ammonia over 4

[pipaloo]

Just wondering if anyone has seen ammonia levels this high in an old tank. My tank has been going for five years with the same ammount of livestock. It is fish only. The ammonia has been testing this high for two weeks, despite several big water changes. The fish are all doing fine, so I am wondering what could be causing the FasTest to show this reading, that, if accurate, would kill the fish.

 

[carshark]

how big is your tank? your fish are not fine with readings of ammonia like that!!! there gills are frying!! among other things..ammonia spikes happen whenever the tank cycles, so either you are feeding your fish too much, too many fish, or you dont have a proper clean up crew, immediate water change is absolutely neccessary here, also see if you can find an ammonia buffer, this will let your fish live long this needs to be done asap!!! two weeks? your fish are in trouble, id say 1/3 water change until the levels zero out!!! emergency here, if you have a QT get your fish to it pronto!

 

[pipaloo]

I have done three big water changes in this time and the ammonia will not go down. Also, I have been in this hobby for fifteen years, and I feed properly and have plenty of filtration. I successfully keep oriental sweetlips, and this fish along with all the others are behaving normally. I don't think that the ammonia could possibly be this high for this long without having fish deaths and signs of stress. I am wondering if there is anything that is known to alter the chemistry of the FasTest.

 

[carshark]

i didnt mean to insult you on this but maybe you could take a water sample to a LFS see what they say about it, maybe its just your tests

 

[pipaloo]

no offense. i just wanted to avoid wasting time with the obvious stuff. Anyway, I did buy new test powders, thinking it could be bad powders, but the results are the same. It's just such a mystery.

 

[pipaloo]

also the reason I mentioned keeping oriental sweetlips is because they are notoriously sensitive. I figure that if it is doing well, then the ammonia cannot possibly be this high.

 

[bigarn]

Sounds like you have a faulty or expired test kit. Try a Salifert test kit, they're about the most accurate out there.

 

[pipaloo]

The only thing that is bothering me is that when I test freshly made salt water the ammonia is zero, so I am thinking that there is something with my tank that is causing this high reading, while all indications are that it is probably not ammonia. But my guess is as good as anybody's as far as what it could be.

 

[ophiura]

Nitrite and nitrate are staying constant? Do you put any additives in the tank or anything? Do you use tap or RO water?