# Ammonia Spikes



## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

Every couple weeks I have small ammonia spikes. Curently I am at .5. Nitrate, nitrite steady at 0. Yes 0 nitrate. Ph stays at 7.4. Just occasional ammonia spikes. Any uneaten food is removed. I change about 30% water on a weekly basis, 50% once a month. I'm running an eheim 2217, 2224 and pengin 350. Along with a korila evo 1400. I'm keeping 6, 5-7" natts in a 110g long. Any ideas?


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

Diet is tilapia, shrimp, cod, pearch, smelt, and very occasionally neons or zebra danios. Substrate is quickcreet all purpose sand. And 2 x 250wt heaters… just trying to give as much info as possible.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Sand
? When you switch to sand? 6 decent sized fish shitting at once I'm sure you will get small jumps in ammonia once in a while. How often you feeding now. Every couple days yet?


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

Always had sand. Swiched from aragonite (for obvious reasons), to nutural sand. As far as feeding. I have recenty gone to every 3-4 days. The neons and danios are taken very slowly. At this point my RBP seem to be healthy. Not much red color, but no ich. I did have fin rot that was gone within days. No ammonia burns. No hith.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

I know ya had sand but it wasn't playsand. Anyhow maybe try coming back to every other day but smaller portions? Imo a small amount of ammonia once in while is normal. It takes lil time to be converted & you have 6 decent fish crapping together basically. Checked filters for uneaten food?


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

The 2217, and 350. Yes. Didn't want to damage too much BB. Ammonia seems to be fine for a couple weeks, then spike. Everything else stays in check.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

I wouldn't worry bout damaging BB as long as ya get in check it, rinse it n get it back together within a reasonable time frame. Have ya been rotating rinsing your filter media with waterchanges?


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

Yeah. With the canisters, they don't need to be cleaned very often. When I do it's only one at a time, and usually within months of eachother. If a small amount of ammonia once in a while is normal… then I wont fret


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Sad not one other member offers advice. I wouldn't sweat it soc. Lil bit every now n then is normal imo. It doesn't convert in 5min. When are you testing it? Day or two after feedings. Next spike I would test next day n day after than. Bet its only going up for day maybe 2 at most.


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## Nzac (Oct 13, 2010)

Does this ammonia spike happen shortly after you feed the live fish? I used to get stuff like that when I would toss in several more fish then were eaten right away, it all worked itself out fine within a day or so, I just figured the extra bio load of 12-15 small fish caused it in my situation. These days I only toss in what will get eaten in an hour or so.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

I don't think he feeds live much. But I agree even 10 new neons could throw it off a hair for day or so.


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