new tank syndrom need help

[Tomlintm]

before i start i just want to say im new to the forums and i hope i get the advice i need from you great people
anyways i have had my tank now for a few weeks now and i have 15 glow fish and 2 tinny cat fish in a 20 gallon tank i lost a few glow fish and i do water changes but the ammonia wont get lower what should i do i want to get the bactria bloom to go away and get the tank healthy again and im starting to think im over stacked the tank with fish

 

[Scottyhorse]

Well, you should have way less fish. I would do 2 50% PWC a day. What are the test results?

 

[Tomlintm]

Well, you should have way less fish. I would do 2 50% PWC a day. What are the test results?

nitrate and nitrite are 0
hardness is at hard
chorine 0
alkaline 40
ph 6.8
ammonia 1.0-3.0
i did a water change this morning and the ammonia wont go down

 

[shellieca]

Have you tested your tap water? Some times it has ammonia in it & it may be why you're having high readings. Because your tank is new you're in the process of a fish IN cycle & with the amount of fish you have there is a lot of ammonia build up, you don't have BB built up to process it. A fish IN cycle can take 8 wks sometimes longer.

 

[Tomlintm]

Have you tested your tap water? Some times it has ammonia in it & it may be why you're having high readings. Because your tank is new you're in the process of a fish IN cycle & with the amount of fish you have there is a lot of ammonia build up, you don't have BB built up to process it. A fish IN cycle can take 8 wks sometimes longer.

ya i tested my tap water and did all 7 test like i posted and it came out all the same besided 0 ammonia in the tap water
i use aquarium salt and the amquel plus ammonia dexifier that takes care of all the nitrates nitrites ammonia and chlorine everytime i do a water change i use the aquarium salt b/c i no it helps with dasease so ya

 

[Tomlintm]

i just finished doing a water change and the cloudyness is lighting up but the ammonia is still at the stress or more limit

 

[Cactuspixie]

What brand and dosage of water conditioner are you using?

 

[Taiken5968]

I would get some prime for your tank. It is the best thing I have found, and a bottle will last a while. It will neutralize nitrates and nitrites.

 

[Tomlintm]

What brand and dosage of water conditioner are you using?

i use amquel plus ammonia dexoifier it does what the prime does but doesnt provent the slim coat which i defently have and i do 2tsp because its 1 tsp per 10 gallons

 

[Scottyhorse]

Are you using liquid or strip tests?

 

[Taiken5968]

i use amquel plus ammonia dexoifier it does what the prime does but doesnt provent the slim coat which i defently have and i do 2tsp because its 1 tsp per 10 gallons

I'm sure that your product works but you use a lot less prime. It takes one mL per 20 gallons. A mL is about .202 teaspoons.
But use what you like best.

 

[Tomlintm]

Are you using liquid or strip tests?

test strips

 

[Tomlintm]

I'm sure that your product works but you use a lot less prime. It takes one mL per 20 gallons. A mL is about .202 teaspoons.
But use what you like best.

really i might have to get some of this stuff b/c the stuff i use goes to quickly plus i havent been using it b/c i been doing water change after water change so its a waste to keep using it

 

[shellieca]

If you can purchase a liquid test kit such as the API Freshwater kit, you'll have more accurate results. Its less expensive to purchase online & while the strips only last 30 days the liquid kit will last for months. Prime is an excellent water conditioner & doesn't take much, I use one capful for my 46g. Prime is also less expensive if you can purchase online, I typically buy it from Amazon, same with the the API test kit.

 

[shellieca]

really i might have to get some of this stuff b/c the stuff i use goes to quickly plus i havent been using it b/c i been doing water change after water change so its a waste to keep using it

You should add a water conditioner each water change, if you don't you can kill off BB because of the chlorine, chloramines, etc. not mention the dang re to your fish.

 

[Tomlintm]

You should add a water conditioner each water change, if you don't you can kill off BB because of the chlorine, chloramines, etc. not mention the dang re to your fish.

oh ok i will add the ammonia dexoifier each water change but the bottle says dont add more untill 24 hours after each dose or does that matter when changing water
and i also got a slim build up how do get ride of it

 

[shellieca]

oh ok i will add the ammonia dexoifier each water change but the bottle says dont add more untill 24 hours after each dose or does that matter when changing water
and i also got a slim build up how do get ride of it

When you do a water change you're removing whatever was there so it shouldn't matter. The not adding for 24 hrs probably means when just dosing the tank without a water change. When cycling its good practice to test the same time each day which would be a 24 hr period anyways. The slime, is it on the tank walls, plants, decorations & just seems like a film? If so, IMO, perfectly normal & I'd leave it alone for now. If its something different can you post a pic?

 

[Tomlintm]

When you do a water change you're removing whatever was there so it shouldn't matter. The not adding for 24 hrs probably means when just dosing the tank without a water change. When cycling its good practice to test the same time each day which would be a 24 hr period anyways. The slime, is it on the tank walls, plants, decorations & just seems like a film? If so, IMO, perfectly normal & I'd leave it alone for now. If its something different can you post a pic?

no its like the glass on the inside is dirty looking like its dry water spots but if thats normal then ok i wont worry about it im getting prime tonight after i get off work b/c the amquel stuff i have isent cutting it and do i still do water changes if i use the prime to help lower the ammonia or keep doing water changes

 

[Taiken5968]

I'm sure that your product works but you use a lot less prime. It takes one mL per 20 gallons. A mL is about .202 teaspoons.
But use what you like best.

Just FYI it's 1 mL(cc) to 10 gallons.
NOT 1mL to 20.
I noticed that and didn't want to give you bad information. If you can find a syringe without a needle, it makes it easier to measure.

 

[shellieca]

no its like the glass on the inside is dirty looking like its dry water spots but if thats normal then ok i wont worry about it im getting prime tonight after i get off work b/c the amquel stuff i have isent cutting it and do i still do water changes if i use the prime to help lower the ammonia or keep doing water changes

Prime doesn't actually remove ammonia but it does detoxify it so yes you'll still need to do water changes. The bottle is a little misleading in that information., IMO. Hmm, dry like water spots? Is it brownish? If so, how long are your tank lights on each day? Is it below the water line or just above like maybe hard water stains?