Ammonia in an established tank

[leiafee]

My tank has been stable since getting my axolotol some six months ago but I've had at least 1ppm ammonia all this week.

By "all this week" I mean it's been at that every day I've tested, at which point I've done a 75% water change.

Nitrite hasn't varied on 0 and Nitrate is below 10.

It's a 50L tank (not great on Us measurements but Google informs me that 13USg) which I know is on the 'small but in theory adequate' end of the size spectrum.

The filter that's in there is a canister filter (which the box tells me is) designed for a 100-200L tank (spraybar against tank wall above waterline to disperse). I'd been leaving that well alone but gave it a very gentle rinse today in case of blockages though waterflow was normal. also shoved everything aside looking for hidden rotting goop.

The axoltol is 8inches now and eats a worm a day. Poop ( there seems to be a rather small amount) is turkey bastered when spotted.

Does bacteria growth normally keep up with axolotl growth?

How likely is it to stabalise on its own if I just keep at the water changes? (He sulks in his hide when I do them!)

There's a fakerock cave hide, some ornaments and fake plants in there so I don't think it's lack of surfaces for bacteria to grow?

I checked the water in the dechlorinated bucket today to rule out test kit issues. It was marginally greener than straight-from-tap but not as green as even the .25ppm on the API chart.

Anything I've missed?

 

[LSuzuki]

This is a weird situation. :-(

Bacteria normally have no difficulty keeping up with axolotl growth.

It should restabilize, but what caused it to become unstablized in the first place? Are there any new ornaments in the tank or anything? Any other possible sources or ammonia?

You are doing the right thing by doing water changes to keep the ammonia low.

Good luck!

 

[rachel1]

Sometimes ammonia in an established tank is a sign of inadequate surface area in the filter for bacterial colonization. What do you have for media in the filter? The other option is some sort of change in water conditions that has killed off part of the population of nitrifying bacteria. Any changes on your part? It's possible if you have city water that they have changed something. If that's the case, it should stabilize with time.

 

[leiafee]

One ornament swap - a fakelog hide for the fakerock cave because he was getting too big for the old one. It had been in there since I got him, on reflection the the 'fake-log-ness meant a lot of crevices - very slimy when I took it out!

Not sure I can entirely pinpoint the change to that but it is the only change.

Filter medium is the plasticy foam stuff. (I've been ignoring the instruction on the box to change it every month as it's perfectly intact.)