Im need some help with my tank PLEASE!!!

[dman0617]

I have a 10 gallon tank that I cycled for 2 months using the fishless method. After cycle I tested the water and my parameters were
Ammo: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 20ppm after a wc
So I added fish: 4 guppies, 4 neon tetras no plants
I'm running two hob filters 1 is a 10 & the second is a 20
But for a month now the tank has gone cloudy (bacteria bloom im guessing) & when I test for ammonia is through the roof I'm doing wc like every other day and it looks like its not making a difference. Have i over stock my tank and is it going through a cycle again?
Parameters as of today 9/20/2013
Ammo: looks like 8ppm I added a photo of it
Nitrites: 0ppm
And now my nitrates disappeared 0ppm
Please help!!!

 

[Ian086]

I have a 10 gallon tank that I cycled for 2 months using the fishless method. After cycle I tested the water and my parameters were
Ammo: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 20ppm after a wc
So I added fish: 4 guppies, 4 neon tetras no plants
I'm running two hob filters 1 is a 10 & the second is a 20
But for a month now the tank has gone cloudy (bacteria bloom im guessing) & when I test for ammonia is through the roof I'm doing wc like every other day and it looks like its not making a difference. Have i over stock my tank and is it going through a cycle again?
Parameters as of today 9/20/2013
Ammo: looks like 8ppm I added a photo of it
Nitrites: 0ppm
And now my nitrates disappeared 0ppm
Please help!!!

First of all, hi and welcome to AA!!. It certainly looks like it's cycling again. That was a lot of fish to add all at once. The slower the better. Two guppies at first would have been plenty. You really need to do a very large 80-90% water change ASAP and daily until you get the Ammonia under control. Ammonia is the most toxic of the three. Ideally it should be 0. With Ammonia that high, unless you remove the fish, you are going to be doing a fish in cycle. Some people frown upon this method but it's a personal choice. I used it. Check out the articles section here, there are great articles on both methods....

 

[dman0617]

First of all, hi and welcome to AA!!. It certainly looks like it's cycling again. That was a lot of fish to add all at once. The slower the better. Two guppies at first would have been plenty. You really need to do a very large 80-90% water change ASAP and daily until you get the Ammonia under control. Ammonia is the most toxic of the three. Ideally it should be 0. With Ammonia that high, unless you remove the fish, you are going to be doing a fish in cycle. Some people frown upon this method but it's a personal choice. I used it. Check out the articles section here, there are great articles on both methods....

I didn't add the fish all at once it was gradually

 

[Ian086]

I didn't add the fish all at once it was gradually

Sorry..I thought you added them at once. Still check out the articles. It will give you all the advice you need for which ever method you choose. Just a thought, did you clean your filter recently??

 

[dman0617]

No I didn't when I added the last fish it started to cloud up after a few weeks and then the ammonia started to show up and when I do wc it doesn't seem to do anything

 

[Ian086]

No I didn't when I added the last fish it started to cloud up after a few weeks and then the ammonia started to show up and when I do wc it doesn't seem to do anything

So after you do a large water change, the Ammonia doesn't drop at all??

 

[dman0617]

After a wc I would let it run for a few hours then test the water and ammonia no different than before I did the wc.

 

[Ian086]

After a wc I would let it run for a few hours then test the water and ammonia no different than before I did the wc.

That's quite strange. There could be a few causes for this big reading, which you may already have checked for. A dead fish, massive overfeeding, mis-reading or incorrectly using the test kit. I'm sure you have checked for those already. Have you tried testing your tap water. It would be worth a shot. I can't think of any other reason why the Ammonia would be so high so soon after a WC......

 

[dman0617]

Yep checked for all the above even checked tap water it does have a slight reading but as high I'm always using Prime when I do a wc in your opinion is ny tank over stocked

 

[corylover]

go to aqadvisor. com no space between the . and com. this is a site you can put in your fish and filters to see if you are overstocked, water parameters, other helpful hints. your best option is to do that big water change, clean filters, and use a water conditioner to help clean up your tank.

 

[dman0617]

go to aqadvisor. com no space between the . and com. this is a site you can put in your fish and filters to see if you are overstocked, water parameters, other helpful hints. your best option is to do that big water change, clean filters, and use a water conditioner to help clean up your tank.

If I clean my filters I'll be getting rid of BB right....??

 

[Ian086]

If I clean my filters I'll be getting rid of BB right....??

In my opinion your not overstocked. The neons will create little waste and 4 guppies in a 10g is not overstocked. If you clean the filter, make sure you use old tank water and don't let the media dry out. I'm baffled to be honest. Maybe you weren't cycled in the first place......

 

[dman0617]

In my opinion your not overstocked. The neons will create little waste and 4 guppies in a 10g is not overstocked. If you clean the filter, make sure you use old tank water and don't let the media dry out. I'm baffled to be honest. Maybe you weren't cycled in the first place......

But I cycled the fishless method using ammonia I got from the hardware store it was pure ammonia. I tested every week using api freshwater master kit. But I think it is going through a cycle again I'm testing for nitrites but haven't seen any as of yet. I'm also adding nutrafin cycle to kinda boost the BB.

 

[corylover]

you can also from a reputable person take the rub off of their filter, some gravel, and some water from a cycled tank that is more than 6 months old. that will help boost the bacteria. maybe check where you get your water from. one question though do you have sand in your tank? and have you added in while it was filled with water or that the filter could be sucking it up?

 

[dman0617]

you can also from a reputable person take the rub off of their filter, some gravel, and some water from a cycled tank that is more than 6 months old. that will help boost the bacteria. maybe check where you get your water from. one question though do you have sand in your tank? and have you added in while it was filled with water or that the filter could be sucking it up?

No I don't have sand. But if I try and "boost the bacteria" wouldn't the nitrite from the bacteria kill my fish

 

[Clownfishlover]

Is the nutrafin cycle really bacteria or is it just ammonia in a bottle? If it is then it would just do the same as straight ammonia. If puzzled that is the only thing I can think of. What test kit are you using?

 

[dman0617]

Is the nutrafin cycle really bacteria or is it just ammonia in a bottle? If it is then it would just do the same as straight ammonia. If puzzled that is the only thing I can think of. What test kit are you using?

I'm using api freshwater master test kit

 

[Clownfishlover]

Ok I'm not sure what is going on just do major water changes. Have you tested your tap water?

 

[corylover]

if you get the items from the mature tank it wont kill your fish its good bacteria. its what I did for my 10g. your basically adding stuff that you will end up with anyways as long as you know who you get it from to make sure its good then you shouldn't have any problem.

 

[dman0617]

if you get the items from the mature tank it wont kill your fish its good bacteria. its what I did for my 10g. your basically adding stuff that you will end up with anyways as long as you know who you get it from to make sure its good then you shouldn't have any problem.

Ill try that thanks corylover