Public water additives? Ammonia spike.help

I am having some water problems with ammonia, everything else tests fine. The ammonia is over the top. (6.0)This is not a new tank, has been set up about 5 years, is a 55 gallon. I am taking out and replacing 25-33% of water every other day and it is not getting better. Am adding prime, added some ammo chips to my filtering system also. I was told by a health professional that Denver water is adding chemical to help with covid, I don’t know if this is true. I have had a spike before, but never anything I could not get under control. I don’t know what else to do. I have two pleco, 10 neon tetras and 3 small catfish. That is not more than 55 should support right? Can I buy water? Is that bad water for fish? We drink filtered. Any advice appreciated.

 

ouch, this one's a tough one. Do you have any idea as to what they are adding? It sounds like it may be something that kills bacteria and would explain why you are getting a spike in ammonia after all this time. I can't imagine them adding something that kills bacteria any more than chlorine does since this is supposed to be a virus but who knows what they are using.

It might get expensive buying water for a 55 gallon tank but until this mess is over it might be necessary. If any stores around you have machines that dispense drinking water you may want to consider using it. I will recommend you get a bottle of Tetra Safe Start plus and add it when you do your water change with bottled water.

In the meantime until you can get a different water I highly recommend you keep changing water until you get the ammonia down as close to zero as possible. Run the ammonia test on your tap water first to see if there is ammonia in it. If there isn't then water changes should help get it down in this tank. You may have to do big ones often to keep it down to safer levels. If all the bacteria has been killed you will now be doing a fish in cycle.

Unless the plecos are big common plecos you are not over stocked.

 

Six ppm ammonia in the tank or tap water?

 

ouch, this one's a tough one. Do you have any idea as to what they are adding? It sounds like it may be something that kills bacteria and would explain why you are getting a spike in ammonia after all this time. I can't imagine them adding something that kills bacteria any more than chlorine does since this is supposed to be a virus but who knows what they are using.

It might get expensive buying water for a 55 gallon tank but until this mess is over it might be necessary. If any stores around you have machines that dispense drinking water you may want to consider using it. I will recommend you get a bottle of Tetra Safe Start plus and add it when you do your water change with bottled water.

In the meantime until you can get a different water I highly recommend you keep changing water until you get the ammonia down as close to zero as possible. Run the ammonia test on your tap water first to see if there is ammonia in it. If there isn't then water changes should help get it down in this tank. You may have to do big ones often to keep it down to safer levels. If all the bacteria has been killed you will now be doing a fish in cycle.

Unless the plecos are big common plecos you are not over stocked.

My one pleco is very large, about 14”. I took out 1/3 of the water this morning put in prime and stability and ammonia is already at 4.0. Tap water ammonia is 1.0 .

Is tetra safe plus better than prime?

 

My one pleco is very large, about 14”. I took out 1/3 of the water this morning put in prime and stability and ammonia is already at 4.0. Tap water ammonia is 1.0 .

Is tetra safe plus better than prime?

Tetra Safe Start is bacteria in a bottle so a different product than Prime. Prime is a water conditioner. Since the ammonia in your tap water is lower than what's in the tank, water changes are going to lower the level in the tank. I would be changing out no less than 50% of the water each time and would probably be doing them daily. With that big pleco in there you are going to have a hard time getting and keeping the ammonia down to a safer level. You may have to do them daily until you can get this tank re-cycled. I don't know how you are going to do that with your tap water though if they are putting something in there that is killing the bacteria.

Until you can start using water from a different source I fear your tap water may just kill the bacteria in either Stability or TSS+ so it is a waste to use either at this point.

I am sure you already know it but this tank is way to small for a pleco this size. Common plecos are actually my favorite kind of fish but when mine got up to 7 inches in my 55 gallon tank I found it a new home that was big enough for him to grow to his full size. I know I can't give a common a proper home so I now have bristle nose plecos. They only grow up to about 5.5 to 6 inches long.

 

Hmmm Toronto water had a very strong ammonia smell not so long ago. Although now it is gone

 

Tetra Safe Start is bacteria in a bottle so a different product than Prime. Prime is a water conditioner. Since the ammonia in your tap water is lower than what's in the tank, water changes are going to lower the level in the tank. I would be changing out no less than 50% of the water each time and would probably be doing them daily. With that big pleco in there you are going to have a hard time getting and keeping the ammonia down to a safer level. You may have to do them daily until you can get this tank re-cycled. I don't know how you are going to do that with your tap water though if they are putting something in there that is killing the bacteria.

Until you can start using water from a different source I fear your tap water may just kill the bacteria in either Stability or TSS+ so it is a waste to use either at this point.

I am sure you already know it but this tank is way to small for a pleco this size. Common plecos are actually my favorite kind of fish but when mine got up to 7 inches in my 55 gallon tank I found it a new home that was big enough for him to grow to his full size. I know I can't give a common a proper home so I now have bristle nose plecos. They only grow up to about 5.5 to 6 inches long.

H

 

How do you find a pleco a home with a bigger tank? I feel like he is cramped in there anyway? I can get some of the tetra stuff. I guess I will go price some water. When I got that pleco he was only about 2” long, I never dreamed he would get this big. Denver has very hard water too, leaves residue on everything.

 

Hmmm Toronto water had a very strong ammonia smell not so long ago. Although now it is gone

 

How do you find a pleco a home with a bigger tank? I feel like he is cramped in there anyway? I can get some of the tetra stuff. I guess I will go price some water. When I got that pleco he was only about 2” long, I never dreamed he would get this big. Denver has very hard water too, leaves residue on everything.

I was fortunate to know some one with a huge above ground pond. Jethro, my common can grow to his full potential in it. I suspect he is close to 2 feet long by now. Maybe you could check with local fish stores and see it they can either take yours of knows someone that can take him.

I really wish fish stores would stop selling these fish without telling everyone that buys them just how big they will get and how quickly they will out grow most home aquariums.

 

Thanks for all the help. I will stop by there first thing tomorrow and talk to them.