Too much ammonia?

[zackish]

Can you have too much ammonia in your tank while you are cycling?
Or if you put too much in it will just take extra long?

[Lady Hobbs]

I dumped more than I should have in the tank, as well. Had the ammonia reading to 8 instead of 5. Didn't hurt anything. You just don't have to add it as often. Let the ammonia level drop before adding more. It will probably be about 4 days before you have to add more.

[zackish]

I dumped more than I should have in the tank, as well. Had the ammonia reading to 8 instead of 5. Didn't hurt anything. You just don't have to add it as often. Let the ammonia level drop before adding more. It will probably be about 4 days before you have to add more.


Well I just tested mine again and in one day its at least 8. The test tube turned such a dark green it's almost black, should I take out some of the shrimp?

[tmartini]

I certainly don't have as much experience as a lot of the folks around here, but I had the same problem. I would reccomend doing some 10-20% water changes until you get your ammonia level back down between 3-5 ppm (my kit only goes up to 5 ppm). I wouldn't add any more ammonia until you see it dropping a little.

Too much ammonia can prevent your cycle from starting. Here's my source (read the section "Too much ammonia?"):

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Hang in there! You'll be happy you did :)

[Lady Hobbs]

Get rid of the stinky shrimp! As long as the ammonia isn't off the scale, it should do OK but if it's reading "off the scale" do as tmartini suggested.

[Mark Lathrop]

To be honest, I'd go with at least 6 ammonia ppm or you might end up like me trying to cycle with just 5 ammonia, and never getting your nitrite spike and having your nitrates form and eat up the nitrites before they can do there job. I cycled a tank after it had hit 8 ammonia within 3 days. Just my .02.

[naiku]

I think that the thing with cycling tanks, is that while the basics are the same, the actual process is very individual and based on far more characteristics than ammonita > nitrite > nitrate............for example, Mark your cycle completed in 2 days after your ammonia hit 8.0, my ammonia was off the scale (over 6.0) and I am still waiting on my cycle to complete. I have had high nitrites (and pretty high nitrite levels) for over a week now and am still waiting.

I think there is a lot more to it. I would imagine how the water is when it comes out of the tap, what additives (dechlorinator) are used, how much sunlight does the tank get, how much darkness, is the light left on, is there a bubble wand, what type of filter etc etc all play there part.

[Lady Hobbs]

After a week of high nitrites, you will very soon see that change you've been waiting for. It takes longer for the nitrite eating bacteria than for the ammonia bacteria. Actually, your cycle is just about classic. Those nitrites can linger for 2 weeks and sometimes even more but then you will see the change suddenly.

[Mark Lathrop]

I think that the thing with cycling tanks, is that while the basics are the same, the actual process is very individual and based on far more characteristics than ammonita > nitrite > nitrate............for example, Mark your cycle completed in 2 days after your ammonia hit 8.0, my ammonia was off the scale (over 6.0) and I am still waiting on my cycle to complete. I have had high nitrites (and pretty high nitrite levels) for over a week now and am still waiting.

I think there is a lot more to it. I would imagine how the water is when it comes out of the tap, what additives (dechlorinator) are used, how much sunlight does the tank get, how much darkness, is the light left on, is there a bubble wand, what type of filter etc etc all play there part.


I would guess that you are correct. I for one can't get my nitrites to produce for beans, and now my nitrates are going crazy. They shot up from 15 to 80 in one day. After a 50% water change I am at 20 nitrates and still can't produce nitrites for diddly. I have no idea how I'm going to get rid of all of this excess ammonia in my tank except to experiment and have some patience. This is going to be one long cycle. Booo.

[GoldLenny]

Depending on your other water chemistry, having the ammonia at more than 5ppm could actually severely stall your cycle. It's best to do a few 25% PWC's to get the ammonia down to around 4-5ppm. Too high of a level of ammonia can actually kill off the nitrifying bacteria. Kind of like eating yourself to death.

[RobbieG]

Depending on your other water chemistry, having the ammonia at more than 5ppm could actually severely stall your cycle. It's best to do a few 25% PWC's to get the ammonia down to around 4-5ppm. Too high of a level of ammonia can actually kill off the nitrifying bacteria. Kind of like eating yourself to death.

I agree I've seen people on the board struggle for a LOOONG time when their ammonia was too high