Ammonia Off The Charts!!!!!!

[chevcam]

Is it normal to have ammonia levels so high that they don't even come close to the highest reading on my test kit. I'm in my 6th week of my cycle and went from a trace to spike in 5 days. I'm showing some nitrite now as well as some nitrate. My ph reads low so should i buffer it up?BTW i do have six damsel not doing so good because of high ammonia,If I had to do it over again I would never cycle with fish seams cruel.

 

[backstab]

Your first question,... yes.
Second one,... sure. but your main problem is the Amonia.
do you have any LR? LS? If not add some. Water change first, say 50%. This might save the fish.
If you just added all six at once that was the problem.

 

[chevcam]

I do have about 40lbs LR and the fish have been in there since the first week. For the first 4 weeks water was great not even a trace of any thing then wow it all hit at once. so I should do a water change would that slow down the cycle or do I have enough ammonia to go around!!

 

[backstab]

Yea, the change will help and I think you have plenty of Amonia.
The thing that concerns me is that this came to a head so quickly. you might want to pin point the cause. Can you think of anything that could have caused this.
Is the test kit you have good, has it been contaminated, and have you retested?

 

[chevcam]

I actually have three ammonia test kits and they all read about the same. I'm thinking of putting the damsels in my newly set up QT tank but it's only 20 gal might be to much for that. If i did move the fish could i leave it empty through out the rest of the cycle?

 

[mbrands]

Originally posted by chevcam
My ph reads low so should i buffer it up?
NO! Don't add anything to buffer pH. I wouldn't even test it until the cycle is complete. pH will fluctuate during cycling.

 

[chevcam]

Ok so should I just let it run it's course or reduce some of that ammonia?

 

[mbrands]

Are there fish in the tank? If so, I'd suggest a water change to try to keep them alive. If not, do not change any water. A water change will only make your cycle take longer to complete.

 

[backstab]

Originally posted by chevcam
If i did move the fish could i leave it empty through out the rest of the cycle?

Yes.
Adding the buff isn't going to hurt it but if your PH gets to low you'll damage and kill off some of the org.'s living on your rock. Common sense.

 

[chevcam]

Thanks, you have been very helpfull !!!

 

[cowfishrule]

cycling with fish :nope:

 

[hexagon30]

6 weeks shouldnt it have fully cycled already?

 

[new2u]

cycleing with fish :happyfish --->

 

[chevcam]

Ya that's what the LFS said to do thanks to most of you I've been educated on the right way such as raw shrimp but what's done is done and the LFS has conveniently went out of business which I think did the hobbie a favor!!!! I plan today to do a LG water change should help them out. and to answer the ? should it have cycled yet ,what i've heard is it could take up to 6 to 8 weeks depending on your tank size etc.

 

[cowfishrule]

my tank cyc'd in 4 weeks, and i didnt use shrimp.. the die off from my rock, plus the flakes of food i dropped in there did the job for me... i enjoyed that shrip, instead :happy: