New Here with Ammonia Problem

[Gremlin1953]

Hello, I am new to this site and hoping someone can help me with a problem. I "inherited" a 50 gallon bow front aquarium from my daughter in January. Initially she wanted me to set it up as a saltwater, but the more I learned about that, the less I wanted to do that. So I set it up as a freshwater tank. The tank cycled and I began adding fish slowly and things were going well - until I inadvertently bought some sick fish and ended up with hemorrhagic septicemia in my tank. I was advised to dose the tank with erythromycin (2 rounds over about a week's time). I use a Fluval 306 canister filter and I was told to remove the activated charcoal and biomax,using only the foam filters during the antibiotic treatment. At the end of the treatment, I was told to do a 50% water change, throw out ALL the filter media so that I wasn't reintroducing the bad bacteria into the now clean tank. I scrubbed out the filter, put in new filters, new charcoal and new biomax. I also added Quick Start to add "good bacteria" back into the tank. Fast forward to now. It's been about three or four weeks and I can't get the ammonia down below about 1.0. Nitrates and nitrites are at 0, ph is running around 7.2 to 7.4. The fish seem happy, are eating well, no red gills or apparent distress. I am doing water changes of about 50% almost every other day.

Does anyone have any other advise on what I can do to fix this? Ammo Lock doesn't seem to help. I have well water and am using the API Master Test Kit. I tested the water coming from my faucet and it tests perfectly. I am at a loss what to do next. Ideas anyone, please?

 

[ZxC]

Research a fish in cycle, because that's what you'll have to do.

Dose Seachem Safe or Seachem Prime to temporarily lock up ammonia.

 

[Gremlin1953]

Thank you, ZxC. I did dose the tank yesterday afternoon with Prime, as I began wondering if that was what was going on. I'll definitely check out fish in cycling to see what exactly I have to do to keep my fish as comfortable as possible during this process. Hopefully I'm getting toward the end of it and my tank can return to "normal."

 

[King Fisher]

I'd change 1/3 of the water daily. It could better keep that ammonia in check.

 

[Gremlin1953]

Appreciate that. Yes, I'm going to do another water change yet this afternoon. I just tested and ammonia had crept back up to 1.0. It has been 0.50 this morning. Definitely keeping an eye on this as I'm trying to keep my fish as comfortable as I can while this is going on.

 

[King Fisher]

You don't want the ammonia to go over .50 ppm. Ideally .25 ppm.

 

[Gremlin1953]

I don't want any ammnia in the tank. I am now treating the tank with Prime, keeping an eye on ammonia, nitrates and nitrites, daily water changes, and hoping this fish-in cycle wraps up soon. The fish seem to be handling all of this very well. One thing is certain, I will never buy another fish (or anything else) from the store that sold me those sick fish that started this whole mess.

 

[King Fisher]

You need some Ammonia in your tank in order for it to cycle. BB feeds off ammonia. This is why you keep it low during a fish in cycle (less damage to the fish) as opposed to a fishless cycle where it doesn't matter if it's high.

 

[Gremlin1953]

Very true. I was just referring to no ammonia once this cycle gets done. Hoping it wraps up soon. I have been dealing with this now for about four weeks. I'm amazed at how well the fish are handling it.

 

[King Fisher]

Ahh I gotcha. You maybe dealing with it for another 4 weeks. Patience is key [emoji6]