What could have caused the high ammonia levels in my aquarium?
by Aquaboy on Sunday, July 18th, 2010 | 6 Comments
I have a 35 gallon freshwater aquarium. I’ve had it for a number of months. I do about a 50% water change once a week, or every couple of weeks. I also have a test kit so that I can test ammonia, nitrite, etc. My question: I found one of my angel fish dead on the bottom of the tank yesterday. I have only had him for 6 months or so. He wasn’t showing any signs of illness and wasn’t lethargic. I just did a partial water change the week before. When I tested the ammonia levels they were elevated. What caused this? Every other time I have tested the ammonia levels were at zero. (Btw, there were 2 angel fish, 2 bottom feeders, 3 mollies and a few guppies in the tank, so it didn’t seem overcrowded)
Other articles you might like;
- Is These Pellets Healthy + More Qs-?
- Would This Hurt The Guppy Fry?
- 90g Reef Aquarium Setup Day 5
- Ideas On Fish For Freshwater Community Aquarium?
- Work Experience Melbourne 2011?
dead fish can cause an ammonia spike … try testing again after another water change …
Ammona is the acid found in URINE. Your angel fish Died suddenly of Ammonia Poisoning
Description:
Ammonia poisoning is one of the biggest killers of aquarium fish. It occurs most often when a tank is newly set up. However, it can also occur in an established tank when too many new fish have been added at one time, when the filter fails due to power or mechanical failure, or if bacterial colonies die off due to the use of medications or sudden change in water conditions.
Symptoms:
Fish gasp for breath at the water surface
Purple or red gills
Fish is lethargic
Loss of appetite
Fish lays at the bottom of the tank
Red streaking on the fins or body
Ammonia poisoning can happen suddenly, or over a period of days. Initially the fish may be seen gasping at the surface for air. The gills will begin to turn red or lilac in color, and may appear to be bleeding. The fish will being to lose its appetite and become increasingly lethargic. In some cases fish may be observed laying at the bottom of the tank with clamped fins.
As the damage from the ammonia poisoning continues, the tissues will be damaged as evidenced by red streaks or bloody patches that appear on the body and fins. Internal damage is occurring to the brain, organs, and central nervous system. The fish begins to hemorrhage internally and externally, and eventually dies.
Treatment:
Lower pH below 7.0
25 – 50% water change
Use chemical to neutralize ammonia
Discontinue or reduce feeding
If the ammonia level rises above 1 ppm as measured by a standard test kit, begin treatment immediately. Lowering the pH of the water will provide immediate relief, as will a 50% water change (be sure to use water that is the same temperature as the aquarium). Several water changes within a short period of time may be required to drop the ammonia to below 1 ppm.
If the fish are in severe distress, the use of a chemical to neutralize the ammonia is recommended. Feedings should be restricted so that additional waste is reduced. In cases of very high ammonia levels, feedings should be discontinued for several days. No new fish should be added until the tank until the ammonia and nitrite levels have fallen to zero.
Because ammonia toxicity is linked to the pH, testing of both ammonia and pH levels are critical. Ammonia becomes increasingly toxic as the pH rises above 7.0. Because there are so many variables, there is no magic number to watch for. However, there are general guidelines to follow.
At a level of level of 1 ppm or 1 mg/l, fish are under stress, even if they don’t appear in acute distress. Levels even lower than that can be fatal if the fish are exposed continuously for several days. For that reason it is critical to continue daily testing and treatment until the ammonia drops to zero. When ammonia is elevated for a long period, it is not unusual to lose fish even after the ammonia levels start to drop.
Prevention:
Stock new tanks slowly
Feed sparingly and remove uneaten food
Change water regularly
Test water regularly to catch problems early
The key to avoiding fish death from ammonia poisoning is to avoid ammonia spikes in the first place. When starting a new tank, add only a couple of fish initially and do not add more until the tank is completely cycled. Even in an well established tank, only add a couple of new fish at a time and avoid overstocking.
Feed fish small quantities of foods, and remove any food not consumed in five minutes. Clean the tank weekly, taking care to remove an dead plants or other debris. Perform a partial water change at least every other week, more often in small heavily stocked tanks. Test the water for ammonia at least twice a month to detect problems before they become serious.
Anytime a fish appears to be ill, test for ammonia to rule out ammonia poisoning. If the filter stops, test for ammonia twenty-four hours later to ensure that the bacterial colonies that eliminate wastes were not affected.
Sometimes fish just die.He may have been an old fish who ran out of time or had in internal problem or was not a healthy fish when you bought him.I agree with the one answer you were given about ammonia spiking when a fish dies,especially if he was left in the tank for any length of time.They start to decay quickly.Do a water change to remove the death juice,and test again.You should be alright.
Good luck
Hello Lorinp 1 Died fish will cause a high level of ammonia.Your tank is not over crowded,some fish dye for no apperant reason,just keep a close eye on the rest cence one did dye.
a dead fish can cause ammonia levels to elevate quickly. Its important to remove fish bodies immediately to prevent them from decaying in the tank. Also you might want to do less of a water change. I would do 25% every week instead of 50% at any one time(save the 50%ers for catastrophies like dead fish, or anytime you notice a sudden ammonia spike). Depending on your filtration, you might be removing too much water at once during water changes. Also be careful not to overfeed. Alot of fishkeepers feed their fishy friends WAY TOO MUCH food at one time.
feed less and keep the bottom of the tank clean from food and debris. the ammonia is normally caused by dead plants, food and fish.