Not disagreeing with you, but who is to say that 2 days of 1.0-2.0 ammonia is any worse than possibly an additional 2-3 months of 0.25-0.5 for the fish if I interrupt the bacteria today? Of course the fish are most important. If not, I wouldn't be here asking for input.
To answer you directly, you are wrong. ANY exposure to ammonia is detrimental. Concentrations and duration simply lead to further harm and stress, leading to perminent damage and even death. And it doesn't take much!
I urge you to read the two excerpts that I found off of the 1st 2 Google hits for ammonia affects on fish --
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"Ammonia[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Ammonia poisoning is one of the biggest killers of aquarium fish. It occurs most often when a tank is newly set up. However, it can also occur in an established tank when too many new fish have been added at one time, when the filter fails due to power or mechanical failure, or if bacterial colonies die off due to the use of medications.
Some of the telltale signs that fish are suffering ammonia poisoning include:
Fish gasp for breath at the surface.
Purple or red gills.
Fish is lethargic.
Loss of appetite.
Fish lay on the bottom of the tank.
Red streaking on the fins.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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Ammonia poisoning can happen suddenly, or over a period of
days. Initially the fish may be seen gasping at the surface for air. The gills will begin to turn red or lilac in colour, and may appear to be bleeding. The fish will begin to lose their appetite and become lethargic. In some cases fish may be seen lying on the bottom of the tank with clamped fins.
As the damage from the ammonia continues, the tissues will be damaged as evidenced by red streaks or bloody patches that appear on the body and fins. Internal damage is occurring to the brain, organs, and central nervous system. The fish begins to haemorrhage internally and externally, and eventually dies."[/SIZE][/FONT]
...and another source:
"
The Effects of Ammonia on Fish
When there is more than zero ppm of ammonia in a tank, it burns the fish. It burns their gills, eyes, skin/scales, nerves and internal organs. It is painful to the fish and can kill fish in a very short time. Some of the signs of ammonia poisoning/burns are:
Flashing - when a fish is being burnt by ammonia, it tries to get away from the pain and damage that is being caused. Since this is impossible, it looks to us as though the fish is making short rushes and spastic movements in his tank. He may even run into the walls of the tank in his efforts to shake off the burning. This is called flashing.
Rubbing - although this behavior is more common with a parasite infection, it can also indicate ammonia poisoning. The fish will rub his gills or eyes against objects in the tank, including gravel, plants and decorations. He is trying to remove whatever it is that is causing him the pain.
Frayed fins - if the fish's fins look ragged and torn, he may have ammonia poisoning. The ammonia eats away at the fins from the tip toward the body. In some cases, it can begin at the body and move outward. This is not to be confused with finrot, which looks like the fish's fins are melting away. Ammonia poisoning can lead to finrot, however. If the fin is damaged to the point that the poisoning has reached the body, the fins may not grow back. If caught before it reaches the body, fins can usually grow back, but they often won't be as colorful or smooth as the original fin.
Lilac colored or bleeding gills - most healthy fish will have reddish gills. Lilac colored gills or bleeding gills can be a sign of ammonia poisoning.
Gasping at the surface - since breathing the water ingests ammonia laden water into the fish's gills, he may try to obtain his air from the clean air at the surface of the tank. Gills that have been ammonia poisoned makes it very difficult for the fish to get oxygen and he may also show labored breathing below the surface.
Lethargy - a fish that is suffering from ammonia poisoning may become lethargic, his movement slowing down to a fraction of his normal activity.
Red streaks - red streaks are the first sign of septicemia, which is normally a bacterial infection. In fish with ammonia poisoning, this symptom may also occur as the ammonia causes hemorrhaging in the delicate circulatory system."
I'm asking you,
please - Address your Ammonia immediately! 0.25 is a tollerable level and even this is harmful and not all fish are hardy enough for even this! If you refuse to deal with the Ammonia you might as well get rid of your fish (you wont have any anyways) and do a fishless cycle.
Cycles can last months 5-7, 10+ weeks is not uncommon. During this time you are responsible to provide an environment that is as least stressful as possible to your fish, period. You owe them that much would you not agree?
