Cloudy Water! Bad Smell!! Thick scum on top HELP!

Do another water change before bed. This should bring the ammonia down below 2. Do another tommorow morning, ect. Test every 12 hrs for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Now that you have added media (sponge, floss, what?) from another tank, you should begin to see the numbers change. Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate >5 is the goal. When this happens the cycle is over and you are good to go.
 
I got a filter media from my friends tank. (Filter Cartridge) It is a small one but I figured anything will help. She was about to change it out so I grabbed it. And her tank is very healthy. I did not rinse the filter or anything, was that correct? I just put it in my filter behind my other filter cartridges. Should the water change be as drastic (75%) or should I go for less? Still trying to locate a store who sells the Amquel +. If I can not find one is there another agent that works well on the ammonia?
 
You will not be able to cycle a tank with that low of a pH.

Please confirm your pH and find out KH.
 
Where do you live? I went and got my Amquel + at PetsMart. I hate that store, but they are so huge that the prices are low and they have almost anything you need. I would try a big national chain petstore. That is the only place I have seen it. Good luck
 
Ammolock will convert the ammonia into ammonium which is much less harmful to fish but still useable by bacteria. It will also still register on simple tests as ammonia. So using it at this point is fine. The reason not to use it normally is that it can mask problems. But we know the problem here, the tank is uncycled.

Salt is still fine to add. It will help combat any raising nitrite levels (well it will help the fish survive them).

Don't worry about Amquel + if you can't find it. If you see Prime that will also work. But if you just have chlorinated tapwater (not chloramines) then regular dechlorinator will work fine along with large water changes. If you don't have a python you might want to buy one as it makes water changes on large tanks a very easy thing.

A new home for the pleco is good ta this time, though a pleco can easily fit in a 75 gallon tank. The bigger problem fish are the bala (due to its need for groups) and the oscar (due to its need to be alone). The Assorted Africans will probably be fine by themselves, and even with the pleco.
 
Thank you to all who helped. My readings are all better. The ammonia is gone as of my reading this morning. Was down to .5 yesterday. The pleco has found a great home with my friend and all my fish are happy. The water has cleared up. I found the amquel + finally ( yesterday) at a LFS 30 miles away. I think the addition of the used media was what did the trick. I had never had to cycle a tank before. My previous tank was purchased used. So now I know the hazards of doing it with out the know how. Thanks again!!! :read:

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
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