PSA***** KEV of Kaveman Aquatics is one of the best fishtubers around. My man has some of the best content out there. He is extremely articulate and explains things so clearly you can't go wrong following his advice. Just watch a couple vids and I promise you won't be disappointed. Thank you for all your hard work Kev, you are the MAN!!!!! Or KAVEMAN specifically. Everyone else like and share, not only helps my man here, but you will be doing a great service to anyone with their tanks!!!
As a retired former educator, your grasp of your FIELD OF INTEREST/CONCERN IS BOTH" EXPERTISE & TENACIOUS" respectively; and your PERSONAL DEMEANOR WOULD MAKE YOU AN EXCELLENT TEACHER IN ANY AREA OF CONCENTRATION THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ! Your videos are SUPERB.
Wow, thank you! Really appreciate that. I've been told I'm a natural teacher ever since starting the channel, never realized it myself. Thanks again for that great feedback! Glad you're enjoying the channel.
I want to tell you thank you from the bottom of my heart. Whether you read this or not, I’m not sure. But you saved my fishes life. My ammonia went sky high after a PetSmart employee told me to get rid of my filter while treating for Ich in my tank. He didn’t tell me to just remove the carbon, he said “Throw your filter out. When you are done treating Ich, replace with a new one.” That put my tank at deathly high ammonia. One of my fish (a dwarf gourami who has always been a happy fish) quickly started declining and he was stressed, extremely sick, and I didn’t think he would live. I found out that I needed to put a filter back in my tank, and followed your steps exactly. Did 80% water change with prime and stability. I will continue adding those until no ammonia shows. THANK YOU so so much for saving my fish. My gourami is happily swimming again. My other fish are definitely looking happier now too. You are so awesome and I will spread your name to every person who is interested in getting fish, or just simply need help.
Love feedback like this! Thank you so much, Im glad I was able to help save your guys. Sometimes new members to the hobby get bad information from uneducated "pet store employees". Glad you were able to find the channel and react quickly to get your tank safe! And thank you for spreading the word about the channel, really appreciate that! 😊💪
Glad your fish made it! I had similar experience with Ich few months ago. Kept filter running but I didn’t follow all the right steps. Water hasn’t been right since. Only lost one fish. (My fave😳) Stability and Prime are great. I also got coral chips to put in my filter for raising ph naturally for my Africans.
Our tanks are such delicate ecosystems. The smallest change can mess everything up. I am also treating for ich. I only took the activated carbon out, but that was enough to throw off the whole balance. I've been checking water every morning during treatment and ammonia spiked to 4.0 ppm yesterday morning. I haven't had any ammonia in my tank since it's been cycled, so this was quite a shock. Thank you for sharing your success story. It gives me hope. I will follow his advice in the video and hope that my tank rebounds as well as yours.
Never listen to Petsmart. They are awful! I rescued two bettas because they don’t know how to properly care for fish! I even reported the local store to PETA because there were several dead bettas in cups
I just watched one of your videos that said to NOT Do a water change if you have an ammonia spike because you need ammonia for the Bacteria to grow. So use prime & stability. Now I’m watching this video and you are saying to DO a 50% to 80% water change. WHICH IS IT ??
If you’re having trouble achieving crystal clear aquarium water, I can help! Download my Free ebook with the best tips and advice - KaveManAquatics.com/Free-Ebook
Messaged you on insta about a week ago and advised me exactly this! Worked the first week! Top quality information from yourself bro so much appreciated! Just done a api test now, got no ammonia, nitrite are looking at 0.25ppm and nitrates looking at 80ppm, time to do a water change! Thanks a million, you saved my daughters birthday fish haha 💯
One of the best explanation video that clearly makes the link between ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and gives a clear path to follow for any beginner and professional. Thank you for so many well explained tips. Short and concise, well done.
THANK YOU!! This is a bit embarrassing, but I struggled as a new tank owner with ammonia for 7 months straight!!! There was no light at the end of the tunnel...until I found this video! With this method it took me about a month, but I could steadily see the ammonia levels drop a little each week. I also started a new tank with this method at it was an amazing difference starting with your tips, rather than playing catch up. This video is truly the BEST on this subject matter!
I don't understand... I've been doing 40% water changes every other day, I added ammonia-lock, yet I STILL xame home to 2 dead fish today, and 1 w/ ammonia burns! WHY?!?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!! I've been busting my ASS trying to do EVERYTHING to help these fish man!! How long does AMMONIA-LOCK LAST? HOW OFTEN Should I be adding it?!?
Exactly how I dealt with a cycle crash on my 55 gallon. Luckily it’s hardy community fish. It took me so much research to figure these steps out. Great job putting this out there for everyone. Too many people just say to keep doing water changes. The stability and prime, and leaving it alone while dosing are key.
I followed this video and removed water. You have another video that I just heard that says DO NOT REMOVE WATER. I don’t know what to do now.I have both prime and stability.
I understand the confusion. Both video were made at different times for different circumstances. But it’s ok if you initially did a water change. Just don’t do any more until your tank has cycled. At this point continue dosing prime and stability daily. When you reach 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, then you can water change again. I highly suggest you checkout my beginners playlist as well, it’ll be very helpful for you! 😊
Hey Kev, greetings from Singapore 🇸🇬. I just did my water change(probably more than 80%) which then affected my oscar fish. He was stressed out, lying sideways. After watching your video and introducing the Prime and Stability to the tank. He’s all healthy and back to normal now. Thank you for the video. God bless
Hey kev! I really appreciate all of the work you been putting to help us all, not only beginners but experts in the hobby as well! I have some concerns about my African cichlids such as my ammonia around 0.5- 1ppm , nitrite .50 and nitrate 5.0. My tank isn’t cycling properly now. Also any reasons why they are rubbing their bodies on substrate and river rocks? Please help me kaveMan!
The ammonia and nitrite is irritating them, and also poisoning them. Follow the steps in this vide to make your water safe for them while your tank cycles.
Thank you! Its still a little early to tell but I think this video saved my last three fish. I have had my tank for more than a year. I changed salt and they started dying over the course of two weeks. All my levels were good (except I didnt test for ammonia :( ) and PH rose some, but still with in parameters. I had only added one fish the week before all this. I am still not entirely sure why my amonia spiked but it was through the roof and this rememdy has already lowered it a lot. With any luck my last three guys will survive!
My book on getting crystal clear water can definitely help! 😁 It's short and to the point to clear that water up quickly! Comes in eBook and Paperback. Check it out here - bit.ly/clearH2O
My Pleasure!! I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html AND, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
Can someone explain this to me like I'm five years old? Here's what I understand 1. Remove 50%-80% water from tank 2. Add prime *TO THE TANK*? 3. Add water to the tank *WITH OR WITHOUT PRIME*?? (has to be same temperature) 4. Will the fish (betta) survive if not fed for 5 days ???
Thanks for simplifying things. Theres so many products on the market that having this video quickly narrow them down is a godsend! Also after the water change when is the best time to check the ammonia levels again?
Thanks, glad you found it helpful! Wait about an hour after the change and you can retest. Keep in mind...the prime is only going to detoxify the ammonia so it’s safe for the fish...but your test may still pick it up.
Yes you can rinse them in tap water...If you have ammonia then your tank isnt cycled. Follow the steps in this video to keep the water safe for the fish. Also, I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
Lifesaver...I was about to give up. I feel like crying ..I've been so frustrated..finally someone that speaks a "language "I understand....you just saved my tank!! Thanku so much I subscribed..liked ..and shared!! Look forward to more videos. If u get this message could u please tell me if u can switch out your media cartridges rinsing them in aquarium water then save them for later ..
My pleasure! Very glad I could help! Not sure what you mean about saving them for later. But using and switching cartridges is not a good thing. Theres a better way to ensure your filter stays in the best condition to keep your tank cycled. Watch this - th-cam.com/video/unlFewmTrBw/w-d-xo.html
You’ve literally helped me so much! Your videos are the best. I’m new to the fish hobby & you’ve helped me tremendously! Thank you so much for your content 🙌🏻
I have a question about the 80% water change. I set up my tank recently and I have lots of plants and I’m using cycled filter floss and my concern is that doing a 80% water change will get rid of most of the beneficial bacteria that has already grown? I am fairly new to the hobby and I don’t any experience in cycling tanks!!
So I am one of those noobs who got a tank, filled it, put in chemicals and then the fish. I've had so many deaths because the ammonia was just up the wazoo. Just had two more fishies pass - my electric green glowfish cories. Found your videos by chance and after watching several, just started the Seachem prime/stabilizer treatment. Fingers crossed that it works. Following instructions to the tee. Thank you for making these wonderful videos.
@@KaveManAquatics I ended up having to do an 80% water change because my ammonia levels wouldn't go down otherwise. It's currently at .5 or lower (hard to tell with the colors). No nitrites or nitrates. Do I need to continue the Seachem treatment (which I have been doing all along) until I see the nitrates/ites before I can add more fish? I have a 10 gallon with only 5 fish in it right now.
Kave I have ammonia and received the prime and stability will my fish starve from not eating that long? My tanks aren’t new,,, I have 3-75’s /2-55’s/1-120/and 2-10g tanks please help tyvm watching all your vids on this hope I get answer tyvm hun
No they wont starve, but if you want to feel better you can feed very little. But remember food will raise the ammonia in your tank that you're trying to cycle
thank you for getting straight to the point. I was frantic trying to find out how to fix ammonia spike in my fish tank (my fault). I will follow your instructions and based on others comments, hopefully I won't lose any fish.
Been keeping fish for about 30 years now but have an odd situation here. Setup a new 125. All new substrate and decore for the most part. Took 1 fx6 from under my 300 gallon tank and put in a new fx6 under it. Then i took the 4 year old fx6 and put it under the new 125. The new tank is lightly stocked with only 4 small acara, 2 small Severum and three 3" plecos. The 300 gallon has monsters in it. But now i have ammonia for the first time in ages in the new 125. Been doing the water changes but no change in readings yet. 0 nitrites and 10 nitrates ammonia is at .40 Im starting to think my bacteria in the old fx6 had a major die off and thsts whats causing the ammonia spike much like when a canister filter dies and you fire it up causing a spike in ammonia. But my swap took 2 min. Ideas?
Your content is on point. I've had aquariums since I was 10 years old and I'm 58 now and your information is on point 👌 👍 keep up the great work everyone should listen to your content so they can learn and understand exactly what you share God bless. Excellent!!!
If the ammonia spikes even more even with less feeding in the week of adding prime and stability, do we change the water during the week? Or do we wait it out till exactly 5 to 7 days?
Wait it out, even if it spikes the daily dose of prime will detoxify it keeping the fish safe. You don't want to water change in between because then you'll remove the stability you've been adding.
Sup boss you prob seen my post on your FB page on my 44gal and 55gal tanks ammonia 2.0pmm 0 nitrites Nitrate 10ppm to 20ppm Should I do the water change or continue to allow the tanks to cycle? Both tanks have tetras and peppered Cory's
Not much you can see, but keeping and reusing the same sponges over and over will be beneficial for the nitrogen cycle in your tank. I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
@@KaveManAquatics thank you for the help. This is all your fault!! Lol 😆 🤣 😂 Girlfriend and I have decided if we can keep our 20 gal tank good for a year, learn from the 20 gal tank we upgrading to 75 gal(I wanted 125 gal). I'm hooked!!!!
Really nice and clear video with clear instructions. Fortunately I've already bought a bottle of Prime but now I see I also need Stability too. Thanks a million!
Help! Before watching you video I was doin 2-3 20% water changes a day trying to reduce my ammonia. After your video I did a 50% water change three days in a row with no change in the ammonia between.225-.50 ppm consistently. I decided to test my tap water and it’s at 1.0-2.0 ppm! This is from my city’s website “Utility Systems Department utilizes chloramines, a blend of ammonia and free chlorine as a disinfectant to prevent the creation of trihalomethanes”. Now what do I do?
Always a good Video, just got the 10K Hoodie 🦾 about to finally start the new Tank setup thanks 🙏 for the Great Content you always have to share especially with the New Hobbyists as my self look forward for the next update
Not if you're cyclying your tank with this method. The question is too vague for me to help...I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
@@KaveManAquatics I have had several fish die over the last week. When I tested the water the ammonia was as high as the test reads. The fish store guy said do a 50% water change. That was three days ago. The ammonia levels last night were down 2 ppm so I was wondering should I do another water change? I don't want any more fish to die. I've been watching the Playlist. Learning a lot. Thank you
Hey Kev, i switched from a 35 Gallon Tank to a 75 Gallon Tank and I have had it for about a month and a half now and it is still showing Ammonia. Your info makes a lot of sense as to why my tank is still like this. I never introduced any Ammonia first before adding my fish and I didn’t seed it with any of my old tank decor/filter or anything like that. I have made sure to use an Ammonia Detoxifier while I wait for the biological filter to be setup so my fish is safe. I am following your steps as of today and just did a 60%-70% water change and added SeaChem Prime and Stability. With your steps, you said to do this everyday for 7 days. My question is, on the Stability bottle it says use 1 capful for every 20 gallons daily for 7 days which I will do. For the Prime though, it says nothing like that. How much Prime should I add daily? Still the 1 capful every 50 gallons? Or do I do less since I would have added some the previous day? Can you add too much Prime?
Prime is pretty safe and hard to over dose, but you don’t need to add prime everyday. Just add the prime once after your water change. Dose the amount for the full volume of the tank. But continue to dose the stability everyday 👍
@@KaveManAquatics I am a little confused as you said in your video to dose the tank with Prime and Stability for 1 week as to get rid of the ammonia in it.(2:09)Then check your water parameters and if it still repeats to do a water change a repeat the process again as mentioned in your video.Please clarify....Thanks in advance.
Im about to start cycling my tank..30 gallon..havent put any fish in yet...i put tap water in..i used seachem prime to get rid of the chlorine and chloromines...should i add some seachem amguard??? Trying to get rid of the chlorine b4 i add the fritz 7..the seachem prime is enough?
Hi Kev, if I have ammonia (0.50ppm) but my nitrates are on the lower end (5.0ppm right now) do I still do a water change after 7 days? I have been adding prime + stability for close to 7 days everyday now. Thanks in advance.
Great video very informative i use to be that guy who would see a dirty fish tank and would just wash everything like new I thought i was doing the fish a favor how foolish i was lol
KaveMan Aquatics i didnt even know about seachem stability this video came out right on time I recently upgraded to a 40 breeder and im guessing the biofilter couldnt handle the added fish cause i was getting some ammonia readings on my test. I just picked up some seachem stability and added tons more plants also did a 30% water change hopefully the ammonia levels go down when i test the water tomorrow. For the most part tho the fish seem happy so im not to worried about it.
Then you just have to let it cycle. I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
Question, so I made the noob mistake (new tank syndrome) I didn’t do the nitrogen cycle. My levels are reading about .25 ammonia 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. Ph about 7.8. I have a flowerhorn in the tank only. It’s a 55 gallon. I bought prime and stability and I’ve been using the correct dosage for about 3 days so far. Would I be able to cycle the tank with prime and stability is the question. And if there is still ammonia in the tank after one week, I just do a 50% water change and repeat untill there’s 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and low nitrate levels?
I'm on Day 6 did not feed fish there has been no poop in tank and I test for ammonia every day, I use 1 cap Prime and 1 Cap of Stability every day. My Ammonia is still high. If nothing happens by day 6 I will do it again change water and so on. When can I start feeding again? will they last another week.
Not sure what size your tank is and if 1 cap of each is enough. But you shouldn't be doing any water changes. Just continue dosing prime and stability daily until your reach 40 PPM of nitrates and then do a water change.
So you are already dosing 5x the recommendation....If ammonia goes above 5ppm then water change to get it down, if it doesnt, dont do any water changes until 40 PPM of nitrates
I did a fishless cycle. I added ammonia into the tank, starter bacteria and waited for about a month, until the ammonia went down to 0. Then I added new fish to the tank, and after about 3 days the ammonia went up to around .25ppm. I did not overstock the tank. I only have 6 small neon tetras and 4 cory. I did 50% water change, added more beneficial bacteria and still reading ammonia in the tank. Going to try your suggestion.
So that's why my shrimps and fish is dying. I cycled my tank for nearly 2months . I added some shrimps, it was all good. They were happy. Then I added 10 neon Tetras and about 3 days later my 3 shrimps died. Ammonia spiked.. I also have 2 dead neon, and those neon tetras had bloated belly and were not eating and there's another bloated neon but i separated it. And don't know what to do
You saved my fish! I tried everything, before I found your TH-cam page. I bought API ammo-lock, and then bought nitra-zorb. Nothing lowered my ammonia, until I found you. I did exactly what you said and now my ammonia is gone! Before I found your page, I tried for a whole month to get rid of the ammonia. By following your instructions, I got rid of it in a week! Thank you so much!
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊 BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh.html
You came to the right place! 😊 I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
I've done 2 water changes in 4 days of either 1/2 & 30% and my Ammonia is STILL high! Almost 6ppm! I can't believe it! I'm so sad. My fish r feeling so bad! The Ammo-lock is saving their life, but Idk when I should start seeing improvement in the fish before I try treating them for parasites or fungal infection? Seeing my fish hiding on the gravel, behind decorations is so depressing!
R we supposed to put Ammo-lock in, at the normal dosing amt every day until the Ammonia drops? I thought u only treated the water once. And that too much ammo-lock would kill the fish?
Hi Kev. So, you do a water change weekly? 80%? I have a parrot ciclid 50 gal, what are the best chemicals to add when water changing? Please help me🌹. By the way, I’ve been using sponges - works great. Thanks, Dr. Thalia
Hi Kev. Long time follower form Australia here. I have a slight ammonia spike after doing a 50% water change yesterday. It's sitting at 1.0 ppm with everything else being in the proper range. Quick question.....will my fish (3 Oscars) be okay if I don't feed them for 5-7 days as suggested in your vid? I don't want to stress them more than is absolutely necessary. Cheers!
Yes, they will be absolutely fine not eating for a week. Check your source water and confirm the ammonia isnt coming from there. In the meantime dose your tank with Seachem Prime to detoxify that ammonia until your bacteria can catch up and take care of it.
Hi! I cannot thank you enough for your videos. I stumbled upon them when I suffered new tank syndrome. 😢 I lost a lot of red belly cichlids. BUT I purchased your prime and stability 👍. If I understand you correctly I add them and then add a cap full of each daily. Then drain and refill 50% of the tank weekly and clean the fx4 monthly in its own medium. Again TY for all that you do 👍
Glad you found the channel and are finding it helpful! 💪 When cycling, you want to dose the prime and stability daily but dont do any water changes until the cycle has completed. Filter cleanings are done based on a few different factors including your specific bio-load in the tank. Here are 2 great videos to watch with more detail - Tank cycling with fish - th-cam.com/video/9Cuqylaak3E/w-d-xo.html When to clean your canister - th-cam.com/video/Mz6CL14xGu0/w-d-xo.html
I keep getting Daily ammonia & nitrate spikes 😢 My poor fish have to suffer partial changes almost daily. Fish are only in the tank not even 2 wks. I had the cycle set up with plants for about 2 months before the fish were bought. I'm using seachem prime & stability. I'm going to follow what u say but I'm basically doing this already. But no food for 7 days??? They'll be ok? I have all nano species. Any idea why I'm getting daily spikes?
Ok after listening thru think it's bc I added fish to the tank. 12 introduced over a week. And totally guilty of over feeding.. I didn't know don't feed 1st 7 days 😔 So I will follow your advice & hope we make it thru! I did loose 2 julii Cory's & 1 guppy... the corys didn't look great from the store sadly. Heavily planted 30 gallon Now down to 2 julii cory 5 guppy endlers 3 glass catfish 2 otos ( the corys & glass will have more added once the fish are restored at a store) 1st week with 5 fish was perfect. This is week 2 & starting to lose fish now 😢 Great videos! You have been so helpful in my fish education!! Ty!! 🎉😊
Hi! So glad I found you… your content has been helpful. If you have do another round water change with the daily dosing, should you feed your fish before doing the 2nd round? I’m 4 days in so still waiting 😀
Well I do 80% water changes, so I go ahead and treat 100% of the water volume. But even if I did smaller changes, I would still treat the whole volume. Doesn't hurt the fish to be a bit safer, maybe just hurts a bit more on your pockets.
Hey Kevin I’m sorry for keep asking questions but I have a 10 gallon tank with 2 baby small fishes and a filter 20gallon aqua clear. I’m kept using prime and stability for a week and my ammonia hasn’t lower not even 1PPM down.. Should I do a 50% water change everyday? Or keep on using prime and stability?
@KaveManAquatics Hey Kev Ok it's been 5 days and my ammonia level has not changed. My nitrate levels are at zero ppm. Not sure what I should do. Do I continue with the stability and prime for another few days. I have not fed the fish.
It can definitely take more than 5 days in some cases. But if you have fish in the tank, you definitely be seeing ammonia by now. Are you sure you're doing the test correctly? Here's a detailed video on how to do them - th-cam.com/video/b0gH-6f41Uc/w-d-xo.html But to answer your question, yes, continue daily dosing, make sure you have good surface agitation for oxygenation, and make sure your PH is at least 7.0 or higher. Here's another great video to watch on this method of cycling - th-cam.com/video/_Fvl_KOoDPU/w-d-xo.html BTW, Thanks for joining the membership, I appreciate your support! 😁💪
Why after 3 years my 2 tanks act like my cycle crashed!! I have .25 ammonia and very little nitrates!! My nitrites are 0. My PH is 6.8. What can I do save my Angel fish! Her fins look like they’re slightly melted and clamped. She eating but not active like she normally is. There’s a red line running across her middle body and very slight pinkish around her gills! How can I save her? I did a 50 percent water change! Only 3 fish in the tank. Angel fish, betta fish, and a sucker fish! Please help I don’t won’t to lose her! Already lost a sucker fish but she was old also! My betta acts normal! Please help me
DOesnt sound like your tank crashed at all. Sounds like your fish has a disease. Could be Flukes, or fin rot. I would do some research on Seachem PolyGuard asap.
What if you have ammonia spike from treating ich with microbe lift but the ich is not fully treated and my goldfish are getting ammonia poisoning. I did a 30 percent water change but the ich is still present but my goldies have red belly’s like ammonia burns I don’t know what to do???
I dont think ich treatment is causing your ammonia spike. Priority one is handling that ammonia. Your tank needs to cycle. Once ammonia and Nitrite are both at 0, then focus on ich treatment. This video will be helpful! - th-cam.com/video/9Cuqylaak3E/w-d-xo.html BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
Hey! I got a new 19 litre tank and got two new fish, unfortunately I hadn’t done the research beforehand so was not sure what I was getting into. I only have a few questions. I done a ammonia test and it’s pretty high, I then done a 20% water change and added my water conditioner (a different type from prime as I hadn’t seen video then) I saw your video and bought myself some prime and just added it straight into the tank. So, should I wait a few more days and then do a 50% water change and add the prime again and begin doing it daily from then, meaning I’ll also be lowering the ammonia? Also my fish are very small and they always seem hungry so I’m worried about not feeding them for three days like you said, will they be fine? Thank you for the video!
Hello Kev, Thank you for this vid. Just a question...when u said we have to add both (Seachem Prime & Stability) it is without changing the water just add those daily for 7days? TIA for you answer 😊
Ughhhh I added three otocinclus fish to my 40 gallon tank with my two bettas. I never had a problem with ammonia until those little jerks came in. I lost two otos, but I’m not the upset since they spent more time mating than cleaning! I won’t replace them because I felt they did more harm than good and I cleaned so many of the aquarium decor to get rid of their eggs. Now I realize I killed off all the good bacteria by doing that! 😫. Also, fasting my bettas won’t work. The day I fasted them is the day the two of the three otos mysteriously disappeared. The female betta looked very full the following two days so I think she ate them. I can’t find their remains but that also could be why I have an ammonia spike. Good info in this video! Thank you!
I’m on day nine of my new tank. I’ve done the seven days stability cycle but I’m still showing ammonia levels. Should I just keep adding stability daily or should I do water change? There is a fish in the tank
Keep dosing daily, dont water change yet. Some tanks can take longer than the recommended 7 days. Make sure you have adequit surface agitation and that your PH is at least 7.0
Okay, so your other video says in a new tank, since you are trying to get the bacteria to grow, that you should NOT do a water change and instead use Prime and Stability to make it safe for the fish and still leave the bb something to feed on? Is this an older video or am I missing something?The API test kit says I have ammonia at 0.50ppm right now. Should I change it? I'm talking about my 12g tank that I've been trying to get cycled for about a month. It's getting there but not perfect yet. I added a betta just two days ago and 6 other little fish yesterday. Now my betta isn't doing so great this morning, he was laying motionless on the bottom and I think his fins may have gotten nipped a little. I put his cup in the tank and pushed him into it to isolate him till I can figure out how I can help him. He did swim a little once in the cup and he ate a pellet. I have the cup clipped to the inside of the tank to keep him warm. Can you advise me on this? Thank you so much!! I really love your videos and listing to you!
Don’t water change. In this video I was referring to those that are already starting with a high ammonia. You’re safe to do the prime and Stability method without needing that first water change. Prime will detoxify 1ppm of ammonia per dose and you can dose up to 5x the recommended which will detoxify up to 5ppm of ammonia. If you go over 5ppm, then water change to bring the levels back down to what Prime can handle. But I doubt you will reach that high. So just focus on the daily Prime and stability. Good luck! 💪
So I've had my 20g tank for a few months now and it was nice and clear and now after a 25%water change , my tank is cloudy where I can barely see the fish..I'm using prime..I stopped feeding them and still got the cloudyness..it's so annoying
You may have caused a mini bacterial bloom during the water change. That, or your source water is very heavy with dissolved solids, sparking the bacterial bloom. Even if it is as your tank matures you'll experience this bloom less and less as you water change. Make sure you have enough bio-media in your filter to house enough beneficial bacteria. This video on blooms may be helpful - th-cam.com/video/46fcHvoellI/w-d-xo.html
My tank has been suffering from high ammonia for two weeks now. I have been doing a ton of water changes, and still it’s always high. I’m going to try your method but my one question is after the first water change and with prime and stability, you said to add prime and stability every day for a week. Does that mean do the water changes every day for a week or just add those chemicals daily after the initial big water change?
Your fish will be fine without food during this cycle process. But I know thats hard for beginners to do. You can feed, but feed very VERY little so you dont contribute to the ammonia levels.
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PSA***** KEV of Kaveman Aquatics is one of the best fishtubers around. My man has some of the best content out there. He is extremely articulate and explains things so clearly you can't go wrong following his advice. Just watch a couple vids and I promise you won't be disappointed. Thank you for all your hard work Kev, you are the MAN!!!!! Or KAVEMAN specifically. Everyone else like and share, not only helps my man here, but you will be doing a great service to anyone with their tanks!!!
Thank you Darth, you are the real MVP! 😊💪
@@KaveManAquatics not even close to your level, but thank you bro.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
Agreed. Found him because I want a cichlid tank and his knowledge overall for any fish keeping has been great!
The BEST Period.
As a retired former educator, your grasp of your FIELD OF INTEREST/CONCERN IS BOTH" EXPERTISE & TENACIOUS" respectively; and your PERSONAL DEMEANOR WOULD MAKE YOU AN EXCELLENT TEACHER IN ANY AREA OF CONCENTRATION THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ! Your videos are SUPERB.
Wow, thank you! Really appreciate that. I've been told I'm a natural teacher ever since starting the channel, never realized it myself. Thanks again for that great feedback! Glad you're enjoying the channel.
As a retired student I agree with the reited educator.....YOU DA MAN BRO
What he said if only my teachers were as good as you maybe I’d be more accomplished today. Who knows?
I want to tell you thank you from the bottom of my heart. Whether you read this or not, I’m not sure. But you saved my fishes life. My ammonia went sky high after a PetSmart employee told me to get rid of my filter while treating for Ich in my tank. He didn’t tell me to just remove the carbon, he said “Throw your filter out. When you are done treating Ich, replace with a new one.” That put my tank at deathly high ammonia. One of my fish (a dwarf gourami who has always been a happy fish) quickly started declining and he was stressed, extremely sick, and I didn’t think he would live. I found out that I needed to put a filter back in my tank, and followed your steps exactly. Did 80% water change with prime and stability. I will continue adding those until no ammonia shows. THANK YOU so so much for saving my fish. My gourami is happily swimming again. My other fish are definitely looking happier now too. You are so awesome and I will spread your name to every person who is interested in getting fish, or just simply need help.
Love feedback like this! Thank you so much, Im glad I was able to help save your guys. Sometimes new members to the hobby get bad information from uneducated "pet store employees". Glad you were able to find the channel and react quickly to get your tank safe! And thank you for spreading the word about the channel, really appreciate that! 😊💪
Glad your fish made it! I had similar experience with Ich few months ago. Kept filter running but I didn’t follow all the right steps. Water hasn’t been right since. Only lost one fish. (My fave😳)
Stability and Prime are great. I also got coral chips to put in my filter for raising ph naturally for my Africans.
Our tanks are such delicate ecosystems. The smallest change can mess everything up. I am also treating for ich. I only took the activated carbon out, but that was enough to throw off the whole balance. I've been checking water every morning during treatment and ammonia spiked to 4.0 ppm yesterday morning. I haven't had any ammonia in my tank since it's been cycled, so this was quite a shock. Thank you for sharing your success story. It gives me hope. I will follow his advice in the video and hope that my tank rebounds as well as yours.
Never listen to Petsmart. They are awful! I rescued two bettas because they don’t know how to properly care for fish! I even reported the local store to PETA because there were several dead bettas in cups
Kaveman Aquatics > cup of coffee. Lets goo!!💪
My man! 💪
I just watched one of your videos that said to NOT Do a water change if you have an ammonia spike because you need ammonia for the Bacteria to grow. So use prime & stability. Now I’m watching this video and you are saying to DO a 50% to 80% water change. WHICH IS IT ??
Jesus loves you
Amen brother
@@lilyabbey1619 Amen. More need to know this.
If you’re having trouble achieving crystal clear aquarium water, I can help!
Download my Free ebook with the best tips and advice - KaveManAquatics.com/Free-Ebook
Messaged you on insta about a week ago and advised me exactly this! Worked the first week! Top quality information from yourself bro so much appreciated! Just done a api test now, got no ammonia, nitrite are looking at 0.25ppm and nitrates looking at 80ppm, time to do a water change! Thanks a million, you saved my daughters birthday fish haha 💯
Awesome bro, Glad I could help! Happy birthday to the birthday girl!
One of the best explanation video that clearly makes the link between ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and gives a clear path to follow for any beginner and professional. Thank you for so many well explained tips. Short and concise, well done.
THANK YOU!! This is a bit embarrassing, but I struggled as a new tank owner with ammonia for 7 months straight!!! There was no light at the end of the tunnel...until I found this video! With this method it took me about a month, but I could steadily see the ammonia levels drop a little each week. I also started a new tank with this method at it was an amazing difference starting with your tips, rather than playing catch up. This video is truly the BEST on this subject matter!
Thank you Elan, So glad I could help! 😁
I’m part of the reason why this video was made!!!! Oh I did everything he said and boom ammonia spike fixed! Let’s Goo Kev is the real deal!!!!
🤣🤣 Sometimes you guys give me great ideas for videos! 💪💪
I don't understand... I've been doing 40% water changes every other day, I added ammonia-lock, yet I STILL xame home to 2 dead fish today, and 1 w/ ammonia burns! WHY?!?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!! I've been busting my ASS trying to do EVERYTHING to help these fish man!! How long does AMMONIA-LOCK LAST? HOW OFTEN Should I be adding it?!?
Follow the exact process I explained in this video. I’ve never used ammo lock, use Prime and stability
I can see the Christmas tree in the reflection 😅 also I’m not even a beginner and I watch every single video you post
lol, I guess everyone will always know when this was recorded 😂😂
😂
AHHHH. Adding Both products daily for a week is the part is needed advice with. WASNT SURE IF THAT WAS GOOD FOR THE FISH.
Glad I could help!
Exactly how I dealt with a cycle crash on my 55 gallon. Luckily it’s hardy community fish. It took me so much research to figure these steps out. Great job putting this out there for everyone. Too many people just say to keep doing water changes. The stability and prime, and leaving it alone while dosing are key.
Thanks Amanda, appreciate the positive feedback 😊
@@KaveManAquatics I have juvenile peacocks. Can I go 5 day without feeding them?
I followed this video and removed water. You have another video that I just heard that says DO NOT REMOVE WATER. I don’t know what to do now.I have both prime and stability.
I understand the confusion. Both video were made at different times for different circumstances. But it’s ok if you initially did a water change. Just don’t do any more until your tank has cycled. At this point continue dosing prime and stability daily. When you reach 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, then you can water change again.
I highly suggest you checkout my beginners playlist as well, it’ll be very helpful for you! 😊
Hey Kev, greetings from Singapore 🇸🇬. I just did my water change(probably more than 80%) which then affected my oscar fish. He was stressed out, lying sideways. After watching your video and introducing the Prime and Stability to the tank. He’s all healthy and back to normal now. Thank you for the video. God bless
So glad to hear that bro! Thanks for watching from Singapore!! 😊💪
If Straight to the Point had a face it would look like this video. I mean wow man. Such clear explanation. Loved it bro. Keep up the good work ❤
Hey kev! I really appreciate all of the work you been putting to help us all, not only beginners but experts in the hobby as well! I have some concerns about my African cichlids such as my ammonia around 0.5- 1ppm , nitrite .50 and nitrate 5.0. My tank isn’t cycling properly now. Also any reasons why they are rubbing their bodies on substrate and river rocks? Please help me kaveMan!
The ammonia and nitrite is irritating them, and also poisoning them. Follow the steps in this vide to make your water safe for them while your tank cycles.
Best channel for all fish related topics Thank you brother I appreciate you 🙏
Thank you bro! Glad you're enjoying the channel! 😊💪
Thank you! Its still a little early to tell but I think this video saved my last three fish. I have had my tank for more than a year. I changed salt and they started dying over the course of two weeks. All my levels were good (except I didnt test for ammonia :( ) and PH rose some, but still with in parameters. I had only added one fish the week before all this. I am still not entirely sure why my amonia spiked but it was through the roof and this rememdy has already lowered it a lot. With any luck my last three guys will survive!
How long did it take for the levels to drop?
Yeah im prob over feeding. The water is super cloudy so idk.
My book on getting crystal clear water can definitely help! 😁 It's short and to the point to clear that water up quickly! Comes in eBook and Paperback. Check it out here - bit.ly/clearH2O
Im a first time fish owner. This video saved my betta fish's life! Thank you so much!
My Pleasure!! I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
AND, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
Can someone explain this to me like I'm five years old?
Here's what I understand
1. Remove 50%-80% water from tank
2. Add prime *TO THE TANK*?
3. Add water to the tank *WITH OR WITHOUT PRIME*?? (has to be same temperature)
4. Will the fish (betta) survive if not fed for 5 days ???
Yes, you got it. Add stability as well if tank needs to cycle.
@@KaveManAquatics thank you Kev, you're a life saver! 😉
Thanks for simplifying things. Theres so many products on the market that having this video quickly narrow them down is a godsend! Also after the water change when is the best time to check the ammonia levels again?
Thanks, glad you found it helpful! Wait about an hour after the change and you can retest. Keep in mind...the prime is only going to detoxify the ammonia so it’s safe for the fish...but your test may still pick it up.
Sir why my ammonia showing more rest of the tests are all 👍 ok. To be cautious should I wash the testing tubes in tap water 🚰
Yes you can rinse them in tap water...If you have ammonia then your tank isnt cycled. Follow the steps in this video to keep the water safe for the fish. Also, I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
Lifesaver...I was about to give up. I feel like crying ..I've been so frustrated..finally someone that speaks a "language "I understand....you just saved my tank!! Thanku so much I subscribed..liked ..and shared!! Look forward to more videos. If u get this message could u please tell me if u can switch out your media cartridges rinsing them in aquarium water then save them for later ..
My pleasure! Very glad I could help! Not sure what you mean about saving them for later. But using and switching cartridges is not a good thing. Theres a better way to ensure your filter stays in the best condition to keep your tank cycled. Watch this - th-cam.com/video/unlFewmTrBw/w-d-xo.html
But what if you don't have fish 🐟 in your tank and you sail got amomoa in your tank now and I don't have fish 🐟 in my tank now
I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
Thanks, again Kev. After watching some of your videos I realized how many things that I was doing wasn't correct. 💯
Glad I could help bro! You're getting there, it's part of the journey 😊💪
If my fish tank got amonia spike and I have orandas and ranchu goldfish they will be fine if they don’t eat in five days ?
Yes, Fish can go very long without eating. But you could also just feed very very little while you handle that ammonia spike.
You’ve literally helped me so much! Your videos are the best. I’m new to the fish hobby & you’ve helped me tremendously! Thank you so much for your content 🙌🏻
Awesome! Thank you, glad to hear you're finding the channel helpful! 😊
I have a question about the 80% water change. I set up my tank recently and I have lots of plants and I’m using cycled filter floss and my concern is that doing a 80% water change will get rid of most of the beneficial bacteria that has already grown? I am fairly new to the hobby and I don’t any experience in cycling tanks!!
So I am one of those noobs who got a tank, filled it, put in chemicals and then the fish. I've had so many deaths because the ammonia was just up the wazoo. Just had two more fishies pass - my electric green glowfish cories. Found your videos by chance and after watching several, just started the Seachem prime/stabilizer treatment. Fingers crossed that it works. Following instructions to the tee. Thank you for making these wonderful videos.
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
@@KaveManAquatics I ended up having to do an 80% water change because my ammonia levels wouldn't go down otherwise. It's currently at .5 or lower (hard to tell with the colors). No nitrites or nitrates. Do I need to continue the Seachem treatment (which I have been doing all along) until I see the nitrates/ites before I can add more fish? I have a 10 gallon with only 5 fish in it right now.
Kave I have ammonia and received the prime and stability will my fish starve from not eating that long? My tanks aren’t new,,, I have 3-75’s /2-55’s/1-120/and 2-10g tanks please help tyvm watching all your vids on this hope I get answer tyvm hun
No they wont starve, but if you want to feel better you can feed very little. But remember food will raise the ammonia in your tank that you're trying to cycle
@@KaveManAquatics thank you so much. I couldn't do this without you bud...
thank you for getting straight to the point. I was frantic trying to find out how to fix ammonia spike in my fish tank (my fault). I will follow your instructions and based on others comments, hopefully I won't lose any fish.
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
@@KaveManAquatics I did exactly what you said! Ammonia gone, fish alive!! Thank you again!
Been keeping fish for about 30 years now but have an odd situation here.
Setup a new 125. All new substrate and decore for the most part.
Took 1 fx6 from under my 300 gallon tank and put in a new fx6 under it.
Then i took the 4 year old fx6 and put it under the new 125. The new tank is lightly stocked with only 4 small acara, 2 small Severum and three 3" plecos. The 300 gallon has monsters in it.
But now i have ammonia for the first time in ages in the new 125. Been doing the water changes but no change in readings yet. 0 nitrites and 10 nitrates ammonia is at .40
Im starting to think my bacteria in the old fx6 had a major die off and thsts whats causing the ammonia spike much like when a canister filter dies and you fire it up causing a spike in ammonia. But my swap took 2 min.
Ideas?
Your content is on point. I've had aquariums since I was 10 years old and I'm 58 now and your information is on point 👌 👍 keep up the great work everyone should listen to your content so they can learn and understand exactly what you share God bless. Excellent!!!
I appreciate that! Thank you for those kind words! Glad you're enjoying the channel 😊
I added 2 new fish, should I dose my tank with stability?
If your tank is mature and established, you’re fine without it. New tank, yes dose Stability.
If the ammonia spikes even more even with less feeding in the week of adding prime and stability, do we change the water during the week? Or do we wait it out till exactly 5 to 7 days?
Wait it out, even if it spikes the daily dose of prime will detoxify it keeping the fish safe. You don't want to water change in between because then you'll remove the stability you've been adding.
Great question btw!
Thanks for answering kav !!! I have been doing daily 20 percent changes Everytime it spikes and I guess that’s why my cycle isn’t complete.
Exactly! You’re resetting the bacteria bloom...use this method, 2 weeks tops and you’ll be good to go!
Sup boss you prob seen my post on your FB page on my 44gal and 55gal tanks
ammonia 2.0pmm
0 nitrites
Nitrate 10ppm to 20ppm
Should I do the water change or continue to allow the tanks to cycle?
Both tanks have tetras and peppered Cory's
My ammmonia and ph is high coming out of the tap. Will this work?
Yes!
GREAT VIDEO
This is exactly what I needed to do for a bacterial bloom.
Peace ✌
Glad you enjoyed it 😊
We have a 20 gal tank,and about to change from cartridges to fine sponge... what can I expect to happen to my water???
Not much you can see, but keeping and reusing the same sponges over and over will be beneficial for the nitrogen cycle in your tank.
I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
@@KaveManAquatics thank you for the help. This is all your fault!! Lol 😆 🤣 😂
Girlfriend and I have decided if we can keep our 20 gal tank good for a year, learn from the 20 gal tank we upgrading to 75 gal(I wanted 125 gal). I'm hooked!!!!
Really nice and clear video with clear instructions. Fortunately I've already bought a bottle of Prime but now I see I also need Stability too. Thanks a million!
Glad it was helpful!
Help! Before watching you video I was doin 2-3 20% water changes a day trying to reduce my ammonia. After your video I did a 50% water change three days in a row with no change in the ammonia between.225-.50 ppm consistently. I decided to test my tap water and it’s at 1.0-2.0 ppm! This is from my city’s website “Utility Systems Department utilizes chloramines, a blend of ammonia and free chlorine as a disinfectant to prevent the creation of trihalomethanes”. Now what do I do?
Always a good Video, just got the 10K Hoodie 🦾 about to finally start the new Tank setup thanks 🙏 for the Great Content you always have to share especially with the New Hobbyists as my self look forward for the next update
Awesome! Thank you! Hope you like your hoodie! Don't forget to share with #kaveman10k 😊
If I did a 50% water change 2 days ago. But ammonia hasn't gone down and I've had another fish die. Should I do another 50% change?
Not if you're cyclying your tank with this method. The question is too vague for me to help...I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
@@KaveManAquatics I have had several fish die over the last week. When I tested the water the ammonia was as high as the test reads. The fish store guy said do a 50% water change. That was three days ago. The ammonia levels last night were down 2 ppm so I was wondering should I do another water change? I don't want any more fish to die. I've been watching the Playlist. Learning a lot. Thank you
Hey Kev, i switched from a 35 Gallon Tank to a 75 Gallon Tank and I have had it for about a month and a half now and it is still showing Ammonia. Your info makes a lot of sense as to why my tank is still like this. I never introduced any Ammonia first before adding my fish and I didn’t seed it with any of my old tank decor/filter or anything like that. I have made sure to use an Ammonia Detoxifier while I wait for the biological filter to be setup so my fish is safe. I am following your steps as of today and just did a 60%-70% water change and added SeaChem Prime and Stability. With your steps, you said to do this everyday for 7 days. My question is, on the Stability bottle it says use 1 capful for every 20 gallons daily for 7 days which I will do. For the Prime though, it says nothing like that. How much Prime should I add daily? Still the 1 capful every 50 gallons? Or do I do less since I would have added some the previous day? Can you add too much Prime?
Prime is pretty safe and hard to over dose, but you don’t need to add prime everyday. Just add the prime once after your water change. Dose the amount for the full volume of the tank. But continue to dose the stability everyday 👍
@@KaveManAquatics I am a little confused as you said in your video to dose the tank with Prime and Stability for 1 week as to get rid of the ammonia in it.(2:09)Then check your water parameters and if it still repeats to do a water change a repeat the process again as mentioned in your video.Please clarify....Thanks in advance.
Im about to start cycling my tank..30 gallon..havent put any fish in yet...i put tap water in..i used seachem prime to get rid of the chlorine and chloromines...should i add some seachem amguard???
Trying to get rid of the chlorine b4 i add the fritz 7..the seachem prime is enough?
Gold standard for aquarium advice.
Informative and to the point.
Your a legend!
I appreciate that! Thank you so much! 😊
Hi Kev, if I have ammonia (0.50ppm) but my nitrates are on the lower end (5.0ppm right now) do I still do a water change after 7 days? I have been adding prime + stability for close to 7 days everyday now. Thanks in advance.
Great video very informative i use to be that guy who would see a dirty fish tank and would just wash everything like new I thought i was doing the fish a favor how foolish i was lol
Lol We were all there at one point...great part of this hobby is the growth in knowledge 💪
KaveMan Aquatics i didnt even know about seachem stability this video came out right on time I recently upgraded to a 40 breeder and im guessing the biofilter couldnt handle the added fish cause i was getting some ammonia readings on my test. I just picked up some seachem stability and added tons more plants also did a 30% water change hopefully the ammonia levels go down when i test the water tomorrow. For the most part tho the fish seem happy so im not to worried about it.
@@PhilipJFry-tm9ve Glad I could help! If you do have some ammonia readings dose with the prime until your bacteria catch up to the new bio load
How to get rid of ammonia in my fish tank I don't have fish in the tank at all
Then you just have to let it cycle. I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
Let’s goo!!🤙🏻
😊💪
Does these recommendations apply to saltwater
Absolutely!
Question, so I made the noob mistake (new tank syndrome) I didn’t do the nitrogen cycle. My levels are reading about .25 ammonia 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. Ph about 7.8. I have a flowerhorn in the tank only. It’s a 55 gallon. I bought prime and stability and I’ve been using the correct dosage for about 3 days so far. Would I be able to cycle the tank with prime and stability is the question. And if there is still ammonia in the tank after one week, I just do a 50% water change and repeat untill there’s 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and low nitrate levels?
I’m guilty as charged bro!
I’m in the same boat
This is a leaning channel
Thanks dude
Hi bud I have a 168L so in simple terms what is the dose. Like how many caps of ammonia remover. The cheep ammonia remover
I'm on Day 6 did not feed fish there has been no poop in tank and I test for ammonia every day, I use 1 cap Prime and 1 Cap of Stability every day. My Ammonia is still high. If nothing happens by day 6 I will do it again change water and so on. When can I start feeding again? will they last another week.
Not sure what size your tank is and if 1 cap of each is enough. But you shouldn't be doing any water changes. Just continue dosing prime and stability daily until your reach 40 PPM of nitrates and then do a water change.
I will continue ( 10gal tank) what about feeding?
So you are already dosing 5x the recommendation....If ammonia goes above 5ppm then water change to get it down, if it doesnt, dont do any water changes until 40 PPM of nitrates
I did a fishless cycle. I added ammonia into the tank, starter bacteria and waited for about a month, until the ammonia went down to 0. Then I added new fish to the tank, and after about 3 days the ammonia went up to around .25ppm. I did not overstock the tank. I only have 6 small neon tetras and 4 cory. I did 50% water change, added more beneficial bacteria and still reading ammonia in the tank. Going to try your suggestion.
So that's why my shrimps and fish is dying.
I cycled my tank for nearly 2months . I added some shrimps, it was all good.
They were happy.
Then I added 10 neon Tetras and about 3 days later my 3 shrimps died. Ammonia spiked..
I also have 2 dead neon, and those neon tetras had bloated belly and were not eating and there's another bloated neon but i separated it. And don't know what to do
As soon as I added 3 new fish … ammonia and nitrite spike but I don’t think my guppies can go 5 days without eating 😢
Do you feed live fish ? I have neuterlizer not sure it works yet I added a Oscar with my child’s and jack Dempseys
Just did this. How long before I see any change in the levels? It’s been a couple of hours and now my fish seem very lethargic.
How often you do water change sir?
Weekly - Check this out - th-cam.com/video/U_uBNKeIksQ/w-d-xo.html
You saved my fish! I tried everything, before I found your TH-cam page. I bought API ammo-lock, and then bought nitra-zorb. Nothing lowered my ammonia, until I found you. I did exactly what you said and now my ammonia is gone! Before I found your page, I tried for a whole month to get rid of the ammonia. By following your instructions, I got rid of it in a week! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for explaining this , now I'm understanding things. God Bless
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful. 😊
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8MyRXOeOqhwzruSWFdhcaNh.html
I need Fish school training
You came to the right place! 😊 I highly suggest you check out my playlist for beginners. It'll be very helpful for you 😁 - th-cam.com/play/PLP5OXTIIDO8NYvhUHAmwAd54WFmS4d8er.html
yo my guy! 5 to 7 days not feeding my fish? you think they can handle that? please answer i wanna start this process right now :( i have ammonia spike
Absolutely
hi thanks for answering my question, my bro! the last question do you think Nutrafin Cycle will be fine instead of stability?
Not sure, just go with Stability
I've done 2 water changes in 4 days of either 1/2 & 30% and my Ammonia is STILL high! Almost 6ppm! I can't believe it! I'm so sad. My fish r feeling so bad! The Ammo-lock is saving their life, but Idk when I should start seeing improvement in the fish before I try treating them for parasites or fungal infection? Seeing my fish hiding on the gravel, behind decorations is so depressing!
Bro is it ok to scoop poop every time to time? Tnx bro
Sure, you should also be vacuuming every couple weeks too though
R we supposed to put Ammo-lock in, at the normal dosing amt every day until the Ammonia drops? I thought u only treated the water once. And that too much ammo-lock would kill the fish?
Hey Kevin I have been wondering where you got the longer tube for your python gravel vacuum?
Did I hear you right
“DO NOT“ feed the fish for 5-7 days ??
let me try your advice
ill give an updte
Hi Kev. So, you do a water change weekly? 80%? I have a parrot ciclid 50 gal, what are the best chemicals to add when water changing? Please help me🌹. By the way, I’ve been using sponges - works great.
Thanks, Dr. Thalia
sure do! Sponges work great as usual...try this video out on water changes - th-cam.com/video/y2rOo5UcO94/w-d-xo.html
Hi Kev. Long time follower form Australia here. I have a slight ammonia spike after doing a 50% water change yesterday. It's sitting at 1.0 ppm with everything else being in the proper range.
Quick question.....will my fish (3 Oscars) be okay if I don't feed them for 5-7 days as suggested in your vid? I don't want to stress them more than is absolutely necessary. Cheers!
Yes, they will be absolutely fine not eating for a week. Check your source water and confirm the ammonia isnt coming from there. In the meantime dose your tank with Seachem Prime to detoxify that ammonia until your bacteria can catch up and take care of it.
Hi! I cannot thank you enough for your videos. I stumbled upon them when I suffered new tank syndrome. 😢 I lost a lot of red belly cichlids. BUT I purchased your prime and stability 👍. If I understand you correctly I add them and then add a cap full of each daily. Then drain and refill 50% of the tank weekly and clean the fx4 monthly in its own medium. Again TY for all that you do 👍
Glad you found the channel and are finding it helpful! 💪 When cycling, you want to dose the prime and stability daily but dont do any water changes until the cycle has completed. Filter cleanings are done based on a few different factors including your specific bio-load in the tank.
Here are 2 great videos to watch with more detail -
Tank cycling with fish - th-cam.com/video/9Cuqylaak3E/w-d-xo.html
When to clean your canister - th-cam.com/video/Mz6CL14xGu0/w-d-xo.html
@@KaveManAquatics cannot thank you enough for your reply and education. You’re the best!
Brilliant timing! Brilliant advice!
Quick informative!!
Thanks Kaveman
My pleasure! Glad you're finding the channel helpful 😁
I keep getting Daily ammonia & nitrate spikes 😢
My poor fish have to suffer partial changes almost daily. Fish are only in the tank not even 2 wks.
I had the cycle set up with plants for about 2 months before the fish were bought.
I'm using seachem prime & stability.
I'm going to follow what u say but I'm basically doing this already.
But no food for 7 days??? They'll be ok? I have all nano species.
Any idea why I'm getting daily spikes?
Ok after listening thru think it's bc I added fish to the tank. 12 introduced over a week.
And totally guilty of over feeding.. I didn't know don't feed 1st 7 days 😔
So I will follow your advice & hope we make it thru!
I did loose 2 julii Cory's & 1 guppy... the corys didn't look great from the store sadly.
Heavily planted 30 gallon
Now down to 2 julii cory
5 guppy endlers
3 glass catfish
2 otos
( the corys & glass will have more added once the fish are restored at a store)
1st week with 5 fish was perfect.
This is week 2 & starting to lose fish now 😢
Great videos! You have been so helpful in my fish education!! Ty!! 🎉😊
I cannot thank you enough for sharing your knowledge & wisdom with us all Kev.
Hi! So glad I found you… your content has been helpful. If you have do another round water change with the daily dosing, should you feed your fish before doing the 2nd round? I’m 4 days in so still waiting 😀
Glad you found it too! 😊 You can feed the fish if it makes you feel better lol but very very little while the tank is cycling.
Hello how come when I did a water change I still have ammonia???
Hi Kev when doing water change do you treat the full tank for chlorine or just the water your putting back in ? Thanks in advance m8
Well I do 80% water changes, so I go ahead and treat 100% of the water volume. But even if I did smaller changes, I would still treat the whole volume. Doesn't hurt the fish to be a bit safer, maybe just hurts a bit more on your pockets.
Should I be testing the water everyday while doing this?
Hey kaveman,one of my fish got a bad eye, what can i d0
Remove to hospital tank and treat with general cure. Make sure your water stays pristine as well, very little nitrates.
Hey Kevin I’m sorry for keep asking questions but I have a 10 gallon tank with 2 baby small fishes and a filter 20gallon aqua clear. I’m kept using prime and stability for a week and my ammonia hasn’t lower not even 1PPM down..
Should I do a 50% water change everyday? Or keep on using prime and stability?
Keep using prime and stability, do not water change. Make sure you have adequate surface agitation as the bacteria also need oxygen to grow.
@KaveManAquatics Hey Kev Ok it's been 5 days and my ammonia level has not changed. My nitrate levels are at zero ppm. Not sure what I should do. Do I continue with the stability and prime for another few days. I have not fed the fish.
It can definitely take more than 5 days in some cases. But if you have fish in the tank, you definitely be seeing ammonia by now. Are you sure you're doing the test correctly? Here's a detailed video on how to do them - th-cam.com/video/b0gH-6f41Uc/w-d-xo.html
But to answer your question, yes, continue daily dosing, make sure you have good surface agitation for oxygenation, and make sure your PH is at least 7.0 or higher.
Here's another great video to watch on this method of cycling - th-cam.com/video/_Fvl_KOoDPU/w-d-xo.html
BTW, Thanks for joining the membership, I appreciate your support! 😁💪
Thanks for all the experienced insights. Learnt a lot from your vids!!!!!
Glad to hear it! 😊
Why after 3 years my 2 tanks act like my cycle crashed!! I have .25 ammonia and very little nitrates!! My nitrites are 0. My PH is 6.8. What can I do save my Angel fish! Her fins look like they’re slightly melted and clamped. She eating but not active like she normally is. There’s a red line running across her middle body and very slight pinkish around her gills! How can I save her? I did a 50 percent water change! Only 3 fish in the tank. Angel fish, betta fish, and a sucker fish! Please help I don’t won’t to lose her! Already lost a sucker fish but she was old also! My betta acts normal! Please help me
DOesnt sound like your tank crashed at all. Sounds like your fish has a disease. Could be Flukes, or fin rot. I would do some research on Seachem PolyGuard asap.
What if you have ammonia spike from treating ich with microbe lift but the ich is not fully treated and my goldfish are getting ammonia poisoning. I did a 30 percent water change but the ich is still present but my goldies have red belly’s like ammonia burns I don’t know what to do???
I dont think ich treatment is causing your ammonia spike. Priority one is handling that ammonia. Your tank needs to cycle. Once ammonia and Nitrite are both at 0, then focus on ich treatment. This video will be helpful! - th-cam.com/video/9Cuqylaak3E/w-d-xo.html
BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
Hey! I got a new 19 litre tank and got two new fish, unfortunately I hadn’t done the research beforehand so was not sure what I was getting into. I only have a few questions. I done a ammonia test and it’s pretty high, I then done a 20% water change and added my water conditioner (a different type from prime as I hadn’t seen video then) I saw your video and bought myself some prime and just added it straight into the tank. So, should I wait a few more days and then do a 50% water change and add the prime again and begin doing it daily from then, meaning I’ll also be lowering the ammonia?
Also my fish are very small and they always seem hungry so I’m worried about not feeding them for three days like you said, will they be fine?
Thank you for the video!
Hello Kev,
Thank you for this vid. Just a question...when u said we have to add both (Seachem Prime & Stability) it is without changing the water just add those daily for 7days?
TIA for you answer 😊
Does this work for betta tanks too?? I have a betta, neons, and a snail.
Ughhhh I added three otocinclus fish to my 40 gallon tank with my two bettas. I never had a problem with ammonia until those little jerks came in. I lost two otos, but I’m not the upset since they spent more time mating than cleaning! I won’t replace them because I felt they did more harm than good and I cleaned so many of the aquarium decor to get rid of their eggs. Now I realize I killed off all the good bacteria by doing that! 😫. Also, fasting my bettas won’t work. The day I fasted them is the day the two of the three otos mysteriously disappeared. The female betta looked very full the following two days so I think she ate them. I can’t find their remains but that also could be why I have an ammonia spike. Good info in this video! Thank you!
Yes that is very possible. I dont keep bettas but I've always heard you're only supposed to keep 1, for this exact reason...I could be wrong though.
I’m on day nine of my new tank. I’ve done the seven days stability cycle but I’m still showing ammonia levels. Should I just keep adding stability daily or should I do water change? There is a fish in the tank
Keep dosing daily, dont water change yet. Some tanks can take longer than the recommended 7 days. Make sure you have adequit surface agitation and that your PH is at least 7.0
Okay, so your other video says in a new tank, since you are trying to get the bacteria to grow, that you should NOT do a water change and instead use Prime and Stability to make it safe for the fish and still leave the bb something to feed on? Is this an older video or am I missing something?The API test kit says I have ammonia at 0.50ppm right now. Should I change it? I'm talking about my 12g tank that I've been trying to get cycled for about a month. It's getting there but not perfect yet. I added a betta just two days ago and 6 other little fish yesterday. Now my betta isn't doing so great this morning, he was laying motionless on the bottom and I think his fins may have gotten nipped a little. I put his cup in the tank and pushed him into it to isolate him till I can figure out how I can help him. He did swim a little once in the cup and he ate a pellet. I have the cup clipped to the inside of the tank to keep him warm. Can you advise me on this? Thank you so much!! I really love your videos and listing to you!
Don’t water change. In this video I was referring to those that are already starting with a high ammonia. You’re safe to do the prime and Stability method without needing that first water change. Prime will detoxify 1ppm of ammonia per dose and you can dose up to 5x the recommended which will detoxify up to 5ppm of ammonia.
If you go over 5ppm, then water change to bring the levels back down to what Prime can handle. But I doubt you will reach that high. So just focus on the daily Prime and stability. Good luck! 💪
So I've had my 20g tank for a few months now and it was nice and clear and now after a 25%water change , my tank is cloudy where I can barely see the fish..I'm using prime..I stopped feeding them and still got the cloudyness..it's so annoying
You may have caused a mini bacterial bloom during the water change. That, or your source water is very heavy with dissolved solids, sparking the bacterial bloom. Even if it is as your tank matures you'll experience this bloom less and less as you water change. Make sure you have enough bio-media in your filter to house enough beneficial bacteria. This video on blooms may be helpful - th-cam.com/video/46fcHvoellI/w-d-xo.html
My tank has been suffering from high ammonia for two weeks now. I have been doing a ton of water changes, and still it’s always high. I’m going to try your method but my one question is after the first water change and with prime and stability, you said to add prime and stability every day for a week. Does that mean do the water changes every day for a week or just add those chemicals daily after the initial big water change?
The ladder. After that first water change, stop water changing until you reach 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite while dosing Prime and Stability daily. 💪
Do you still feed the fish during this time? Or will that raise ammonia too much?
Thanks for the awesome videos
Your fish will be fine without food during this cycle process. But I know thats hard for beginners to do. You can feed, but feed very VERY little so you dont contribute to the ammonia levels.