Hi- I just set up my fish tank about 2 weeks ago.. after a week- I added 3 danios (my tank is 28 gallons). 6 days later (today) I got my water tested and the guy said that the ammonia level was a little high, but I could add two more fish, so I added two fire dwarf gouramis. He also said that I should add some additive that will lower the ammonia level, but I should do it an hour or two after adding the new fish so there not soo stressed out. is he right or should I just add the additive now? its been about a half our since adding the fish.
Fish tank w/ too high ammonia?
- Thread starter Megan
- Start date
FIrst of all, they just wanted to sell you more fish because that is their business and they want to make money. If there is ANY ammonia in the tank, you should NOT be adding any fish!! Any ammonia at all means your tank is not cycled and the fish won't be healthy until it's finished cycling. If you add more fish, it will make it worse.
The additive may help for now, but it's not a long-term solution. So if you can destress the fish with it, that might be a good idea.
You should get your own test kit so you can check your own water. It'll be easier than constantly bringing it to the store. Takes only 5 minutes. Buy the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, it's the best value for your money (does over 800 tests) and is reliable and accurate, unlike strip tests, which are not able to accurately test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, which are the three most essential tests.
If I were you, I'd go back to the store and yell at the guy who sold you more fish when you had ammonia in your water!!! You are stuck in a fish-in cycling situation now, so all you can do is do lots of water changes to reduce the ammonia as much as you can. The test kit will really help so you can tell if you've changed enough water. The cycle will be over in 1-2 months and you will have a cycled tank where any new fish that are added will be much healthier.
The additive may help for now, but it's not a long-term solution. So if you can destress the fish with it, that might be a good idea.
You should get your own test kit so you can check your own water. It'll be easier than constantly bringing it to the store. Takes only 5 minutes. Buy the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, it's the best value for your money (does over 800 tests) and is reliable and accurate, unlike strip tests, which are not able to accurately test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, which are the three most essential tests.
If I were you, I'd go back to the store and yell at the guy who sold you more fish when you had ammonia in your water!!! You are stuck in a fish-in cycling situation now, so all you can do is do lots of water changes to reduce the ammonia as much as you can. The test kit will really help so you can tell if you've changed enough water. The cycle will be over in 1-2 months and you will have a cycled tank where any new fish that are added will be much healthier.
I agree with the others. Your danios are basically your "cycle fish." Your tank is still cycling. Until ammonia and nitrites level out to 0 ppm, you should not add any fish to your tank. If the store has a return policy on fish, I would return them AND the ammonia remover--it's a waste in my opinion. Use that money for some at-home water test kits. When your tests read 0 on ammonia and nitrites, THEN you can add a few more fish. Starting a tank can be slow, but just be patient and give it time. You'll be glad you waited instead of wasting money on dead fish after dead fish. =) Good luck!
T
tkchaos
Guest
Ok stop listening to the pet store guy before he kills your fish. Tanks need to cycle to build up good bacteria. This helps to keep ammonia in check. Ideally it's best to cycle for about 2 weeks. Adding fish slowly is good. But never add more fish if you are still having ammonia spikes. Don't put more additive in the tank. You need to do some water changes to keep the ammonia down until you can get everything stable. 20% every few days but check ammonia levels before each change to see where you stand. Do you have a good filter? Don't overfeed your fish. Uneaten food rots on the bottom. Go online and research ammonia, nitrates, ph, etc. Try to avoid pouring chemicals in your tank.
