whenever I post here, so I really appreciate it! But okay how exciting!! That means I get to go fish shopping today which is the best day ever haha.

But you're spot on! I plan on having a total of 3 kuhlis in my 10 gal

[Diatom Bloom or an Actual Problem?]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:45 PM, Tihshho said:

Depending on the 'cleaner' that might work. I'd stay away from pleco's as they are going to be messy and will put a big bioload on the tank compared to what it had. Something like otto's would work great, but they can be a little sensitive so you might be best to add them later to a more established tank.

Hmm okay thanks, this gives me a lot to think about. I am going to my local fish store today to fill up my RO water jugs and do some window shopping. I'll ask around there and see if they think they have a fish that would be suitable for my aquarium right now. But I'm thinking I just need to keep my betta in it a little longer and let the tank get more established. I hate how much waiting there is when it comes to this hobby 😅

[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:34 PM, NanoNano said:

Good...Two other dumb thoughts:

* Have you tried a second ammonia test kit to see if you get similar readings?   Testing chemicals can get contaminated, go bad, etc.   Long shot,  but not out of the relm of possibility that it's the test that's gone bad not the tank.

* Would you tell us a little more about your substrate?   Could be that it absorbed a lot of ammonia at some point and it is now leeching it back into the water column.

Hey no dumb questions when it comes to trying to solve aquarium problems!

I haven't tried a second ammonia test kit only because I use the same test kit with my other tanks. Additionally I was worried about the test kit being the issue so I tested the RO water that I purchase from my local fish store and it came back as 0ppm, so it doesn't appear to be the test kit itself.

And for the substrate I am pretty sure we used imagitarium black aquatic substrate (I included a picture of what she bought). It is sand, so it is very fine.

[Diatom Bloom or an Actual Problem?]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:31 PM, Tihshho said:

If it were me, I'd add something just to make sure that the bacteria is still getting fed. Be it continue ghost feeding or just a couple of fish. 

That said, you mentioned you were testing ammonia, how are your nitrite and nitrate levels?

Nitrites are at 0ppm and the nitrates have been testing around 10ppm. But I do have my betta in the tank currently, however I don't want to keep him out of his tank for longer than I have to. So maybe I should return him to his tank and replace him with some type of cleaner fish in the 10 gal.

[Diatom Bloom or an Actual Problem?]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:14 PM, Guppysnail said:

I always start with 1-2 only and allow bacteria to grow and add slowly as parameters permits. For a 10 gallon I would start with 1 unless they are very small. 

If that's the case then I should just chill out and let the tank keep building up bacteria. I already have my betta in the tank and don't want to create any bio-overload issues. I could put my betta back in his tank and replace him with a kuhli, but the tank is probably better off just sitting for another week or so before I start adding different fish

[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

@NanoNano Are you asking if she used cleaning products when she did the full tank cleaning? If so, then no she did not use any cleaning solutions. Just a sponge, that I exclusively use for tank maintenance, and tap water to rinse off the algae... which I wasn't too thrilled about but thought if the filter and heater were sufficiently dried then it wouldn't really matter that she used tap water to clean her tank equipment. It should be noted that she did not add any tap water to the tank or used tap water to clean the actual insides of the tank.

[Diatom Bloom or an Actual Problem?]

@Tihshho Okay good that is what I was hoping for! Do you think it is time to start adding fish to the tank? I've always wanted kuhli loaches and am wondering if the tank is stable enough to add a few

[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

@Zenzo Good eye! She did have nerite snails in her tank at one point, but they ended up dying and have since been removed, so she hasn't had a nerite snail in her tank for probably 5 or 6 months at this point. She didn't know a lot about aquarium keeping in the beginning, so it has been problem after problem with this tank lol.

Also it could be something in the substrate. But when I planted the crypts (about a month ago), I did a very thorough gravel cleaning and then added root tabs, so I figured if something was under the substrate I would have gotten it. But it is sand, so maybe there is something really packed down in there?

But okay I'm going to try and do a bacteria dump and just leave it alone and see if the tank can self-correct itself. I am very ADHD and very hands on, so the hardest part about this hobby is just taking a step back and letting the tank do its thing.

[Diatom Bloom or an Actual Problem?]

Hey all, I just started a 10 gallon tank a little over 2 weeks ago. I had a filter sponge in one of my established tanks that I used to seed this new tank, added some anacharis and water sprite, and started the cycle going with small amounts of fish food. After about 2 weeks of daily water testing I noticed the ammonia levels reduced to almost 0 ppm and decided to add my betta in order to help get this tank fully cycled.

When I woke up today (2 days after I added my betta to the 10 gal) I noticed the water almost had a yellowish tint to it and this orangish/brownish algae is starting to grow on everything. I am hoping this is just a diatom bloom, which would indicate my tank is at the end of the cycling process, but I figured I would post on here before I decide on anything.

If this is just a diatom bloom, should I consider getting some type of cleaner fish and continue with the tank?

If it is not a diatom bloom, then what is it and how deadly is it to my tank?

Additional Info: Ammonia = 0 ppm. Nitrites = 0 ppm. Nitrates = 10 ppm. I also added a picture of the "algae" as reference

[Continuous Ammonia Spike in 5 Gal Betta Tank!! Out of Ideas!!]

My girlfriend's tank was covered in algae and without asking me she did a full tank cleaning.... filter, gravel cleaning, new water, everything. This caused the nitrogen cycle to basically have to restart which has been incredibly frustrating. A few days after she cleaned her tank I did my usual weekly water test and noticed a really bad ammonia spike (like around 4.0 ppm, I'm not sure how her betta even survived). So I immediately removed her betta and placed him in my hospital tank while I tried to reestablish the bacteria in her tank.

The day I noticed the ammonia spike I did a 50% water change and replaced her sponge filter with a sponge filter I had in my already established betta tank. And every day since I have been doing a 20%-25% water change and redosing with nitrifying bacteria to try and kick start the cycle.

It has now been over 2 weeks since I removed her betta. The first week I noticed the ammonia levels dropping, but every day for the past week the ammonia levels have stayed consistent at around 0.75 ppm. I use RO water from a local fish store (tested to show 0 ppm ammonia), there isn't any fish or other living creature in the tank that could cause an ammonia build up, and I'm not putting any food or other source of organic material into the tank. So I am very confused as to why the ammonia levels are still so high and why the water changes seem to be doing virtually nothing.

Additional Info: It is a planted tank with java fern and some crypts. The nitrites have consistently tested as 0 ppm (which indicates there isn't nitrifying bacteria present), but the nitrates show results anywhere from 5ppm-20ppm (indicating there is a source for nitrates somewhere... I don't suspect it to be from decaying plant materials cause her plants look great and there isn't any other organism or organic material in the tank, so the nitrates have to be produced from the nitrites?? which also doesn't make sense because over the last 2 weeks the nitrites have consistently tested at 0 ppm).

I am out of ideas on how to get rid of the ammonia because daily water changes is not cutting it and a seeded filter media also didn't help with establishing the bacteria. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Also I added a picture of her tank as reference.

[Dying Brazilian Micro Swords]

On 10/3/2020 at 9:45 PM, Candi said:

Evan looks like melt, you can trim that off, and clean the plant up a bit, but avoid trimming the new growth. New growth should be fully converted to your tank. In planted tanks, we don't really vac the substrate by plunging the vac into the substrate as you would traditionally in a non planted tank, as the plants use those nutrients, just lightly skim the surface of the substrate. The plants will need root tabs replenished every couple of months.

 

Thank you so much @Candi!! I trimmed off the melted leaves and cleaned the plants up. Not only do the micro swords look better, but I have seen more growth in the one day after trimming them than I have seen since they've been in my tank! Looks like they're going to survive, thanks for the advice!!

[Dying Brazilian Micro Swords]

Follow up question, do I need to reinsert root tabs every time I clean my gravel (technically it's sand)??

[Dying Brazilian Micro Swords]

I bought some Brazilian Micro Swords (Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis) online and they ended up spending 7 days in transit. This didn't seem to affect the plants too much, but I live in Phoenix, AZ so that heat doesn't help. I planted root tabs under them before planting the swords and made sure they got plenty of light, but the plants are dying anyways. However. there is a small amount of new growth and am hoping it continues. I am wondering if I should just wait for the rest of the old leaves to die off and focus on the new growth or if there is a way to bring the old leaves back to life. (I included pictures of its progression)

[What's your dream aquarium product that doesn’t exist?]

I, and I think everyone else, would LOVE a pill that makes water changes a thing of the past. I know you can create tanks that are nearly water changeless, however a pill that allows you to never have to do this again would be life changing. But @Cory and everyone else has pointed out that water changes are inescapable and you will have to do them eventually, there is no quick fix for water changes (except to just do them hahaha).

[Greetings From Phoenix, Arizona!!]

10 hours ago, Alison said:

Yesh that they are!  They are super fun to watch as well.  I'm believing mts is inevitable as well. I thought just one tank. I can do it... Just one. Now I want a betta, maybe a pair of wild type as well, threadfin rainbows, murder beans and more killifish. 😅

😂 Yeah just one... I keep telling myself that as well! Hahaha, but omg I looove threadfin rainbows!!! I am trying to get a bunch for the community tank that I want to build. We're gonna have to swap pics of our tanks when we get them set up!

[Greetings From Phoenix, Arizona!!]

4 hours ago, Alison said:

Lovely tank and lovely betta. I originally was going to do a planted community tank with a betta... then I got killifish instead. Oops. Guess I just need another tank for the betta. Oh well 😛

Oh killifish are gorgeous! If I am being totally honest I didn't plan on getting a betta or setting up a tank, I just went to petco and felt bad for the bettas and decided to buy one 😅 then I fell down the rabbit hole that is aquarium keeping haha. Apparently mts is inevitable lol 

[Greetings From Phoenix, Arizona!!]

2 hours ago, BlackLabelCarling said:

What a beautiful betta! ♥️

Thank you!! I am quite smitten with Jeffrey as well hahaha

[Greetings From Phoenix, Arizona!!]

Hey everybody my name is Evan and I just recently got into the hobby!! I currently have a 5 gallon planted betta tank, but I plan on getting a 40 gallon community tank soon. However, before I embark on something bigger (and most likely develop MTS) I want to learn everything that goes into keeping a planted tank. My theory is that if I learn how to solve every common problem that aquarium keepers run into, then I will be experienced enough for a larger community tank. As I am nearing that point I thought it would be fun to share my journey that has been getting Jeffrey's tank to a pristine, stable, and consistent condition. Although I am not there yet, I am having some trouble nursing my Brazilian Micro Swords back to life, it has been an entertaining, frustrating, oft times confusing, and extremely rewarding process. So while I compile the highlights of my first attempt at a planted tank, enjoy these pictures of Jeffrey!!

[When Will Nano Sponge Filters Be In Stock?]

It appears that the nano sponge filters are out of stock and I was wondering if anyone knew when there would be more. I need one desperately!

Thank You