I vote never ending cycle caused by chemical filtration that works TOO well. At first absorbing all ammonia (initially starving the bacteria) and then effectiveness tapers off (Ammonia production continues, but your bacteria colonies have never become large enough to fully deal with it). Then you replace chem media, it works so well that your bacteria population (starves/shrinks) again, media wears out again, ammonia spikes again..................
Ammonia will still show up on tests after it has been "locked up" by ammo-lock. No way to tell after using that crap what your actual "free ammonia" levels are. Since some of you fish are still alive, I'm guessing it is not actually at 8ppm Stop putting all that crap in your water (conditioner, and cichlid buffer only). Daily WC for a couple weeks, established filter media or buy the bio-spira. Good Luck, and don't let the aquarium industry talk you into ANY MORE chemical filtration media. At best it is almost always unnecessary, and at worst....well you situation is a good example.
Ammonia will still show up on tests after it has been "locked up" by ammo-lock. No way to tell after using that crap what your actual "free ammonia" levels are. Since some of you fish are still alive, I'm guessing it is not actually at 8ppm Stop putting all that crap in your water (conditioner, and cichlid buffer only). Daily WC for a couple weeks, established filter media or buy the bio-spira. Good Luck, and don't let the aquarium industry talk you into ANY MORE chemical filtration media. At best it is almost always unnecessary, and at worst....well you situation is a good example.
