Java ferns effect amonia levels?
Java ferns effect amonia levels?
I have a tank in which I was experiencing a problem with spiking amonia levels. Even with 50% water changes every other day and careful monitoring of chemistry I wasn't able to bring the levels down. I had just three Java ferns, one large and two small. The substrate was small gravel and there were only six Black Phantom Tetras in the tank. When it became obvious that I wasn't going to be able to bring the critically high amonia levels down I decided to take the tank apart, remove the substrate and plants, and clean everything. I added a new substrate, Flora Base, and 20 plants, tied my 2 small Javas to rocks that I presoaked three days, cleaned everything except the bio-filter and replaced the chemical filtration. The only plant I didn't return to the tank was the large Java, which I placed temporarily in a large Hefty bag with fresh aquarium water until I could plant it elsewhere. The next morning my amonia levels were at zero and the water chemistry was perfect. I decided to test the water in the Hefty bag and it tested high for amonia. I replaced the water again and waited another 24 hours and again it tested high. It doesn't seem possible that this one plant could effect amonia levels this way, but the chemical testing I conducted seems to indicate otherwise. It seems strange that my critically high amonia levels would bottom out after this one plant was removed and that amonia levels in the bag in which it's stored should continue to test high. What are you thoughts?
How long has the tank been setup? If its a new tank its just cycling and totally normal. One way to help is to load you tank up with fast growing plants, Hygrophila polysperma, Bacopa caroliniana, Ludwigia repens are a few that come to mind, all will do fine with low/medium light. These plants are fast growers and will suck up the ammonia. Java fern is a slow grower and wont use up the ammonia that your fish are producing.
The only reason that I can think the water in the java fern bag would show high levels would be if it were dying and rotting, also if you used aquarium water it was already reading some ammonia.
Last thing is how old are your test kits and what are you adding to dechlor your water, sometimes you can get a false reading. Hope that helps
The only reason that I can think the water in the java fern bag would show high levels would be if it were dying and rotting, also if you used aquarium water it was already reading some ammonia.
Last thing is how old are your test kits and what are you adding to dechlor your water, sometimes you can get a false reading. Hope that helps
Jeff U.
