Cloudy water with constant high ammonia, FED UP

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Again if you want to just get it over with, with the least amount of work: petsmart-->water change-->tetra safe start-->wait 10 days-->cycled
 
Thanks, I'll be making a trip to the pet store after work, just having a hard time deciding on a canister filter now
 
Something that was also brought to my attention is that my tap water has bad KH, which kind of makes sense because at times I have a hard time regulating the PH, would this be a possibility. And if that is the case how do I go about regulating a problem like that?


what is the pH of your tap water?
 
Im a water change fanatic and obviously good husbandry is always the best for fish related issues, but Stabilty is cheap, easy to use and is proven to work. It's in the fishes best interest to get the system stabilized quickly and that's what this does. Without it, she can continue doing water changes every day or so and measuring water parameters as the tank finishes it's cycle. Nothing wrong with that approach either, other than it could take a bit longer, but it will eventually finish it's cycle....

Id spend the 9 bucks and get it over with. I'm not an advocate of adding things to my aquarium water unless I absolutely have to either, including meds, but this is just a very easy product to use and I've use it with great success. Thats all I'm saying. It's not the only hope, just quickest and most user friendly IMO.

Just my experience and 2c




You are right. There is more than one way to get the job done :thumbsup:
 
Devil's advocate here...

By using ammo-lock and/or some sort of ammonia absorber, aren't you going to be starving the bacteria and therefore limiting the growth of colonies?

Did you always run the ammonia removal pad, or did you just add it?

I would think daily waterchanges (I'd start and 30% and test every day) and a bacteria additive (we use Foster's and Smith's Colonize) added every day or every other day.

It sounds to me like your tank is trying to cycle, but it can't take off because the food supply is getting locked up chemically.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Alright i've got some advice. This sounds like a bad bacteria bloom.
1. Do not clean your gravel while dealing with this (the bacteria is using it to grow and if cleaned will take some away
2. Only feed once every 2 or 3 days
3. Do a 25% water change everyday and add Ammo lock (i would personally use prime, because it detoxifies Nitrite aswell)
4. Dose with stability x2 dose every water change (after)
5. Remove Ammonia remover, it wont help with the bacteria cycle. the Bacteria needs ammonia to grow, aslong as you use Ammolock or prime it will be okay for fish.
K a few tips, Bacteria blooms can happen if you clean to much of your tank, or clean too much of your filter. Sponges and biomedia doesnt need to be spotless, if you completely clean its worse for the tank, Sponges dont need to be replaced unless rips etc. If your washing your filter make sure you wash it with tank water. Hope that helps.
 
Devil's advocate here...

By using ammo-lock and/or some sort of ammonia absorber, aren't you going to be starving the bacteria and therefore limiting the growth of colonies?

Did you always run the ammonia removal pad, or did you just add it?

I would think daily waterchanges (I'd start and 30% and test every day) and a bacteria additive (we use Foster's and Smith's Colonize) added every day or every other day.

It sounds to me like your tank is trying to cycle, but it can't take off because the food supply is getting locked up chemically.

Good luck and keep us posted.


No with ammo lock the ammonia is still there it just binds it up in a form non toxic to fish until the bacteria break it down :)

to quote api:
"Works instantly, in both fresh and saltwater, to detoxify ammonia and remove chlorine and chloramines. Locks up ammonia in a non-toxic form until it can be broken down by the tank's natural biological filter. Eliminates fish stress and promotes healthy gill function"
 
tetra safe start is bad news. why would you use chemicals unless you absolutely have to? that and it doesn't cycle as complete as a natural cycle would.

not a good idea.
 
Stop feeding for a few days and perform 50% daily changes until everything stabilizes. Let the remaining bacteria recover and eat off of the remaining ammonia and grow in numbers.

This'll probably freak you out but I'd honestly feed once a week til things look up.. if you can't stomach that then do very light feedings every other day.

Your tank is not cycled and, as has been said, is underfiltered. When you do water changes leave your filter media alone as it's housing the largest colony of bacteria that's left.

Good luck.
 
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