New tank problem

Question
Hello Nicole,
I had this new 20G tank running for about 48hrs now.
I took a sample of water for tests.
One store showed a .5 of ammonia (my tank is still without fish)
An other store shows .25 reading.
What should i do to reduce this ammonia in the tank?

Answer
Hi Arun,

Without an ammonia source, your tank is not cycled - at least not in 48 hours. The easiest way to add an ammonia source to your tank (without adding fish, this is called fishless cycling - you can find out more by typing those words into Google.com) is to use a pinch of fish food, about as much as you would feed one or two fish. This will dissolve in your tank and add an ammonia source.

Make sure you have some biological media in your filter. You don't mention what kind of filter you have, but most filters have a means of providing biological filtration. If you're not sure what I mean, read here:
http://www.firsttankguide.net/filters.php

The reason the two stores' tests might differ is because these readings do change over time. Also, the test results are difficult to read unless you're really paying attention and have adequate light. I do recommend you invest in your own test kit eventually. This one is very accurate:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3635493

But this is the one I use, and it works rather well:
http://reviews.petsmart.com/4830/53532/reviews.htm
I just use this kind because it's cheap and convenient.

Ideally, before you add fish, your water should have 0 ppm of ammonia and nitrite, and a trace amount of nitrates. At first, start with a few hardy fish such as these:
http://www.bestfish.com/tips/061898.html

The first 3 months of an aquarium are sort of a break in period, so add new fish slowly. Maybe 3-4 in a week. Don't worry, your ammonia levels *will* go down. It just takes a combination of an ammonia source, a hospitable area for beneficial bacteria to colonize (a gravel bed, biological media in the filter) and time, the magic ingredient. I hope that helps, take care!

Nicole

P.S. These two sites are informative, and searchable:
http://freshaquarium.about.com
http://www.wetwebmedia.com