Ammonia Level at 0.50ppm what to do

I have a new 29 gallon freshwater tank. It has been up and running for a little over 2 weeks now. I have been testing water daily with the API Test Kit and everything has been great. I just added fish within the last 2 days and now my tank is a little cloudy. Took API water test everything is perfect except the ammonia it is 0.50ppm, what do I do?

 

Welcome to the boards!

Yes, that is what will happen. Ammonia is basically fish waste. This is remedied by making water changes with your tank. Lots of great threads on that here if you look around.

Water changes and filtration are your way to get harmful elements out of your tank and clean water back into it!

 

I’d read up on doing a fish-in cycle, followed by large regular water changes and testing to keep the ammonia and nitrites at as low a level as possible while your tank completes the nitrogen cycle.

I’d probably start with a 50% change now to get the ammonia down to 0.25.

 

How exactly did you cycle the tank for the 2 weeks without fish?

For starters, do a 50-75% water change and start dosing with Prime and maybe even add some cycle starting bacteria.

If you do not add an ammonia source while cycling a tank, the tank will not be properly cycled. Adding ammonia will be the food that beneficial bacteria need, as the bacteria colonize the filter media they will convert the ammonia (and nitrite) into nitrate. While cycling a tank you should see ammonia levels rise first, then nitrite and finally nitrate. When you have no more ammonia or nitrite with only nitrate then you are cycled. Read up on the aquarium nitrogen cycle for the finer details.

Even if the tank is cycled and then you add a bunch of fish at once, there may not be a large enough bacteria colony to process all the ammonia being produced. This is why it is recommended to add one species/group at a time.

 

I cycled my tank by putting food in the tank everyday as I seen in a video.

 

I cycled my tank by putting food in the tank everyday as I seen in a video.

Did you measure your parameters (specifically ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) along the way? How much food? Oh and how many fish did you add?