What do you think I might be dealing with here?

[SCM_2123]

Putting the carbon filter back in after the meds should have nuetralized them, so you should be good there. I'm not familiar with these ammonia reducing pads though. If they are inert material that bb can grow in and thus reducing ammonia through the normal process then they should not be removed at the same time as the main cartridge and i certainly wouldn't replace them every 2-3 weeks as the company suggests. If they have some active ingredient to reduce ammonia, I cannot answer but would likely not use them myself as I don't know how that would interfere with the normal cycle.

They're a material similar to the carbon filter. I can share a picture when I get home from work.

Hello; short summary. Water companies can use chlorine to make drinking tap water safe to drink or they can use chloramine. My company uses only chlorine which I may talk about later. Chloramine is popular because it lasts longer in the water, but requires aquarium keepers to use something such as PRIME to treat the water.
Note-Chloramine in tap water shows up as ammonia when tap water is tested.
Note- When we use PRIME it treats the chloramine by splitting it chemically. Splits the chloramine into chlorine and ammonia. The Prime binds the chlorine but apparently leaves the ammonia in the water. I think the idea is in a cycled tank the split off ammonia will be taken in and converted by the BB into nitrite.
Note- Apparently PRIME/SAFE only binds the ammonia from showing up in a test for around 48 hours. After a couple days the same water will test positive for ammonia again if the BB have not "eaten it".

Here is a video which attempts to explain the chloramine.

ammonia in tap water - Search Videos

www.bing.com

The video seems to lay out the situation as i understand the chloramine in tap water.

Back to my water company. I have the luxury of only dealing with chlorine. I put tap water into containers and allow them to sit for around four days. The chlorine gas leaves the water. So when I do a WC I do not need to use PRIME/SAFE.

To the OP- try to find out what is in your tap water. if it does turn out to be chloramine then the ammonia reading in the tap water is likely the chloramine.

I have been using Prime with each water change. Let's say the ammonia reading is the chloramine, what do you do then?

Hello; Many medicine makers suggest removing carbon when using their product. A thing is the carbon can adsorb the medication and suppress its usefulness.

Another thing about carbon is it quickly becomes loaded and so becomes largely useless anyway. Some say within days. I suspect it depends on what chemicals are around. I have not used carbon in a few decades. In your case. OP, I suspect the carbon made no difference if it was in the tank for some time.

Assuming you are going to keep trying to salvage the current setup it might not hurt to add a carbon pack if you have them about. Might help remove any residues of the medications that the WC has not diluted.

Is a carbon pack something that goes into the filter? I've never heard of these.

To answer the question about water source I'm on city water and not a well.

 

[skjl47]

I'm on city water and not a well.

Hello; Next step is to get a water report from the water company. At my company I can pick the report in person in the lobby when I pay my bill. They keep copies available of each year's report. Also, may be online. Look to see what treatment chemicals are added. If it turns out to be chloramine such is another bit of useful information.