Cycled Tank - High Ammonia Water Changes Every Day

[Freshwater Noob]

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!

[Rbishop]

What water conditioner are you using?

What test kit?

What is the ammonia reading on your tap water?

[theotheragentm]

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?

[captaincaveman9]

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?

[Freshwater Noob]

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?

[Rbishop]

Yes , they could be locking it...but it should disappear after 24-48 hrs in a well established tank.

[Freshwater Noob]

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?

[Radar]

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?

[Marinemom]

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

[Freshwater Noob]

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.

[Radar]

API test kit is the best IMO.Are you sure you are useing it right? 8 drops from both bottles #1 & #2 ? Is it outdated? Water changes are the best way to rid ammonia.If I were you and my ammonia was that high I would do a 75% water change now and only add the dechlorinator, check your ammonia reading again after letting it run for about a hour and do another water change if you still have a ammonia reading.I would not add the bacteria supplement and in no way add any ammonia remover.If you do several large water changes the next few days and don't add anything other than dechlorinator you should get most of what you have added out of your tank.
Try not to over feed and maybe even skip a day or two. Also are you cleaning your filter out? If you are don't.I don't know what kind of a filter you are running on it but if the pads get real dirty just swish then around in some old tank water and put them back in,but only if needed.

[Radar]

Ammonia Poisoning
Symptoms: Fish gasp for breath at the water surface
Purple or red gills
Fish is lethargic
Loss of appetite
Fish lays at the bottom of the tank
Red streaking on the fins or body

[Freshwater Noob]

I have a top fin 60 bio wheel filter and I have the instructions for each test up on my wall so that I perform the water tests correctly. I just bought the test kit maybe a month ago. I am not seeing any of the symptoms of ammonia poisoning and my fish are active and eating. I have reduced the amount that I feed them thinking that maybe that I was overfeeding but I have vacuumed the gravel thoroughly so I am confused. I will do a 75% water change today. I am also thinking about taking out my undergravel filters (maybe waste is accumulating under the plates and not get siphoned up through the powerheads?).

[blasterman_]

I am also thinking about taking out my undergravel filters

Don't. As long as you do a periodic grave vac the UFG filters are preferable to the bio-wheel. Given you have UFG's in place with power heads I doubt the bio-wheel is doing much anyways.

The ammo spike is another issue since UFGs tend to be very stable biological filters. How long has the tank been running with it's current bio-load? Is it a new tank? Perhaps a fish die and is hidden somewhere?

In any case, the advice above to knock off the chemical warfare and just do water changes with conditioner is correct.