If my "ammonia alert" on my fish tank says toxic, should I change all of the water, or just 50% of the water?

Question

I just recently moved my goldfish from a one gallon bowl to a five gallon filtered tank so that I could add another fish. The tank has been set-up since christmas day, but the water is still cloudy and the ammonia alert says toxic!!! I don't want to kill any of my fish, what should I do so I won't kill them and/or shock them to death?!

Answer 1

Well from being a hobbiest my self and i delt with much more delicate marine animals. I'll tell you that every time you add a fish or anything else into your tank it automaticly rases your ammonia up. To remove the ammonia, you shouldn't never change all the water at once because, it will lose all the good bacteria in the tank cycle that the fish needs to live and collect their oxygen. Try not to feed them as much, cut it down to one feeding a day and just a pinch. You may feel bad for this and, they will look to you as they are so hungry and sad that your not feeding them. But, on the long run your doing to do them a big favor. To much food causes ammonia break downs then comes along the deadliest NITRATES. When it reads high level of nitrates this is when you should feel bad. The fish will suffercate badly and soon die. Any-way fish intend to eat until their belly will pop. They are like scavengers. They always want to eat. You can also tell if your tank has high ammonia by you fish phisical looks . Ammonia causes burns on their bodies. One way of trying to get rid of the amonnia is a parshal water change 25% and get your self some good carbon and drop them into the water flow in the filter entering in back to tank. The clowdynes you described is definetly eather over feeding or your tap water is very poor. Clear water could be deadly too!! Try using the carbon called Chemipure It comes in a sack all you have to do is rinse lightly and put it intoyour filter . That will realy clear out the clowd and breakdown the ammonia. Don't let the tempiture rise to much too. keep it at the specific temp.You can pick up more info online on your pets habitat. Good luck let me know if any info worked.

Answer 2

I had the same problem but with a larger tank and different types of fish.I went to my local petsmart and the employee suggested to due a 20% water change once a week until the ammonia was gone.Also suggested using a 7.5 ph stabilizer I did both and with in 3-4 weeks the ammonia was stabilized and I did not loose any of my fish.Also I do not suggest putting another goldfish in with the one you have in only a 5 gal tank.Gold fish create the most ammonia of any fish.If you want to keep both in one tank I would suggest do a 20-30% water change every week and check your levels constantly.

Answer 3

Never change all of the water. I reccommend doing 75% water changes EVERY DAY if you want that goldfish to live. But even then, it will only last a few months, if that.

BTW, getting a 5 gallon tank for a goldfish was a HUGE mistake. They need 20 gallons PER FISH for fancies and 50 gallon PER FISH for non fancies.

By keeping a goldfish in a 5 gallon tank you are causing it to stunt. Read about stunting here-- http://bryce.t31g3n.googlepages.com/fishstunting

Whoever told you that a 5 gallon tank is good for goldfish was mistaken. And your ammonia alert is proof of why.

Answer 4

Change at least 50% of the water...do you have a filter set up as well?? if you do...don't change it...or you'll kill any good bacteria you're getting....but they won't survive long if your levels are toxic...do some changing fast...remember to use chlorine remover first.and bleedseahawk blue is wrong ---you don't need 50 gallons per fish!!!...maybe 1 inch of fish per gallon of water (don't count the fin length.)

Answer 5

you shouldnt would desire to deal along with your water in spite of the undeniable fact that it relies upon on the place you reside. Goldfish are particularly hardy and in case you could drink the faucet water on your section the fish could do high quality. merely once you do your partial replace use your faucet water. confirm the water which you're putting interior the tank is the comparable temperature as what's interior the tank. in case you're able to desire to purchase eating water the place you reside, you're able to would desire to handle the faucet water with chlorine remover. if the fish do properly like this with a partial water replace try filling the hot tank with a pair of million/4 crammed with water that your fish are at present in and then fill with faucet water. permit it take a seat for a pair of million week/10 days then pass the fish to the hot tank. this helps build the stable bacterias that are choose via the fish. stable success!

Answer 6

Do a 50-75% of the water change then every few days I would do a 10-20% change until your levels are at 0.0

Answer 7

Do a series of partial water changes and add an ammonia neutralizer.
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

Answer 8

id say use freash water let it stand for 24 hrs..put a couple of drops of chlorine killer in water...then transfer you fish

Answer 9

i would change it 100%. but keep in mind, changing water 100% makes fish very stressed..