need help!!

Do more water changes, that should help with the ammonia problem.
API test kit would help too.

and I agree with lesser28: what did you use to clean it?
 
All I used when I cleaned the tank was stuff I believe is called Aquasafe to take out the chlorine. Do I just lower the ammonia from partial water changes? I do have the foam pad and the charcoal...but im not sure about the biomax filler...what is that?
 
I mean, before you added the water did you clean the glass with anything? Also, how did you clean the foam pad and did you change the charcoal?

This is a picture of everything that should be in the filter.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3610

It sounds to me like your tank has no beneficial bacteria to filter out the ammonia and nitrite, and as long as it doesn't your fish will die. Neons are very sensitive to this.

You should read this thread:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

It will explain what you need to do to get your tank in order for fish to live in it.
 
I did clean the sponge. The filter never even came with the biomax. I'm a little clueless as to where it would fit in though. How often should I change the charcoal bag? Thanks for all the help guys.
 
Did you rinse the sponge in tap water or use some kind of soap?
 
Just tap water. I used nothing but water to clean the tank with. Aquasafe was the only thing besides water that I put in it.
 
OK, by cleaning your sponge with chlorinated tap water, you killed A LOT if not all of the beneficial bacteria that may have still been lurking in it after sitting for so long. I strongly recommend that you return the fish to the fish store and cycle your tank following the directions for the fishless cycling in one of my previous posts. Neons probably will not make it through a "fish-in" cycling they're too sensitive. Get yourself an ammonia water test kit to add to the ones you have and start trying to get your tank to cycle. You must be patient, it will take some time to get your tank into proper order. If you don't do this any fish you put in will very likely have a premature death.
 
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Well that sucks. Should I just clean the sponge by using water that I take out of the tank?
 
What I do for my filter (I learned it from people here), is unplug my filter and take the whole thing off to dump out the yucky water. Then I wave the sponge around in the last bucket of water removed from tank to get all of the solid stuff like algae and fish waste off. Then I put it back in the filter. I think charcoal is only good for about a month, but when you replace it you will lose some of the beneficial bacteria that is happily living in it. If you get the other biofilter media that is suggested and use that instead of the charcoal you shouldn't have to change it at all, and the bacteria happily live in the little microscopic pockets.
 
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