Ammonia stuck

50g planted tank

OK so following the advice of the local fish store I returned to get some fish, on Tuesday 04/02/20
Water test results
0 NH3
0 NO2
10 NO3
7.6 pH
Received 3 keyhole cichlids and added them to the tank
24 hours later levels are
0.5 NH3
0 NO2
10 NO3
7.6pH
They have remained like this since Wednesday
I have no idea what's happening or how to fix this ammonia.
The fact there are no nitrites lead me to believe that the tank isn't cycling but surely the ammonia would have increased if this was the case.

And vise versa if the tank was cycling then surely ammonia should decrease and nitrates increase.
Now the nitrates could be being used as a food source for the plants but that doesn't explain the ammonia.

 

Did you cycle before getting the fish? If you did cycle, how did you do it and what parameters did you observe so you believed the cycling was done?
Did you see the ammonia rise, then NO2 rise while ammonia dropped and then NO3 rise?

Maybe your water just contains 10 nitrate from the beginning and isn't the result of the cycle?

 

Welcome to FL and starting a wonderful hobby.

In order to help we are going to need a little background information:

Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
When did cycle complete?
What do you use to test the water?
What are your most current parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:

Tank

How long has the tank been running?
Does it have a filter?
Does it have a heater?
What is the water temperature?

Maintenance
How often do you change the water?
How much of the water do you change?
What do you use to treat your water?
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?

 

Welcome to FL and starting a wonderful hobby.

In order to help we are going to need a little background information:

Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? As far s I'm aware
When did cycle complete? 02/02/2020 - nitrite and ammonia were 0 for 48 hours
What do you use to test the water? API Master Test kit
What are your most current parameters?

Ammonia: 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
pH: 7.6

Tank

How long has the tank been running? 3 weeks
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What is the water temperature? 26c

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? haven't yet
How much of the water do you change?
What do you use to treat your water? Prime
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?

Did you cycle before getting the fish? If you did cycle, how did you do it and what parameters did you observe so you believed the cycling was done?
Did you see the ammonia rise, then NO2 rise while ammonia dropped and then NO3 rise?

Maybe your water just contains 10 nitrate from the beginning and isn't the result of the cycle?

I used flakes and the ammonia went to above 0.5 but not quite 1 based on the colour chart and colour of apI liquid test I did.

the tap water I use has varying ammonia, at the time of tank filling it was

ammonia 0.25
nitrite 0
nitrate 5

I believed cycling was complete when I got the results
0
0
10

i've added fish with TSS+ just to be doubly sure that there would be bacteria present when I added them (I wanted to be safe than sorry)

 

Thanks for the information. I also see you response to Yannick. It looks like your tank has not completed the cycle. In a fishless cycle you would want your ammonia levels to get up to at least 3 ppm and stay there while waiting for nitrites to start developing, Your nitrites should almost go off the charts while the bacteria grows to produce nitrates. It looks like that did not happen and what you see now are ammonia levels rising from the bio load that is being added with your new fish.

Going forward with fish in the tank, you are going to have to watch you water parameters very closely while the tank works to complete the cycle. You are going to have to keep you ammonia levels down below 1.0 ppm. All ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate level reduction is done with water changes. I recommend using Seachem Prime with your water changes and add it to your tank as this also makes the ammonia safe while waiting for nitrites to develop. Prime only makes the ammonia safe for fish for 48 hours. You will need to add to tank every 48 hours.

FYI - you will still see ammonia with your testing but because of the Prime it is safe for fish. You need to keep ammonia up for the nitrite development. When nitrites start showing you will need to keep the nitrites below 0.5 ppm while this develop nitrates.

Once you see both ammonia and nitrites go to zero over a 24 hour period your cycle should be complete. This process is going to take longer because you have fish in the tank. Patience and a lot of water changes is what your going to need.

If you have not yet read this, hear is a link to performing a tank cycle with and without fish. Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

 

Thanks for the information. I also see you response to Yannick. It looks like your tank has not completed the cycle. In a fishless cycle you would want your ammonia levels to get up to at least 3 ppm and stay there while waiting for nitrites to start developing, Your nitrites should almost go off the charts while the bacteria grows to produce nitrates. It looks like that did not happen and what you see now are ammonia levels rising from the bio load that is being added with your new fish.

Going forward with fish in the tank, you are going to have to watch you water parameters very closely while the tank works to complete the cycle. You are going to have to keep you ammonia levels down below 1.0 ppm. All ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate level reduction is done with water changes. I recommend using Seachem Prime with your water changes and add it to your tank as this also makes the ammonia safe while waiting for nitrites to develop. Prime only makes the ammonia safe for fish for 48 hours. You will need to add to tank every 48 hours.

FYI - you will still see ammonia with your testing but because of the Prime it is safe for fish. You need to keep ammonia up for the nitrite development. When nitrites start showing you will need to keep the nitrites below 0.5 ppm while this develop nitrates.

Once you see both ammonia and nitrites go to zero over a 24 hour period your cycle should be complete. This process is going to take longer because you have fish in the tank. Patience and a lot of water changes is what your going to need.

If you have not yet read this, hear is a link to performing a tank cycle with and without fish. Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

thanks, hopefully it doesn't feel like a long time as the days pass

 

Unfortunately it will feel like forever. It always does. I have a 10 gallon tank I'm cycling now. It's fishless and now going on week three and just starting to show signs of nitrites.

With fish in the tank the cycle could take 4 - 8 weeks or longer. There is no set timeline on when a cycle completes. Every tank is different.

Wish you a lot of good luck.......

 

*note. Water changes are not the only way to get ammonia/nitrites/nitrates out of a tank, plants will also eat some of them, but you should test well to know if theye ver do spike.

 

Just wanted to update everyone on the progress, it has been 2 weeks since accidently starting a fish in cycle. The fish seem happy they're eating and swimming OK. My most recent test this morning shows
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

Source water has shown a consistent
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

So my nitrates are increasing but still no change in ammonia and nitrite
I've also got what I believe are diatoms growing (patches of rusty coloured stuff on glass and decor)

 

Week 3.
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

 

Bottled bacteria will send your test readings all over the place. It's common with bottled bacteria to never see a nitrite reading, so you can't have any idea where your cycle is. I never use the stuff. I see so many people who dose it then spend the next month tearing their hair out.

I would stop using the bottled bacteria and continue frequent testing and water changes to keep combined ammonia and nitrite at 1 ppm or below.

 

Week 5
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate 5

We finally have lift off

 

congrats! Once you see nitrites drop you'll be almost there.

Since your fish-in cycling make sure to keep ammonia + nitrites total below 1 ppm, and use something like PRIME that will detoxify ammonia.

 

Final update just to say thank you everyone for your advice and to let everyone know my readings are now
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
And have been for 48 hours