Is it possible for water changes to generate ammonia?

[crav]

I have an ammonia spoke in my tank right now, but I can't pinpoint why. I have two theories:

1- my tank didn't have it's water changed in a while (I got busy). I started doing 30% every other day last week, because there's discus in the tank, to help with growth. I didn't measure oh before, but maybe pH was too low and my bio died. This week my pH was 6.5, after the water changes. Water changes were done using tap water (no ammonia in it, I tested) and using seachem safe (prime in powder form).

2- I cleaned my canister, and maybe it killed my tank's bio (don't know how). Rinsed media using tank water, changed filter floss. Kept media submerged throughout the process.

I'm leaning towards number one...any other possibilities? No fish were added recently, no changes besides these two.

 

[Hendre]

How long since the canisters last cleaning? Sometimes disturbing the media too puch causes trouble there

 

[RD.]

Chloramine treated tap water - some ammonia is released every time the chlorine/ammonia bond is broken. Safe/Prime will convert free ammonia to safe form, but common test kits will still show total ammonia. Just another possibility to consider.

 

[crav]

How long since the canisters last cleaning? Sometimes disturbing the media too puch causes trouble there

About 1 month without touching it. I was thinking about it, and the only thing I did that might have changed the bio was throw out the filter floss on the 1st stage, and replace it. Maybe most of my bio was in the filter floss, somehow, instead of being on the ceramic media? (I use JBL Micromec)

Chloramine treated tap water - some ammonia is released every time the chlorine/ammonia bond is broken. Safe/Prime will convert free ammonia to safe form, but common test kits will still show total ammonia. Just another possibility to consider.

Yes, that's a possibility. Tests will show ammonia in safe form as well, but I don't think it's just that. I didn't add this info the post before, but today a BN pleco and one angelfish were dead. It's why I decided to check for ammonia, as usually I don't have problems.


What's ironic is that when it was left alone, everything was OK. I get back on routine maintenance, and this happens! lol

 

[Hendre]

I found that after leaving my bio for a while then cleaning it led to cloudy water, possibly a mini cycle but not quite as bad. I clean my media weekly