73ivip357

OK, i had a minimal spike on my nitrates when i tested last night so i went ahead and did my 50% water change a few days early. My ammonia was also reading at .25 PPM which i know isnt much but I still want to keep it at 0 of course. I checked it just now and my nitrates have pretty much dropped off, however my ammonia is still sitting right at .25 ppm. Is this ok or something I need to keep an eye on? I figured it would more or less fix itself after the but i was wrong. Any help is appreciated.

sirdarksol

Have you read the nitrogen cycle article?
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

It sounds like you are currently in the middle of the cycle.
Ammonia and nitrite will both build for awhile, taper off, then disappear.
While this is happening, however, you'll want to do more frequent water changes to keep your fish happy and safe.

73ivip357

No i am already well past that point and thats why im confused.

sirdarksol

Then it sounds like you've gone into a mini-cycle.
Did anything happen that might have killed off some of the nitrifying bacteria? The most common cause is medication in the tank, but power outages and bleach getting spilled have caused it, as well.

sgould

Definately sounds like a re-cycle/mini-cycle situation. Change filter media lately? Or rinsed it in tap water? Add more fish? Either could cause the problem, as could the issues sirdarksol mentioned.

73ivip357

Hmm, changed media filter last week, added some rocks at the same time. Im gonna check again today and possibly do another water change.

COBettaCouple

What are you using for tap water conditioner?