Question: Consistently high AMMONIA level!!!

[aeri]

i don't recommend bio-balls unless you're using a wet-dry sump, their effectiveness is very minimal if always submerged in a hang on back filter or a canister filter. bacteria also tends to die off in as little as 5 hours dry.

the bio media i'm talking about is usually made of sintered glass.

eheim uses ehfisubstrat (http://www.aquatichouse.com/FILTRATION MENU_files/eheimsubstratpro.jpg) which boasts about 4842 sq.ft of porous surface area per liter, for beneficial bacteria to reside on.

fluval and aquaclear uses biomax (http://img3.prosperent.com/images/2...m/tc-photos/11442/product/standard/520989.jpg, http://img4.prosperent.com/images/250x250/www.lnt.com/photos/11442/product/standard/501784.jpg)

marineland uses biowheels

seachem matrix is another commonly used one.

These two guides are great read-throughs on filtration media:
Aquarium Filtration 101
Beginners Guide to Filter Media


do not remove your sponge as most of your current bacteria resides here.

i would take a bag of bio media and place it into the filter...most filters should have space for both a sponge and bio media. if the filter is filled with sponges, then place the bio media into the tank, and after a week or two when water quality is ok (water clarity does not equal water quality), then you can try to minimize the sponge size to be able to fit both the bio and sponge into the filter.

biological media is key to maintaining water quality. mechanical media mainly maintains water clarity. it's good to have both. stay away from chemical media unless you need to remove a bad smell or medication from the tank -- they do little for balancing water chemistry.

 

[Aimzs Lotties]

UPDATE on goings on in my tank:

Still doing 20% daily water changes, back with dechlorinated tap water.

Ammonia has been holding at about 0.8ppm for the last week.

My filter now contains in 1 compartment sponge media, in the other compartment, 50% ammonia removing rocks, 50% http://img3.prosperent.com/images/2...m/tc-photos/11442/product/standard/520989.jpg (very similar to these).

I am removing all poop and mess whenever I see it and I'm feeding each of my 3 axies 1 earthworm per day (I never find any left overs, so its not that going off).

I am assuming if I just continue my water changes.. eventually the ammonia will reach zero?

Thankyou all so much for your help over the past month!
-Aimee.

 

[Mandy6]

What kind of ammonia remover are you using?

The problem with ammonia remover things is that a lot will just detoxify the ammonia, the ammonia is technically still there just not causing any harm, but will still show up on test readings making you think you have an ammonia problem when you don't.


At least that's what I've been told, I've never had an ammonia problem though :S

 

[Aimzs Lotties]

Mandy,

really? thats quite interesting.. My axies are very happy and healthy and are showing no signs of distress so that may be it...

I'm using AquaOne ChemiZee Zeolite (Ammonia removing rocks, made from natural mineral).

I'm getting some live plants in the next few days, 'Thin Val', i've heard plants help with ammonia levels so hopefully they will.

Thanks.

 

[Aimzs Lotties]

So about 2 days after I put the live plants in my Ammonia did the opposite of sky-rocketing and went down to a mere 0.4ppm. cool eh?

Then just now I tested it again.. and we are FINALLY AT ZERO!!!!

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

Do you think weekly 20% water changes will be sufficient to keep it at zero? If I do a test twice weekly do you think that's often enough?

 

[iChris]

how long has your tank been up and running?

plants make a big difference, I have a plant filter in my axie tank (I grow peace lilies in the trickle filter) and my ammonia and nitrates are always 0.

the longest the tank has been running between water changes was 3 weeks.

Here is the thread, you may want to take a look, it has some pics of the setup too.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ups-filters-substrate/75767-plant-filter.html

 

[Aimzs Lotties]

Tank has been up and running about 3 months. I'll take a look at that filter, thanks for the link!