MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Hello Everyone, I am reaching out for help! I have a 15 gallon Fluval Flex tank with a couple of Kuhli Loaches, 5 Pea Puffers & 6 Tiny Neon Tetras. It is heavily planted with all of the plants doing very well. Everything is green! All my Levels, PH, Nitrate & Nitrite are all perfect. However my Ammonia will NOT go down. I noticed a spike at .5 ppm the other day. So I have been doing 50% water changes. For a day it goes down to nothing then the next day it is right back where it was before. I have been doing water changes for a while and still no luck.. I cleaned the filters, the tank was cycled for a month before I added fish but still no luck.....Not sure what to do... This is making me very worried and am losing confidence on my hobby I love... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 @MICRO-TANKER, what are your Nitrite and Nitrate readings and what’s your PH? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 (edited) Nitrate 0 Nitrite 0 PH Varies its always 7.2-7.4 Awesome tank! I almost want to take everything out of my tank and start over because i really try to take care of my tank but nothing is working Edited January 18, 2022 by MICRO-TANKER 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 In a heavily stocked aquarium with messy eaters (pea puffers) ammonia will almost always appear on a test strip. I wouldn’t fret too much. Some advice. Frequent large water changes can shock the bacteria and make them less efficient. So I would go back to whatever your water change schedule is. The other is when you clean the filters make sure to just dip them in aquarium water to remove mulm and build up in a separate container. Running it under the tap will kill the beneficial bacteria and you will be essentially restarting your cycle. While your ammonia levels go back down you can buy ammo-lock to reduce the toxicity of the ammonia. Your plants will take care of the nitrate but the bacteria needs to convert it first. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH Morant Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 I would recommend that you not clean the filters unless the flow is obstructed, and when you clean them you should not clean them thoroughly. If you remove all the brown gunk, you are removing your beneficial bacteria. A truly clean filter is bad. At a pH of 7.2-7.4, 0.5 ppm ammonia is not toxic, so you have that going for you. Below is a ammonia toxicity chart from aquariumscience.org: The most accurate way to illustrate the toxicity of ammonia is a chart derived from the University of Florida ammonia toxicity chart (Publication #FA16, “Ammonia in Aquatic Systems”, Ruth Francis-Floyd). 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 I would like to say I have a Fluval Flex 9. I had issues with water parameters too. I even hot rodded the back chamber when i first got it when others in a thread I started recommended it. Then one day the pump stopped without my knowing and of course there was an ammonia spike, followed by an Ich outbreak, and later even Columnaris or something like it I never exactly ID'd. In the end, I bought an aftermarket pump that had variable speed, keep it relatively high flow AND I put a Co-Op nano sponge in the main chamber backed by a lithium backed air pump so the pump break down issue never happens to me again. I haven't had an issue since. Just saying "maybe", since I found it lacking, your Flex needs a little hot rodding too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 On 1/18/2022 at 9:09 AM, MICRO-TANKER said: Nitrate 0 Nitrite 0 PH Varies its always 7.2-7.4 Awesome tank! I almost want to take everything out of my tank and start over because i really try to take care of my tank but nothing is working Ok, next question, have you ever had Nitrates above zero? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 (edited) @xXInkedPhoenixX Yes they have been over 0 at one point but not in a long time. What is hot rodding?? Edited January 18, 2022 by MICRO-TANKER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua junky Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Have you tested your water straight out of the tap? Its not uncommon to have ammonia or Nitrates straight from the tap especially if your on a well. How are the fish acting? Stressed, do they appear to be gasping for air at the surface? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 (edited) @Aqua junky Tap was tested no ammonia or niotrate.. A couple days ago i noticed fish at the surface.. So i ended up pointed my flow up so it splashes a bit. I believe it was an oxygen problem Edited January 18, 2022 by MICRO-TANKER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 (edited) You can do small daily water changes add prime to detoxify any ammonia you could also add some seachems purigen to your filter that will help to remove. Ammonia and nitirte and nitrates Edited January 18, 2022 by Colu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 @Patrick_G One strange this is ive never had any algae.. my water has always been clear and im now wondering if my tank may have a cycling problem... could that be it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 On 1/18/2022 at 9:52 AM, MICRO-TANKER said: @Patrick_G One strange this is ive never had any algae.. my water has always been clear and im now wondering if my tank may have a cycling problem... could that be it Not everyone gets algae blooms as a symptom of cycling. Especially if you have plants they outcompete the algae for resources. sorry I know that was directed @Patrick_G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 I think we are coming to the conclusion that your tank never cycled OR maybe it did but if you added fish quickly it crashed the cycle. New tank cycles are fragile. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 @Biotope BiologistThank you for the response! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 @xXInkedPhoenixX I think you may be correct. I did give it 4 weeks to have its first cycle but im think you may be correct.. I think me worrying and doing water changes every day is not helping. What steps are best to take? I use Fritz Aquatics Fritzyme 7, its Bacteria for the tank.. Since im somewhat of a NOOB can anybody give me advice to cycle again with fish.. I am willing to put the money and work into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laritheloud Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 (edited) What was your cycling process without fish, if I may ask? We can help you troubleshoot what went wrong. Daily water changes and using Seachem Prime will help the most throughout your cycling, just keep being diligent. EDIT to add: This tank is pretty heavily stocked, too. 5 pea puffers is a lot for 15 gallons along with the other fish on your list. Edited January 18, 2022 by laritheloud 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 On 1/18/2022 at 11:58 AM, MICRO-TANKER said: I cleaned the filters Maybe you killed off your bacteria colony. Anyone you know keep a sponge filter? So… there’s risks in this, but I’m crazy. Here what I’d do: If your LFS keeps sponge filters, ask if you can buy a new one, and exchange it for a used one from their tanks. So you walk out with a primed, bacteria-drenched sponge filter in a plastic bag full of tank water. Bring home. Plug in to an air pump. Voilà… instantly cycled. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 (edited) If you start as you are right this moment: Essentially you'll be doing now what is called fish-in cycling. What that means in simple terms is this: monitoring ammonia and nitrite levels and daily small (sometimes larger if testing is really bad but I found 25% daily when doing it worked) water changes, treatment of water with something like Prime (my personal preference) until you see ammonia disapear, nitrites 0 and nitrates anything above 0 and below lets say 40 just to give a number. Edited January 18, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 @laritheloud Had the tank set up. Used API quickstart water got cloudy after a while.. Had nitrite and everything talked with my local fish store they said that was the sign of cycling thats when i added fish.. Im assuming im wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laritheloud Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 On 1/18/2022 at 1:28 PM, MICRO-TANKER said: @laritheloud Had the tank set up. Used API quickstart water got cloudy after a while.. Had nitrite and everything talked with my local fish store they said that was the sign of cycling thats when i added fish.. Im assuming im wrong If you did not add an ammonia source after adding quickstart and continue adding an ammonia source daily, that isn't cycling your tank, unfortunately. So you're starting from scratch. You can add bottled bacteria to try and help this along! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Hot rodding a filter is when you fill it full of sponge or other media to optimize it's capacity. Here's a video the Co-Op did where Cory hot rods a Marineland portrait tank. Not the same kind of tank as you have, but it has the same kind of compartment to it. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 My guess is the tank never really cycled, or didn’t cycle enough to process the waste from those messy Pea Puffers. At this point you’re doing a fish in cycle. For me that would mean doing frequent water changes and using something like Seachem Prime to detoxify the harmful waste products. Fortunately you probably do have some beneficial bacteria already in the tank so it should go fast. oops, I just noticed other similar conclusions above 😄 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICRO-TANKER Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 Thank you everyone! i think we solved the problem i appreciate the help! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 On 1/18/2022 at 10:54 AM, MICRO-TANKER said: Thank you everyone! i think we solved the problem i appreciate the help! Let us know how it turns out! Did anyone mention adding more plants? Floating plants and fast growing stem plants eat up ammonia and look great. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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