Help! Mysterious Ammonia Spike!

HI everyone, I made a separate post a few days ago about some fin rot on my angelfish and discovering that it was likely caused by an ammonia spike. I thought it was due to overfeeding, but I have cut down the feedings in that tank, still no luck with getting rid of the ammonia (even after yesterday - my big water change day), and now my other tank is showing higher levels (both tanks now at 0.25). These tanks have both been up and running for over a year, both are 29's. One has an oranda and a telescope, one has a (very) juvenile blood parrot and a juvenile koi angelfish. Both have Sunsun 303a canister filters, but I just added intake sponges to both, one minI sponge filter to the goldfish tank, and 2 minI sponge filters to the other tank. I've been doing daily water changes between 30 and 50% (except yesterday I did my usual 90%, as I do that every weekend and have for over a year with no problems) and dosing with prime and Safestart, which I know a lot of people say is pointless, but I figure it can't hurt any more than the ammonia spike. I'm really trying to deal with the fin rot here, which isn't any worse but definitely not better, but I can't find the source of the ammonia spike! Could old filter floss cause problems (I don't change it very often) or even could the new sponge filters and intake sponges be causing a mini-cycle?

 

HI everyone, I made a separate post a few days ago about some fin rot on my angelfish and discovering that it was likely caused by an ammonia spike. I thought it was due to overfeeding, but I have cut down the feedings in that tank, still no luck with getting rid of the ammonia (even after yesterday - my big water change day), and now my other tank is showing higher levels (both tanks now at 0.25). These tanks have both been up and running for over a year, both are 29's. One has an oranda and a telescope, one has a (very) juvenile blood parrot and a juvenile koi angelfish. Both have Sunsun 303a canister filters, but I just added intake sponges to both, one minI sponge filter to the goldfish tank, and 2 minI sponge filters to the other tank. I've been doing daily water changes between 30 and 50% (except yesterday I did my usual 90%, as I do that every weekend and have for over a year with no problems) and dosing with prime and Safestart, which I know a lot of people say is pointless, but I figure it can't hurt any more than the ammonia spike. I'm really trying to deal with the fin rot here, which isn't any worse but definitely not better, but I can't find the source of the ammonia spike! Could old filter floss cause problems (I don't change it very often) or even could the new sponge filters and intake sponges be causing a mini-cycle?

is your tank cycled a year back when you started it?

 

is your tank cycled a year back when you started it?

Sad to say it wasn't entirely when I added the fish (thought it was, I was wrong), but I worked through with a ton of water changes and prime and eventually yes it did cycle

Sad to say it wasn't entirely when I added the fish (thought it was, I was wrong), but I worked through with a ton of water changes and prime and eventually yes it did cycle

At the time, both tanks were goldfish (nothing wrong, had to give an aggressive oranda away, making room for the new guys recently), and admittedly I've had to up the filtration over time as a result, but I used the same media from a bunch of broken HOB's that I used before the canister filters, which I installed over 6 months ago

 

according to my knowledge it is the minI cycle happening in the sponges you added to the tank but spike should not happen though though as you are not introducing ammonia to the tank you ahve just introduce new sponges i.e a bigger room for the bacteria coloney to grow in.

 

according to my knowledge it is the minI cycle happening in the sponges you added to the tank but spike should not happen though though as you are not introducing ammonia to the tank you ahve just introduce new sponges i.e a bigger room for the bacteria coloney to grow in.

That's good at least, that should go away on its own in time. I guess back to water changes then! Hopefully it won't be too long, the angelfish is looking happier with the prime but his fins still look terrible

 

I don't see how adding sponge filters could have caused ammonia levels to rise if that was the only change.

You said your ammonia spiked, but 0.25 ppm was the only number I saw. Was it higher? I ask because depending on the testing method used it's my understanding that 0.25 can be a false reading.

 

I don't see how adding sponge filters could have caused ammonia levels to rise if that was the only change.

You said your ammonia spiked, but 0.25 ppm was the only number I saw. Was it higher? I ask because depending on the testing method used it's my understanding that 0.25 can be a false reading.

0.25 ppm is where it's been for a few days in the cichlid tank and showed up today for the goldfish. If it is false that would be great, but I use a test kit that does normally give me readings of 0.

 

Does it still show 0.25 after a water change? If yes, I'm pretty sure it's a false reading.

 

It did, just under a day after around an 80% water change. That would be nice, but it does normally read at 0... And this is a liquid kit, by the way, not strips

 

To the best of my knowledge, if your readings aren't changing after a significant water change then you're either getting false results, or there's ammonia in your source water.

 

To the best of my knowledge, if your readings aren't changing after a significant water change then you're either getting false results, or there's ammonia in your source water.

I apologize for the belated response, and thank you for yours! I really hope that my test kit is just old and dead... I did test it about 24 hours after the last water change each time so I guess it's possible the fish could have produced that much new waste but they are not big fish, the filter is well-established, and I am pretty sure I am not overfeeding them at this point. Do test kits ever expire? I would imagine that would give false readings

 

Either way, though, the angelfish is looking much healthier - more active, eating happily, fins not drooping at all. My only concern at this point is that it seems like his fin regrowth has plateaued... I think it is better than when I first noticed the fin rot, but it definitely has not improved (or gotten worse) in the past couple days. It's his dorsal fin. I've been keeping up with daily 30-50% water changes and have done 30-minute salt baths for the past 2 days (1/2 tsp per gallon). Should regrowth be slower for a fin that looks like it has a lot of structural tissues, or is there anything else I can do to help him?

 

HI everyone, I made a separate post a few days ago about some fin rot on my angelfish and discovering that it was likely caused by an ammonia spike. I thought it was due to overfeeding, but I have cut down the feedings in that tank, still no luck with getting rid of the ammonia (even after yesterday - my big water change day), and now my other tank is showing higher levels (both tanks now at 0.25). These tanks have both been up and running for over a year, both are 29's. One has an oranda and a telescope, one has a (very) juvenile blood parrot and a juvenile koi angelfish. Both have Sunsun 303a canister filters, but I just added intake sponges to both, one minI sponge filter to the goldfish tank, and 2 minI sponge filters to the other tank. I've been doing daily water changes between 30 and 50% (except yesterday I did my usual 90%, as I do that every weekend and have for over a year with no problems) and dosing with prime and Safestart, which I know a lot of people say is pointless, but I figure it can't hurt any more than the ammonia spike. I'm really trying to deal with the fin rot here, which isn't any worse but definitely not better, but I can't find the source of the ammonia spike! Could old filter floss cause problems (I don't change it very often) or even could the new sponge filters and intake sponges be causing a mini-cycle?

Are you sure it’s 0.25 ammonia? On the freshwater master test kit I struggle to tell if it’s 0.25 and 0. Try testing some bottled drinking water in one of your test tubes because it will be zero for ammonia and you can compare it against the water you have taken from the tank and if it’s the same you have a zero reading.Just an idea as you say you’re stuck on 0.25 ammonia maybe it’s in fact zero.

 

Are you sure it’s 0.25 ammonia? On the freshwater master test kit I struggle to tell if it’s 0.25 and 0. Try testing some bottled drinking water in one of your test tubes because it will be zero for ammonia and you can compare it against the water you have taken from the tank. Just an idea as you say you’re stuck on 0.25 ammonia maybe it’s in fact zero.

Good idea! I'll check my tap water because I know it is 0 (from when I did a bad cycling job). It definitely was 0.25 at one point, meaning it looked solidly green, but more recently it could have been the bathroom lighting or something. I know when looking at my goldfish tank it was a little hard to tell so I've been doing water changes and adding prime just to be safe.

 

Good idea! I'll check my tap water because I know it is 0 (from when I did a bad cycling job). It definitely was 0.25 at one point, meaning it looked solidly green, but more recently it could have been the bathroom lighting or something. I know when looking at my goldfish tank it was a little hard to tell so I've been doing water changes and adding prime just to be safe.

I’d do it with bottled drinking water as you could have a small amount of ammonia in your tap water .Once you’ve tested it you can just keep the liquid in the test tube for future reference so you know what zero looks like

 

I’d do it with bottled drinking water as you could have a small amount of ammonia in it. Once you’ve tested it you can just keep the liquid in the test tube for future reference so you know what zero looks like

Oh, good point. I would imagine tap water is not the most stable source in that regard. Will do, and thank you for the advice! Out of curiosity, any advice on fin regrowth? I'll give the angelfish the best life I can regardless of his "haircut" but boy is his dorsal fin taking its time.

 

Oh, good point. I would imagine tap water is not the most stable source in that regard. Will do, and thank you for the advice! Out of curiosity, any advice on fin regrowth? I'll give the angelfish the best life I can regardless of his "haircut" but boy is his dorsal fin taking its time.

The only thing I would think you could do was try and keep you’re water as clean as possible so it has the best chance of healing and growing back. I would do two water changes a week to keep the water at its best . One other thing I do is put some apI stress coat in the water when I get an injured fish it puts a kind of protective slime coat on your fish to help them heal I think it also has aloe Vera in it.

 

0.25 ppm is where it's been for a few days in the cichlid tank and showed up today for the goldfish. If it is false that would be great, but I use a test kit that does normally give me readings of 0.

which test kit do you use?
as it may also make a difference

I usually prefer API fresh water test kit as it gives accurate results

 

which test kit do you use?
as it may also make a difference

I usually prefer API fresh water test kit as it gives accurate results

That's the exact one I used! Granted it's five years old if that could make a difference

 

The only thing I would think you could do was try and keep you’re water as clean as possible so it has the best chance of healing and growing back. I would do two water changes a week to keep the water at its best . One other thing I do is put some apI stress coat in the water when I get an injured fish it puts a kind of protective slime coat on your fish to help them heal I think it also has aloe Vera in it.

Okay, thank you! I've actually been doing daily water changed with stress coat and prime plus 30-45 minute salt baths as of a couple days ago so I'll just keep that up

 

Update: Yesterday, I compared my tank water to bottled and the ammonia was definitely higher in the tank. I figured, as a last resort, I would go ahead and replace my filter floss and rinse the gunk out of my filter, since I had not for quite a while. I checked today, and so far, my Ammonia is 0! I fed them their normal amount this morning and will check later... So far it seems that I found the problem, but fingers crossed!

 

That's the exact one I used! Granted it's five years old if that could make a difference

check the expiry date of the test kit bottles as each bottle has an individual expiry which mostly is of 2 to 3 years from the manufacturing of the kit and so the test results may vary if the bottle you are using is already expired