How to keep a low ammonia level?

I have a 36 gallon bow front and I recently had ammonia spike, I did a 25-30% water change/vacuum and added ammonia neutralizer into the tank to keep ammonia levels down. Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the ammonia down such as best fish food that wont make the fish produce too much waste or how often do i feed. All my other level are stable and good.

 

A cycled tank with both colonies of bacteria will not have any ammonia on a liquid test kit or at least such a small amount of “ background “ ammonia as to read almost zero.

Do you have any nitrates in the tank?

 

You have ammonia, your tank is not cycled. Simple as that.

What type of filter do you use and how long has the tank been running?

You need to do at least 50% waterchanges to actually make a significant impact on the dilution of the ammonia in the water. The water conditioners that claim to neutralie the ammonia only detoxify it for about 24h and only up to a level of 1mg/l. With frewuent high volume waterchanges you eliminate the need to chug chemicals in your tank except dechlorinators.

No, there is no special food that makes your fish produce less ammonia, as most of it comes from their gills while breathing. But it helps to have the temperature between 23 and 25°C and feeding once a day just as much as the fish can eat in a few (usually people say 2-5) minutes.

 

My tank has been running for more than 2 months With fish. I use a top fin filter that requires a Pf-L filter cartridge. The ammonia level was 1.

 

My tank has been running for more than 2 months With fish. I use a top fin filter that requires a Pf-L filter cartridge. The ammonia level was 1.

Have you been changing the filter cartridges as the manufacturer recommends? If yes, that could be the problem, since when you do that you throw away a big portion of your beneficial bacteria.

 

The type of filter i have has a little floating thing in it and when the cartridge absorbs a bunch of junk the water level in the filter rises and so does the little floater and then when it floats higher and higher it shows red at the top of the filter. so do you recommend i change it once a week.
Edit: i change it usually once a week

 

That is a common ploy my manufacturers to make money. I realise that the instructions say to replace the cartridge and now you have a filter that proves it needs to be changed. If multiple members of fish lore write that none of us change cartridges for years. Or we change the cartridges for foam or fabric and then never change them again you might believe me.

Don’t change the cartridges until they are falling apart. In around 2 years.

 

The type of filter i have has a little floating thing in it and when the cartridge absorbs a bunch of junk the water level in the filter rises and so does the little floater and then when it floats higher and higher it shows red at the top of the filter. so do you recommend i change it once a week.
Edit: i change it usually once a week

There's the problem. As Flyfisha said, just rinse it when needed, and don't replace it until it's falling apart. Even then, put it in the filter with the new one and leave it for a few weeks before throwing it away.

 

That is a common ploy my manufacturers to make money. I realise that the instructions say to replace the cartridge and now you have a filter that proves it needs to be changed. If multiple members of fish lore write that none of us change cartridges for years. Or we change the cartridges for foam or fabric and then never change them again you might believe me.

Don’t change the cartridges until they are falling apart. In around 2 years.

Fully agree. Never change filter material unless it starts falling apart and/or clogging the pump.

The exchangeable cartridge thing only came up regularly in the mid-2000s. Before that internal filters were sold just with sponges or sponge pads. When competition got bigger and customers wanted easy solutions without having to dig in gunk with their hands somebody came up with the cartridges.

 

That is a common ploy my manufacturers to make money. I realise that the instructions say to replace the cartridge and now you have a filter that proves it needs to be changed. If multiple members of fish lore write that none of us change cartridges for years. Or we change the cartridges for foam or fabric and then never change them again you might believe me.

Don’t change the cartridges until they are falling apart. In around 2 years.

I agree, a good bit of your BB is on the filter cartage. If you get rid of it every week, that is getting rid of all of your BB. How often do you do your water changes?

 

Just stop changing your filter cartridges as much and I'd personally would get rid of the cartridges and run plain filter floss because the carbon can leech everything out but just keep doing water changes to keep the ammonia down amd your tank should recycle

 

I do water changes every 2-3 weeks

 

I do water changes every 2-3 weeks

You should do it every week to keep it down. I like to do on my 75 gallon, at least 50 percent. I suggest doing a water change every week and at least 30 percent of the tank.

 

So what you guys are saying is to clean the cartridge rather than tossing it, feed once a day.

 

So what you guys are saying is to clean the cartridge rather than tossing it, feed once a day.

Yes, and water changes every week.

 

I cant do 50% because i have some delicate fish such as angelfish and ghost catfish. I usually do 30% with a thorough gravel vac.

 

I cant do 50% because i have some delicate fish such as angelfish and ghost catfish. I usually do 30% with a thorough gravel vac.

Ok, just remember to do it every week, that is quite crucial to keeping the ammonia down.

 

As the tank has lost some of its bacteria and is going through a mini cycle change water much more frequently than weekly. Something like every 2 days 40%.
When you can go 4 days without seeing any ammonia. Try and go 7 days without seeing any ammonia.
Only then the tank will have enough bacteria to be called fully cycled.

My water change routine is a minimum of 40% once a week unless it’s a fry grow out tank.

 

I cant do 50% because i have some delicate fish such as angelfish and ghost catfish. I usually do 30% with a thorough gravel vac.

You can do 50% easily, don't worry. They react more sensitive to too much commotion in the tank, not just changing of water.

Gravelvac may not be needed depending on the type of substrate. Also the substrate contains the second-most beneficial bacteria after the filter media.

I do ~50% each week, don't have to gravel vac though, because I'm running a biotope tank.

 

Personally I would remove that little floating ball. Some filters have a light on them. Those I recommend covering the light with black tape. Those things are there just to keep you buying more and more filters. The folks that make the filters and cartridges for them just want to keep you buying their products. They don't tall you that you are harming your fish by following their instructions to change out one of the most important things in your tank. This is where the majority of the bacteria that removes the ammonia lives.

Don't add an ammonia remover. Get the ammonia down with water changes. Don't change out your filter cartridge until it is literally falling apart or water will no longer flow through it freely. Just rinse it off each week with water you have pulled from the tank during your weekly water change. You may need to do water changes more often than weekly until your bacteria catches up and starts removing the ammonia.

The carbon inside the cartridge is normally what causes it to clog up. If you choose to continue using cartridges when it is time to use a new one cut a slit in the fiber and dump the carbon out. Carbon is not necessary unless you are removing medication or there is an odor coming from the tank. If there is a bad odor try to find where it is coming from and clean it up. Be sure to run the old cartridge along with the new one. If both won't fit cut the fiber off the frame of the old one and put that piece of fiber in with the new one. Toss that piece of fiber after about a month.