High nitrites and ammonia...need help

**Fish guy128** · 03-14-2012, 04:27 PM

I have a 20g long aquarium brackish water (salinity about 1.010) and the nitrates and ammonia are off the charts. I just have a african cichild and had a violet goby but he recently died. I have plenty of aeration and am stocking up on live plants. ph around neutral. weekly water changes even if done twice were doing absolutely nothing!? Absolutely no algae is growing and the tank has been established for over a year now. I've recently been adding a bacterial supplement and not much has changed...i feed frozen cubes once a day and have a marineland 50g filter on there. I also just started using ammonia crystals in the filter.nothing so far. I'm completely lost here any input?

**Lady Hobbs** · 03-14-2012, 04:29 PM

If you have high ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, you haven't got a cycled tank.

**Fish guy128** · 03-14-2012, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

If you have high ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, you haven't got a cycled tank.

Even after a year? How do I get it cycling then?

**Cliff** · 03-14-2012, 05:12 PM

Are you using FW or SW test kits ?

At any rate, I would suggest handling this just as you would when cycling with fish. There is a link in my sig to the cycling with fish thread here that explains the process better than I can

Edit: when you added the ammonia crystals in your filter did you remove some of the filter media to make room ?

**Lady Hobbs** · 03-14-2012, 05:30 PM

Easy to uncycle a tank. All you need to do is clean all the beneficial bacteria from the filter or clean it in tap water.

**Sligg** · 03-15-2012, 12:37 AM

Bit of a shot in the dark, but you haven't made any huge changes to your salinity recently have you?

As I understand it, the beneficial bacteria that lives in fresh water is different to that which lives in full salt water... if you've maybe passed over the threshold, you could be experiencing a die-off of the bacteria and the tank may be having to cycle again. Would explain the sudden spike that you can't get down.

I'm not an expert by far, but just wanted to put it out there. To see what the other more experienced members think.

Sligg~

**Fish guy128** · 03-15-2012, 04:18 AM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

Easy to uncycle a tank. All you need to do is clean all the beneficial bacteria from the filter or clean it in tap water.

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

If you have high ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, you haven't got a cycled tank.

I'm misunderstanding you I think. Are you saying to uncycle a tank I need to rinse the filter in tap water? Or to fix my problem rinse my filter with tap?

**Fish guy128** · 03-15-2012, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by Sligg

Bit of a shot in the dark, but you haven't made any huge changes to your salinity recently have you?

As I understand it, the beneficial bacteria that lives in fresh water is different to that which lives in full salt water... if you've maybe passed over the threshold, you could be experiencing a die-off of the bacteria and the tank may be having to cycle again. Would explain the sudden spike that you can't get down.

I'm not an expert by far, but just wanted to put it out there. To see what the other more experienced members think.

Sligg~

That makes alot of sence and out probably has alot to do with it....I've been trying to free hand the salinity but I'm now seeing thats not a good idea

**Fish guy128** · 03-15-2012, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by Cliff

Are you using FW or SW test kits ?

At any rate, I would suggest handling this just as you would when cycling with fish. There is a link in my sig to the cycling with fish thread here that explains the process better than I can

Edit: when you added the ammonia crystals in your filter did you remove some of the filter media to make room ?

I'm using test strips that are universal, theres a chart to compare the strip to for both fresh and salt (2 different charts).

And I can honestly say I feel like a noob when I say how do I cycle my tank?? The page says don't do anything but then later says do water changes?? Ok no problem but how much and how often?

And as far as the filter media I just kinda shoved everything in there..water is still flowing smoothly

**Tiari** · 03-15-2012, 02:03 PM

If you are using test strips, the ammonia media is going to give you a positive reading no matter what you do. Get your hands on a liquid test kit, such as the API master test to give you a more accurate reading.