Water quality

I havnt done a water change in almost 3 weeks, and my water levels are still all at zero. I have a slight amount of amonia. Should i do a water change anyway?

 

you're kinda cancelling yourself out with that statement. AM should be 0 in a cycled tank, what has caused the spike?

 

It doesnt seem like a spike in amonia, theres barely any, its just slightly above zero.

 

Your post doesn't give very good info.


Are you cycling? Is that the view point you have when you ask this?


Your ammonia should be 0. ANY amount over 0 is a spike. Unless you're cycling, then you're simply not done cycling and there is NO point to do a water change while you are cycling (not saying it hurts, I'm saying it's pointless).

 

Since you did do a water change 3 weeks ago, I'm going to assume you are not cycling. Is that assumption true? If it is, it should be said to begin with.

"water levels" can mean a host of different things. From water height in your tank, to cycling parameters (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) and, most frequently, it refers to Mg, Ca, and Alk.

Any ammonia, whatsoever, is a spike. Absolute 0 detectable by our test kits is needed.

Water change purpose is not to control Ammonia. You will never be able to keep ammonia under control by water changes.

Past that, we need more context.

 

Did you use anything to jump start the cycle?

If you did not give your system any waste to process then your cycle will not progress . . .

 

the tank is not cycling, its been up for over six months... how can i keep my amonia down if water changes doesnt do it??

 

What is in the tank? Could something have died, or did you recently add animals to the tank? You shouldn't have to do anything on a normal basis on a cycled tank as the good bacteria takes care of the ammonia, but if something died or you added a bunch of fish that would overload the existing bacteria that would cause the problem.

 

nothing dead, the only new thing is a mushroom coral, added a few days ago.

 

currently in there is a maroon clown, algea blenny, and a snowflake eel... I'm transfering my eel and the blenny to my seventy five gal FOWLR tank on friday.