Okay, I think I have made a chain of mistakes:
1. I used Ammo Lock as my conditioner since using fish
2. I may have overfed a bit (2 thumb nails worth a day for 3 non-adult platies)
3. I performed a bunch of water changes
Okay the details:
I have completed fishless cycling of my 20 gallon tank and after my final water change I started using Ammo Lock as a conditioner, only because I thought it would work similar to Prime (Actually, have a bottle of Prime now). The ammonia test high at 1.0 ppm before the end of my 1st weekly water change. So, it appears the Ammo Lock is not allowing the bacteria to get the locked ammonia. Go figure, duh on my part.
I didn't really realize that the ammonia was locked for good and the ammonia started to spike after the water change and the water clouded up 24 hours after the change. So, I panic and start doing 25% water changes over the next day and today (about 10, but my ammonia reading was a scary 6 ppm - probably all locked with the water changes, which also had Ammo-Lock). So, I probably have pulled a bunch of floating bacteria out of the tank even if the established media is in tacked.
I have stopped using Ammo Lock. I have stopped any water changes by recommendation of a Petsmart employee/friend. I added 1 dose of prime to the existing water as a precaution due to possible lack of bacteria in the water. My fish had less than a thumb nails worth of food today and none yesterday. I am planning on not feeding tomorrow due to the cloudiness.
The fish look fine. They have been hanging out towards the surface a little more, but all the water changes was stressing them some, but they seem to be use to it now. Even though it probably was excessive and bad for the bacteria.
The road forward:
Do I just wait and see and let the locked ammonia work itself out in time with water changes? Though, I will be clueless into how good or bad my ammonia reading is, since the trapped ammonia shows on the reading. Foodwise, I plan to feed much less and watch more closely - I think I can figure it out.
Appreciate any suggestions.
1. I used Ammo Lock as my conditioner since using fish
2. I may have overfed a bit (2 thumb nails worth a day for 3 non-adult platies)
3. I performed a bunch of water changes
Okay the details:
I have completed fishless cycling of my 20 gallon tank and after my final water change I started using Ammo Lock as a conditioner, only because I thought it would work similar to Prime (Actually, have a bottle of Prime now). The ammonia test high at 1.0 ppm before the end of my 1st weekly water change. So, it appears the Ammo Lock is not allowing the bacteria to get the locked ammonia. Go figure, duh on my part.
I didn't really realize that the ammonia was locked for good and the ammonia started to spike after the water change and the water clouded up 24 hours after the change. So, I panic and start doing 25% water changes over the next day and today (about 10, but my ammonia reading was a scary 6 ppm - probably all locked with the water changes, which also had Ammo-Lock). So, I probably have pulled a bunch of floating bacteria out of the tank even if the established media is in tacked.
I have stopped using Ammo Lock. I have stopped any water changes by recommendation of a Petsmart employee/friend. I added 1 dose of prime to the existing water as a precaution due to possible lack of bacteria in the water. My fish had less than a thumb nails worth of food today and none yesterday. I am planning on not feeding tomorrow due to the cloudiness.
The fish look fine. They have been hanging out towards the surface a little more, but all the water changes was stressing them some, but they seem to be use to it now. Even though it probably was excessive and bad for the bacteria.
The road forward:
Do I just wait and see and let the locked ammonia work itself out in time with water changes? Though, I will be clueless into how good or bad my ammonia reading is, since the trapped ammonia shows on the reading. Foodwise, I plan to feed much less and watch more closely - I think I can figure it out.
Appreciate any suggestions.
