Help! High ammonia + nitrate in cycled tank!

I have a 20 gallon tall tank that has been running for just under a month (not including the time it took to cycle) I have one male betta, 8 Harlequin rasboras, 3 days ago I got an apple snail and a BN pleco too.

I had noticed that my Harleys were acting quite lethargic so I quickly did a parameter check. I was so shocked - my ammonia was 0.50ppm and my nitrate was 40 maybe 80ppm. I wanted to scream but obviously that wouldn't do anything, so I quickly did a 50% water change and tested my levels again - they are now down to a much more comfortable 0.25ppm and 10ppm.

I don't know what happened though.. My levels were fantastic up until now, I haven't missed any water changes, forgot to put conditioner in or anything like that.. Maybe it was the poop monster pleco? Any help on what to do next would be great.

 

The new additions to the tank caused a minI cycle. Keep ammonia at .25 ppm until its fully cycled again.

 

OK thanks, should I do water changes everyday? Also how long do these things usually take to settle down?

 

Test water daily. If the ammonia is at .50 or higher do a water change

 

Ok will do, thanks

 

Did you change out the filter media?

 

No, I haven't even cleaned it.

 

No, I haven't even cleaned it.

Good to know! How many fish did you add to the tank at a time and what fish did you add at that time?

 

First I added the betta and four Harlequins, then a week later I got four more Harleys. And finally I got the snail and pleco a little over a week later.

 

HI there,
As your aquarium was newly cycled it had just enough of all the nitrifying bacteria in it to assimilate for one new fish to be added, not for all the fish you put in there in that short time. So those fish created a lot of ammonia at once, and you didn't have enough nitrifying bacteria to digest it all, so that is why the influx in ammonia, and the resulting influx in nitrate. You can help this by doing daily 25% water changes, and by adding some positive nitrifying microbes like Stability by Seachem. It would also help your fish if you got an ammonia lock product like Prime by Seachem, two drops per gallon, per day, for every day that you either do not test your water, or that your ammonia or nitrite reads over zero. Those toxins can make fish sick quickly, and the Prime will prevent the toxins from harming your fish.

A filter that is overworked and undercleaned can cause an influx in ammonia. But a filter that does not have enough positive microbes built up in it yet that is cleaned too often or cleaned in tap water can reduce the microbes you need.

You seem a bit overstocked too though, and should consider thinning out your fish population particularly your Pleco, read about breeds and adult sizes and tank size requirements.

Good luck!

 

Hmm, I was told that I could add about 4 fish each week until I reach my full stocking level? I also asked about the pleco and my other fish and I was told that my stock was fine.

My ammonia went back up to 0.50ppm so I did another 50% water change which brought it back to 0.25ppm.

I have a product called TLC for freshwater, should I add some of that in? No one that I can find has really heard of it but the people who have swear by it.

 

Hmm, I was told that I could add about 4 fish each week until I reach my full stocking level? I also asked about the pleco and my other fish and I was told that my stock was fine.

My ammonia went back up to 0.50ppm so I did another 50% water change which brought it back to 0.25ppm.

I have a product called TLC for freshwater, should I add some of that in? No one that I can find has really heard of it but the people who have swear by it.

Don't do that big of a change when the ammonia spikes because your tank is still cycling and you are just going to delay the process longer.

 

HI again,
Your aquarium will cycle in its own time and you shouldn't be worried about that at this point. As you said you have lethargic fish, and your primary concern should be keeping toxins ammonia, nitrite, nitrate at bay. The only product I would get is Prime by Seachem, use two drops per day per gallon. I would keep on the 25% water changes with a vac, every day. You are doing good keeping the ammonia .25 keep doing that, get it down, feed light. Let your aquarium establish in its own time and keep your parameters under control with frequent light water changes.

Test your water frequently. When your ammonia is stable under .25 you can back off to three 25% water changes per week, and eventually work it to 2 25% water changes per week. Consider that you might still be overstocked for the size tank you have. If you need to do more than two 25% water changes every week to keep the ammonia under control long term then you are overstocked imo.

I would also get some medication on board, ick often appears after this kind of fish stress. Kordon Ick Attach is herbal and gentle of fish and inverts. Use it as a preventative to ensure no further issues crop up next. Do it for the next couple weeks. Don't change your water change schedule, just add the product daily.

Good luck.

 

Thanks so much for all the advise!