HELP! Can't get rid of ammonia!

I Need Help!!!
Im new to this and not sure what to do.
My 20 gallon tank is about 3 months old and I have 3 hatchet fish and 3 bleeding hearts. and one little guppy.
PH 7.6
Ammonia is way off at 8.0 the highest the test kit will read.
Nitrite is 0
Nitrate is 10
temp is 80
water is kinda cloudy white.
I got my test kit 3 days ago and I had all the same readings except nitrate was 5.
I changed 25% of the water that day
the next day the readings were the same. Changed 25% more.
Today only the Nitrate changed after a third 25% change.
How can i get the ammonia down and everything the way it should be.
My friend started a 55 gallon tank the same time I did and doesnt even have a filter or anything the her water is crystal clear with about 30 fish and already having babies and not one fish has died.
 
KarlTh said:
But where to put the fish?

You're not starving the bacteria by reducing the ammonia amount. What you can measure is excess ammonia which the bacteria can't yet use. They don't reproduce any faster at 1ppm ammonia than at 0.5ppm, for the same reason that rabbits don't reproduce any faster in the presence of a ton of carrots they can't eat than they do in the presence of half a ton of carrots they can't eat. And the bacteria won't starve for the same reason that a rabbit next to a pile of carrots won't starve, as long as the pile doesn't become completely empty.
Click to expand...

:iagree:OP would do better doing the water changes and give the fish the best opportunity to survive. Regardless, at the levels she's talking about, the water changes will never reduce the ammonia down to starvation levels for the nitrosomonas.
 
PhillipL37 said:
I Need Help!!!
Im new to this and not sure what to do.
My 20 gallon tank is about 3 months old and I have 3 hatchet fish and 3 bleeding hearts. and one little guppy.
PH 7.6
Ammonia is way off at 8.0 the highest the test kit will read.
Nitrite is 0
Nitrate is 10
temp is 80
water is kinda cloudy white.
I got my test kit 3 days ago and I had all the same readings except nitrate was 5.
I changed 25% of the water that day
the next day the readings were the same. Changed 25% more.
Today only the Nitrate changed after a third 25% change.
How can i get the ammonia down and everything the way it should be.
My friend started a 55 gallon tank the same time I did and doesnt even have a filter or anything the her water is crystal clear with about 30 fish and already having babies and not one fish has died.
Click to expand...
You would get a better response if you started your own thread.
What sort of test kit are you using anyway?
 
Thanks for all the input.

I'll just keep up with the water changes while the tank finishes cycling.... and hopefully I won't lose any more fish.

Marty
 
I'm finally cycled! Actually, it's been over a week since I've had any ammonia readings; I just forgot to post. It took a lot longer than what I thought it would, but it's all good now. :-)

Thanks for all the input!
Marty
 
as long as ammonia is 0 and nitrites are 0 you are cycled in cases where you are not heavily planted you will show nitrates.
 
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