What is going on?

[Anna94]

This is a day after a 25-30% water change. I dosed with Prime and Stability. Why won't my ammonia go to 0? I also did a 50% water change on Monday cuz my ammonia was 1 or 2. As long as I've had my tank set up I don't think it's ever been cycled as I don't remember ever seeing 0 ammonia. I have an AC 50 and a sponge filter that I added 2.5 months ago.

 

[flchamp89]

1. It may have needed larger wc cant remember tank size (20?)
2. Its thursday and your heavily stocked

 

[Anna94]

1. It may have needed larger wc cant remember tank size (20?)
2. Its thursday and your heavily stocked

I'm about to have 15 fish as I am trying to rehome 2 of my fish. But later I plan on adding one more lemon tetra and 4 or3 or 4 more otos and then I will be done after that.

 

[flchamp89]

If ammonia still up just need remove more water

 

[Anna94]

Should I continue to use Stability with the water changes

 

[flchamp89]

I dont know anything about it sorry.

 

[TMaier]

Test your tap water. Mine is 1.0ppm right out of the tap.

 

[Anna94]

This is my tap

 

[flchamp89]

Looks zero to me which is good

 

[TMaier]

What is in the tank besides fish? Anything else that can leach ammonia? If not you might be overstocked.

 

[Anna94]

What is in the tank besides fish? Anything else that can leach ammonia? If not you might be overstocked.

17 fish in the tank and I feed once a day. Nothing else in the tank.

 

[TMaier]

Go to aquavisor and check your stocking. Size of tank, species and filtration need a balance.

 

[Toad]

Previous post:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=354825

Sent from my SM-G930T using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TMaier]

More fish poo than the beneficial bacteria can keep up with. If you won't reduce the stock or increase tank size you need to beef up your BB. Canister and biomedia to munch down that ammonia fast.

 

[Anna94]

More fish poo than the beneficial bacteria can keep up with. If you won't reduce the stock or increase tank size you need to beef up your BB. Canister and biomedia to munch down that ammonia fast.

I can't afford a canister filter. I have biomedia from my AquaClear 50 and my old AquaClear 30, plus I have a sponge filter rated for up to 40 gallons.

 

[TMaier]

Is this a used tank?
I have read about tanks used for small animals. The seals can be saturated with ammonia and it can leach into the tank. I have been told never to use a tank for fish that were once used for critters.

 

[Potluck]

I've told her numerous times that she is way over stocked, that she needs to get a secondary Aquaclear so she has more media for Bb to grow on and so that her filters can handle her bio load.

 

[Potluck]

A.) lower your stock, keep schooling fish if you have any rehome some others
B.) more filtration with more media
C.) doing 2 smaller pwcs a week in my opinion is better than one big one, for that many fish in a 20 gal you need to do multiple changes weekly 2 30% would be fine
D.) make sure your doing the water changes correctly when using a python because you can't treat the water before it goes into the tank so you have to dose for the whole tank so 2 ml but you can use more it won't hurt the fish, never vac all of your gravel at once

 

[Anna94]

A.) lower your stock, keep schooling fish if you have any rehome some others
B.) more filtration with more media
C.) doing 2 smaller pwcs a week in my opinion is better than one big one, for that many fish in a 20 gal you need to do multiple changes weekly 2 30% would be fine
D.) make sure your doing the water changes correctly when using a python because you can't treat the water before it goes into the tank so you have to dose for the whole tank so 2 ml but you can use more it won't hurt the fish, never vac all of your gravel at once

Isn't an AquaClear 50 with biomax from an old AquaClear 30 and biomax that came with the 50 and a sponge filter rated for up to 40 gallons enough filtration?

 

[Potluck]

All depends on the stock, how big the fish are, how much bio load they produce, so to get this answer you will need you list your fish. I have 16 fish in a 55 gallon with 2 AC 110'S, mostly tetras, with a rainbow and 2 clown loaches and my calico BN