What Do You Do if Your Aquarium Has High Ammonia?

Aquariums are a high maintenance pet habitat that are more intricate than the typical fishbowl. They contain several species of fish and plants that require specific water conditions in order to survive. These conditions are greatly affected by the aquarium maintenance or lack of it. Failure to maintain the tank can result in algae growth, fish stress, animal illness and elevated chemicals within the water, including ammonia. Aquariums with high ammonia levels need immediate attention in order prevent the death of fish and plants.

  1. Find the Cause

    • You can't defeat high ammonia levels in the long-term without knowing the source of the additional ammonia. The high levels are caused by dead fish and plants that are left to decay in the aquarium. Overfeeding the aquarium inhabitants and changing the water too often can also elevate ammonia levels. A new tank that isn't properly cycled is another source of high ammonia levels, according to "The First Tank Guide."

    Eliminate the Ammonia Source

    • Once you discover the cause of the high ammonia, you must eliminate it. Clean out the decaying plants and animals. Change the water only as required by your aquarium's instructions and feed the fish according to the instructions on the food container. For a new tank, you must cycle it using a series of steps used to build population of ammonia-eating bacteria in the aquarium's water. Excessively changing the water also prevents these bacteria from developing.

    Alter the Water

    • To reduce the ammonia levels, you will have to change a portion of the tank's water. This will remove a large amount of the ammonia-saturated water to allow the bacteria population to rebuild. The Aquarium Pros suggest removing a quarter of the tank's water and replacing it with deionized water or water treated by reverse osmosis. You can find this water at your local pet store.

    Add Chemicals

    • Add ammonia-eating bacteria to begin reducing the ammonia level within the water. Beverly Pets suggests nitrifying bacteria, found in any pet store. Aquarium owners who use tap water must test it before placing it into the tank. The water probably needs treatment to bring the chemical composition to the level needed for use in the tank. This may require adding ammonia and chemical treatment for the chlorine found in most tap water. Failing to do so can cause other disruptions in the tank habitat.

    Wait and Prevent

    • Reducing the ammonia levels within the aquarium must begin quickly to stop the levels from rising again. However, causing the levels to drop takes some time. It may be as long as a week or more before you start to see results. In the meantime, prevent further damage by controlling the feeding schedule and frequent cleaning, but less frequent water changes. Replace only a small amount of the water (10 percent) weekly or monthly, recommends Aquarium Pros.