bazz Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 Hi guys, Have just finished cycling a cichlid tank with existing filter media. I am getting low readings of nitrates and low readings of ammonia (non existent). 0 - 0.1 I changed water and I use seachem prime (double dosage) and my ammonia readings go up so i Tested the tap water, with a nutrifin test kit. the tap water reads at 2.4 (checked twice) anyone else have these problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samo Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 I haven't checked but I'll be testing my tap water from now on. Cheers for the heads up mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackayman Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 Last time I had trouble with readings, ( inconsistant ), it turned out my test kit was out of date. Just a thought, may pay you to check. Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazz Posted July 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 yeah that was my original concern so I tested our rainwater, aqaurium water and , tap water and the tap water was high every time. The other two had zero. (near a main road and roofs get black soot on and wash into tank so dont use rainwater for aqaurium) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackayman Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 Well, deffo sounds like ya tap water no good, not today anyway. Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazz Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 water still very bad today, did a water change today (40%) and fish are fine. The water must also have something that sets off the test kit im using, maybe something similar to ammonia but not toxic. If it was the standard ammonia the fish would all be dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubes Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Ive got seneye on my system. Ammonia is present in the water for sure. I have mine sitting below 0.1 though but there is still a bit. Id expect to see a drop in the graph when I do a water change but there isnt. So makes me wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazz Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Yeah right thats interesting well my tap water reads 2.4 which is fatal to fish. If i leave my tank for a day after a 40-50% water change and check the water it reads 0 - 0.1. Read somewhere that ammonium is added to tap water and is not toxic to fish like ammonia, however test kits read it as ammonia. Ammonium and Ammonia in Drinking Water found this was interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tech Den Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 The test kits usually does not identify the difference between toxic and non-toxic. So when using most water conditioners the majority of companies will advise that you get false reads. I do not think they are false reads it just reads what is there but can not differentiate the difference between toxic and non toxic. So when you use your test it reads total and does not take into consideration bonded nor what is converted into a safe form it just reads Ammonia or Nitrate or Nitrate. This would explain why you would get levels of Ammonia that are high but was not detrimental to the fish. Would think that it may take a day or two for you readings to actually go closer to true once it has had a chance to run through your bio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadFishFloating Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 If it continues to read so badly I would age tapwater in a barrel or ibc after dechlorinating it throw in a cycled air powered sponge filter that way any ammonia will be converted to nitrate before you go adding it to your tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tech Den Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 This is what just works for me. Sometimes I will just use rainwater or just tapwater or a mix of both. If I just use rainwater than I up the Kh with Kh Generator to make it more stable. I put the water in a ibc with a sump pump and Supachlor and the pump helps mix it, I use a bit more than the required dose as you do not know if there has been any changes in the water and still add it even with rainwater. I then use the sump pump and pump the water into the sump where I have good filtration and bio load and turn on the sump pump to pump it into the tanks. At times I will check the Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites and Ph a day or two later to check for any swings and normally will have very very low levels. As some would know I have some sensitive fish and also fry that are even more sensitive. I find the best test kit is just looking at your fish and they will give a good indication of water conditions and look for the fins up and no clamping and swimming around well - if they look different then the test kit is the next best thing. Your fish will be a more accurate at seeing that the water is good. Test kits are good to identify issues ie is it Ammonia is it Nitrate is it Nitrite. As I said this is just what works for me and I am happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pony-tail Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 A year or so ago we had really high Ammonia concentrations in our tapwater - apparently caused by the water authority adding Chloramine ( a combination of Chlorine and Ammonia ) . We now age all of our water in an IBC prior to water changes . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubes Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 I just did a water change. Oh and guess what?? The ammonia level spiked on the seneye. Went straight up about an hour after I did the water change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Refugee Posted December 5, 2012 Report Share Posted December 5, 2012 I just did a water change. Oh and guess what?? The ammonia level spiked on the seneye. Went straight up about an hour after I did the water change. I changed about 30%-40% day before yesterday and all my fish (bar 2) are dead. I'm gutted and went through everything in my mind in case I did something wrong. Only after I tested the tap water did I find high levels of ammonia. Damn SEQW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supercobwe Posted December 5, 2012 Report Share Posted December 5, 2012 I just did a water change. Oh and guess what?? The ammonia level spiked on the seneye. Went straight up about an hour after I did the water change. I changed about 30%-40% day before yesterday and all my fish (bar 2) are dead. I'm gutted and went through everything in my mind in case I did something wrong. Only after I tested the tap water did I find high levels of ammonia.Damn SEQW! That's why a lots of members here use double or even triple the dosages of dechlorinating chemical or prime, I did the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Heads up for people in Logan........... the water at the moment is SUPER high in chlorine and ammonia. Pretty much every customer that has bragged to me in the last year about not using dechlorinator.......... called me today to ask why all their fish are now dead. Or at least it seemed that way. Double dose dechlorinator for the entire aquarium volume if you have to water change. Or even better put off water changes for a few days! But yea you only get away with not using dechlorinator for so long until you get caught out......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john22 Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 I thought I was in trouble the other day turned the hose of from topping up the sump and I thought **** I smell chlorine , luky it was just the dog bumped the chlorine tabs over few . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lictoga Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Heads up for people in Logan........... the water at the moment is SUPER high in chlorine and ammonia.Pretty much every customer that has bragged to me in the last year about not using dechlorinator.......... called me today to ask why all their fish are now dead. Or at least it seemed that way. Double dose dechlorinator for the entire aquarium volume if you have to water change. Or even better put off water changes for a few days! But yea you only get away with not using dechlorinator for so long until you get caught out......... Unless you use rain water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Unless you use rain water Yea you rain water ppl eh always keen to rub our noses in the fact we are sucking on the rusty pipe of dam juice! tap water sucks well......... not as much as having to carry buckets from a well......... but you know....... its like not tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lictoga Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 You would be surprised at how fast you can use 10,000L + when it hasn't rained for a while. But yer tap is crap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
