Reversed the nitrogen cycle :(

Hi! I am just getting back into the fish keeping hobby. I wanted to start with my favorite, a betta- so I cycled a 5 gallon. Dosed with pure ammonia, and let it do it's thing for about a month. I was at 0 nitrites, 0 ammonia, and 80 nitrates. I did a test with 1 ppm of ammonia and it came back good so I did a large 80% wc and got my betta. I did my test and something has went so wrong My ammonia is 4 ppm, no nitrites, no nitrates! I have no clue what happened!! I ordered a seeded filter from Angels Plus and have been doing daily wc to keep the ammonia down. Has anyone else had an experience like this? And on a side note, has anyone used these seeded filters before?

 

Welcome to Fishlore

To start with tell me about every product you have been adding to this tank. I need to know about anything you have or are adding.

some folks have used the angelsplus seeded filters. None that I remember reporting it spiking the ammonia.

What kind of tests are you using to test the water ?

 

That's certainly weird. When you did your test, the 1ppm ammonia, how long did it take for it to convert to nitrate?

 

mattgirl I mean that I'm waiting on the seeded filter- I bought one. I used TSS to start it and for the ammonia I used Fritz fishless fuel. I waited to see nitrites then added Fluval Cycle. I've a theory that messed up the results. Right now I'm dosing with prime and doing the wc to keep my fish safe. I used the API Freshwater Master Test Kit.
Azedenkae I waited til the next day to test so around 24 hours

 

Do you happen to know if your pH changed significantly?

I presume you dechlorinate the water each time right?

Remember that you need to dose 1x dosage Prime per 1ppm ammonia, if not already.

If there's a big concern, I'd recommend doing a 100% water change. Remember, such big water changes can stress fish out, but it's the lesser evil compared to forcing the fish to swim in (essentially) poison.

 

mattgirl I mean that I'm waiting on the seeded filter- I bought one. I used TSS to start it and for the ammonia I used Fritz fishless fuel. I waited to see nitrites then added Fluval Cycle. I've a theory that messed up the results. Right now I'm dosing with prime and doing the wc to keep my fish safe. I used the API Freshwater Master Test Kit.
Azedenkae I waited til the next day to test so around 24 hours

This is very unusual and as you already know, it shouldn't have happened. I am happy to hear you are using Prime and not something like ammo-lock. Quite often when something like this shows up ammo-lock has been used.

Have you checked your pH? If the tank cycled at one pH and then for some reason the pH drops well below 7 the bacteria no longer processes the ammonia through to nitrates.

I am at a loss as to how one little fish could be producing this much ammonia though.

I've a theory that messed up the results

What is this theory? Or do you mean the fluval cycle may have messed things up?

 

I am also wondering about the PH. Would you please test your tap? Do you know what the PH was in the tank before you changed out 80% of the water?

The nitrifying bacteria grow to thrive in certain temps and ph and if it’s drastically changed it can kill off a large part of the population.

4ppm does seem super high from one betta. How much and how often are you feeding per day? Any live plants?

 

I am also wondering about the PH. Would you please test your tap? Do you know what the PH was in the tank before you changed out 80% of the water?

The nitrifying bacteria grow to thrive in certain temps and ph and if it’s drastically changed it can kill off a large part of the population.

4ppm does seem super high from one betta. How much and how often are you feeding per day? Any live plants?

It's 7.6. Now that I think about it, I did use purified water in the wc. Could that have killed off the bacteria? Also my Angel's Plus filter came yesterday. So far no change to the ammonia (did another 80% change before placing in the seeded filter).

I am also wondering about the PH. Would you please test your tap? Do you know what the PH was in the tank before you changed out 80% of the water?

The nitrifying bacteria grow to thrive in certain temps and ph and if it’s drastically changed it can kill off a large part of the population.

4ppm does seem super high from one betta. How much and how often are you feeding per day? Any live plants?

So far it is just my fish and two Indian almond leaves and of course the filtration

 

It's 7.6. Now that I think about it, I did use purified water in the wc. Could that have killed off the bacteria? Also my Angel's Plus filter came yesterday. So far no change to the ammonia (did another 80% change before placing in the seeded filter).

Yes, if you were using tap water to cycle the tank this could effect it. Different bacteria does grow in a range of ph, temperature etc that is optimal for their survival in your tank. Because it was a new tank, yes I think it could give you a major bump, though 4ppm is alot. I'd do some back to back water changes with de-chlorinated tap water to get that ammonia in the water column down.

Are you still using purified water every day with these water changes? Is there a reason you're using it instead of tap?

 

Yes, if you were using tap water to cycle the tank this could effect it. Different bacteria does grow in a range of ph, temperature etc that is optimal for their survival in your tank. Because it was a new tank, yes I think it could give you a major bump, though 4ppm is alot. I'd do some back to back water changes with de-chlorinated tap water to get that ammonia in the water column down.

Are you still using purified water every day with these water changes? Is there a reason you're using it instead of tap?

I have only been using tap water since. There wasn't a reason to be completely honest. I wisb I had 't done it. Fingers crossed the Angels plus filter works quickly!
An update at last! The filter has helped. I'm at 1 ppm ammonia, 1 ppm nitrate, 10-20 ppm nitrate.

 

I have only been using tap water since. There wasn't a reason to be completely honest. I wisb I had 't done it. Fingers crossed the Angels plus filter works quickly!
An update at last! The filter has helped. I'm at 1 ppm ammonia, 1 ppm nitrate, 10-20 ppm nitrate.

Oh well, we all make mistakes. I’d do another water change, 1ppm nitrite is quite toxic.

 

And success! 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, 40-80ppm nitrate, 7.0-7.2 PH We're cycled at last! I'm about to do a 50% wc to lower the nitrates and will test again tomorrow morning to see if I will need to do another wc.