ammonia won't go down!

^^^Disagree.
Two methods of treating water:
1) Fill buckets and treat the volume of water in the bucket. Then fill tank. Repeat with everys et of new buckts
2) Treat for the total volume of water in your tank. (for a 30 gallon tank treat for 30 gallons, 75 gallons treat for 75 gallons) put that much conditioner in your tank. Fill your tank.

Ammonia and low traces of nitrite indicate that a tank is still cycling, since there are fish in it water changes should be performed on an 'as needed' basis until the ammonia is almost 0 and the nitrites are almost 0 as well.
 
coach_z said:
^^^Disagree.
Two methods of treating water:
1) Fill buckets and treat the volume of water in the bucket. Then fill tank. Repeat with everys et of new buckts
2) Treat for the total volume of water in your tank. (for a 30 gallon tank treat for 30 gallons, 75 gallons treat for 75 gallons) put that much conditioner in your tank. Fill your tank.
Click to expand...

So in method 2 what is to stop the chlorine from killing a lot of the beneficial bacteria before the chlorine gets neutralized? Especially if you add the water, then put the conditioner in after, like the OP is doing.

Does it stay safe in the filter and/or substrate long enough for the conditioner to act?
 
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Hmm... Well I'm still kind of new, but I think this method you're using is probably causing at least some of your trouble, if not all of it. Someone else can correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I have read.
Click to expand...

Most dechlorinator detoxifies almost immediately. The majority of us with large tanks use that exact method because it would take FOREVER (and a huge container or lots of buckets) to premix water and then add it in. Do you see me mixing buckets of water for a 220g? I think not, lol.

I had 16 tanks set up at one point doing water changes with a python and adding dechlor directly to the tank, never had an issue.
 
So in method 2 what is to stop the chlorine from killing a lot of the beneficial bacteria before the chlorine gets neutralized? Especially if you add the water, then put the conditioner in after, like the OP is doing.
Click to expand...
No you don't want to add it afterward, but it's still unlikely to kill the biobacteria that quickly.

A few times I've filled tanks then suddenly realized I forgot dechlor and added it immediately and my tanks stayed cycled. None of the fish noticed either.
 
Hellbore said:
So in method 2 what is to stop the chlorine from killing a lot of the beneficial bacteria before the chlorine gets neutralized? Especially if you add the water, then put the conditioner in after, like the OP is doing.

Does it stay safe in the filter and/or substrate long enough for the conditioner to act?
Click to expand...
It is a chemical reaction which occurs almost instantly. Since #2 mentions treating your entire tank then adding the water, the water is getting treated as it enters the tank. There is a lot of support for this method, and I have been doing it for years and never have problems.

My GF who treats her water a few minutes after her water change is complete doesn't have any problems either.
 
coach_z said:
It is a chemical reaction which occurs almost instantly. Since #2 mentions treating your entire tank then adding the water, the water is getting treated as it enters the tank. There is a lot of support for this method, and I have been doing it for years and never have problems.

My GF who treats her water a few minutes after her water change is complete doesn't have any problems either.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

Stuff like prime works almost instantly I've been doing it this method and had no problems at all.

If you want to wait you can but i can't imagine doing that when i do a water change on my 75 gallon..... I can't imagine how long it would take on a 220 gallon.... lol


Also remember if your tank has a ammonia value of 1.5 when you do a 50% water change that should decrease the ammonia to .75 then if you do another 50% water change that will only reduce it .375 and another 50% water change will only reduce it to 0.19..

So technically to bring your tank to safe levels you would have to do 3 50% water changes...

Personally i would about a 30% water change ever day until your bacteria catches up and is able to break down the ammonia. Unfortunately once this happens you'lll have a nitrate peak so you'll have to continue this until your nitrites get to safe levels because that is much more toxic to fish than ammonia.
 
Also i wanted to note that make sure you remove 50% of the water before you replace it with more. If you remove 10% then fill it back up then remove 10% you really won't be removing much ammonia. The best method is to remove as much of your water at once without having your fish in too low of water before you fill it up.
 
there is quite a bit of sound advice here.

some things to remember:

Prime neutralizes or removes Chlorine/chloramine.
it also will detoxify ammonia thru the same component.

while the chem reaction is not instantaneous.. it does happen as quick as the chemical come in contact with chlorine/chloramine ammonia.
here to since you are adding new water to your tank the water will dilute the chlorine/chloramine this in turn can help to reduce the impact the chlorine0chloramine may have on current bacteria populations.


remember too that if you are adding prime directly to the tank to treat for the volume of your tank.

when going thru the cycle , water changes are your best defense. you may indeed need to do daily water changes to reduce the ammonia levels.

good luck and hang in there.

if you have any friends with established tanks.. you may consider using material from their tank(gravel or filter material) to seed your tank.
 
Wow thanks guys for educating me, OP please ignore my long-winded post of advice since it's apparently incorrect :o Oh well it's the thought that counts right?
 
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