Why do I have an ammonia spike?

I have a newly cycled 55g. I cycled it to handle 3-4ppm of ammonia. It was doing so in 24hrs. I also have bontanicals letting out ammonia, and I have live plants helping out the cycle.

Yesterday I added 6 young xray tetras and an extremely young bristlenose pleco. They are all very small. They all appear to be very well. The bristlenose is going crazy eatint, and the tetras are playing and maybe breeding already.....Now here at the readings I am getting:

I tested the ammonia 3x because I was surprised. They were taken right after each other: 0.25ppm, 0.25ppm, 0ppm. I'm assuming based on this the ammonia is very low.

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrates: 10ppm

I have added Prime to detoxify, and I am fasting the fish.

What would have caused this? Did I really overstock? Am I taken the right steps now?

 

I tested the ammonia 3x because I was surprised. They were taken right after each other: 0.25ppm, 0.25ppm, 0ppm. I'm assuming based on this the ammonia is very low.

Classic. If you use the API kit a false positive of 0.25 is a well known problem. If you have to use dechlorinators and there is chloramine in your tap you also get a false positive as it is detoxified.

What is your pH? If it's lower than neutral ammonia is present as ammonium which is relatively harmless. Tests show both.

Hint:
Don't just look at the numbers. Look at the fish. If they don't show any signs of ammonia poisoning there is no significant amount of it.

I am fasting the fish.

WHY?!

 

I wouldn't panic yet. 0.25ppm isn't anything to fret over. But its one of those things that make you go "hrmm?".

Just keep an eye on it... if it raises to 0.5ppm+ then we might have an issue, but dont tear down the tank yet.

Let the fish tell you if there is a problem...no need to fast them...this could be a false positive.

 

Classic. If you use the API kit a false positive of 0.25 is a well known problem. If you have to use dechlorinators and there is chloramine in your tap you also get a false positive as it is detoxified.

What is your pH? If it's lower than neutral ammonia is present as ammonium which is relatively harmless. Tests show both.

Hint:
Don't just look at the numbers. Look at the fish. If they don't show any signs of ammonia poisoning there is no significant amount of it.


WHY?!

Thanks MacZ, Also, thanks. Good to know it's a common false reading. The fish are doing great. They are playing, and I think they may be starting to breed already. They seem happy and are quite active already. My ph is staying steady at 7.5-7.6.

I have read to fast the first 24hrs and let them settle in. Plus I assumed if I had an ammonia problem, that would make it worse for now.

Thanks MacZ, I'm not sure what you were saying why to. Also, thanks. Good to know it's a common false reading. The first are doing great. They are playing, and I think they may be starting to breed already. They seem quite happy and active already. My ph is staying steady at 7.5-7.6.

I wouldn't panic yet. 0.25ppm isn't anything to fret over. But its one of those things that make you go "hrmm?".

Just keep an eye on it... if it raises to 0.5ppm+ then we might have an issue, but dont tear down the tank yet.

Let the fish tell you if their is a problem...no need to fast them...this could be a false positive.

Great to know! Thank you!

 

My ph is staying steady at 7.5-7.6.

Then indeed a reason to be careful with ammonia, as higher pH means higher toxicity.

I have read to fast the first 24hrs and let them settle in.

I test whether they're eating or not usually 1-2 hours after adding them to a tank.

Plus I assumed if I had an ammonia problem, that would make it worse for now.

Fish breathe out ammonia and urea from their gills. I told you before. How will you lower their ammonia release by fasting them? It takes hours for them to process the food and some more hours to metabolize what they absorbed. And the same goes for their feces. So between feeding and release of nitrogen compounds from that peculiar feeding takes at least 12 (gills), often 24-48 hours (feces). Meaning fasting is useless.

 

Then indeed a reason to be careful with ammonia, as higher pH means higher toxicity.

I'll keep an eye on them for ammonia poisoning.

I test whether they're eating or not usually 1-2 hours after adding them to a tank.


Fish breathe out ammonia and urea from their gills. I told you before. How will you lower their ammonia release by fasting them? It takes hours for them to process the food and some more hours to metabolize what they absorbed. And the same goes for their feces. So between feeding and release of nitrogen compounds from that peculiar feeding takes at least 12 (gills), often 24-48 hours (feces). Meaning fasting is useless.

Fair point. They have been fed. Thanks for the help!

 

Could be a few reasons why your getting that reading. Was the kit reading zero before you added the fish? If so it could be a mini cycle. Now that you’ve added fish the bacteria needs to grow to take care of this new ammonia.

 

As MacZ said, watch the fish. If they aren't stressed you have no problem. If they look stressed water changes solve most problems. There is nothing better for fish than good clean stable water. The filter will catch up with the bio load eventually.

 

Thank you! The kit would occasionally tell me 0.25 after the tank was cycled. I guess it could be a mini cycle. I'm just stunned that the small amount of fish I put in is more than the amount of liquid ammonia I added. We shall see. So far the fish seem very happy.

 

Thank you! The kit would occasionally tell me 0.25 after the tank was cycled. I guess it could be a mini cycle. I'm just stunned that the small amount of fish I put in is more than the amount of liquid ammonia I added. We shall see. So far the fish seem very happy.

If your test kit had previously tested 0 for ammonia, I wouldn’t assume the 0.25 ppm result to be a false positive.

Test daily for the next week or so and change water as necessary.

 

If your test kit had previously tested 0 for ammonia, I wouldn’t assume the 0.25 ppm result to be a false positive.

Test daily for the next week or so and change water as necessary.

Thanks. I will keep an eye on it. It would occasionally say 0.25 after showing 0ppm after 24hrs. So idk. I'm just glad the fish are doing ok right now. I'll keep a close eye on everything. I guess I may have put too many in at once.