Emergency Ammonia Levels Treatment for Your Aquarium

Ammonia is a lethal water condition in both freshwater and marine aquariums. Fish are extremely vulnerable to high ammonia levels. This condition either kills them outright or stresses them out so much that they become more susceptible to disease.

Emergency Ammonia Level Treatment for Your Aquarium

Step 1

Use an ammonia test kit to determine ammonia levels. An ammonia level of greater than 1-ppm demands immediate action. Note: Established (45 days or longer) tanks should register zero ammonia.

Step 2

The most likely causes of ammonia spikes are overfeeding and dead/decaying animals. Account for all aquarium stock to make sure nothing is dead. If you find a dead creature, remove it!

Step 3

If your fish are stressed, add additives to reduce ammonia. Signs of stress include fish gasping for air near the surface or lying on the sand bed. This temporary solution reduces the fish’s stress while you find the source of the ammonia problem.

Step 4

Discontinue feeding until the ammonia levels are lowered. No worries, a few missed meals will not harm your fish.

Step 5

Dilution is the solution to pollution. Complete a water change of up to no more than 40 percent of the water using distilled or reverse osmosis water from an aquarium store.

Marine aquarium must prepare salt water while using a hydrometer to ensure proper salinity. Note: It is recommended that the added water be at the same temperature as your aquarium.

Step 6

Wait one day and test for ammonia. If the ammonia levels remain above 1 ppm, complete another water change of no more than 10 percent of the total volume.

Step 7

Continue to monitor by testing for ammonia often.

If you follow these steps the emergency of too much ammonia in your aquarium will be repaired and your fish will get along just swimmingly.  Monitoring your aquarium ammonia levels is a vital key to proper fish tank maintenance.