Cycled Tank - High Ammonia Water Changes Every Day

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Freshwater Noob

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Dec 8, 2007
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I have a 40 gallon tank:

I have been fighting with high ammonia readings for almost 2 weeks. I have been performing a 25-40% water change every day for the past two weeks and I am getting sick of it. I vacuum the gravel thouroughly, and then I add the water conditioner to the tap that I put back into the tank with some stress coat. After about 30 minutes I put in some bacterial supplement to hopefully buidl the beneficial bacteria that is supposed to be eliminating the ammonia. I came home today from work and my ammonia read 2ppm. I am wondering if the tests are wrong because I have added ammonia remover each morning before I leave for work and I have seen on the label for some ammonia removers that they will affect ammonia tests. Plus if the ammonia was truly 2ppm would the 15 fish that I have in my tank be dead as doornails? Please help!
 
What water conditioner are you using?

What test kit?

What is the ammonia reading on your tap water?
 
Nitrite is an instant killer. Ammonia will slowly burn your fish. Have you tested your tap water? You may have ammonia there. You may also want to try another test kit. Hold old is the one you're using?
 
what did you use to chemically lower your ammonia? If it's something like Ammo lock then you may be getting a false reading with the test kit. At this point I would do water changes and not stir up the gravel as much. You may be cleaning to well and getting rid of the beneficial bacteria before it has a chance to establish itself. what are your nitrite and nitrate readings?
 
I use the Petsmart brand water conditioner. I have a 0ppm reading on my tap water and my nitrites are 0 and my nitrates are 5ppm. I wonder if I am getting a false reading from using the Amquel or the Ammo Lock because if my reading was truly 2ppm wouldn't my fish be dead?
 
Yes , they could be locking it...but it should disappear after 24-48 hrs in a well established tank.
 
See, I have been doing water changes every day and adding some of the ammonia removers because as soon as I saw the spike I freaked. Should I do a water change and just use the water conditioner and the bacteria supplement and skip the ammonia remover for about 48 hours?
 
I would just do water changes and add only water conditioner.Sometimes you may end up doing several water changes a day to keep the ammonia down.
What kind of test kit are you useing?And what bacteria supplement are you adding?
 
Just do the water changes and you should use the water conditioner. Prime is a good one to use. Stop using those other chemicals.They do more harm then good and end up causing more work and stress for you. The tank will settle down on its own with just the water changes and water conditioner. Sometimes doing less is doing more. This may be one of those cases.

Marinemom
 
I am using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit and I am using the Petsmart brand water conditioner. My only question is that if I stop using the Ammonia Remover and I keep getting high readings then how do I know my fish aren't being harmed. What signs should I be looking for if the fish are stressed from ammonia. I just measured ammonia this morning after I did a 40% water change last night only adding stress coat, bacteria supplement, and water conditioner and it was still around 2ppm.
 
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