Ammonia help (please!!)

[Gigifish]

Hi there, so I’m new to the aquarium world so I’m in desperate need of help as our local aquatics centre is no help at all.

From the beginning, we have a black Moore in a 90L tank which we have had for about a year. No problems with the tank, all tests come back as water quality is perfect. We decided to get a tank upgrade and bought a juwel 180 snd fluval 205 second hand for the black Moore. We “washed” the stones, decor and filter in existing tank water and filled the fluval with sponges from our current filter. Naively we waited about 3 weeks (advised by the aquatics centre) and said we were fine to add 3 new small fancy goldfish so we did.

We tested the ammonia and came back 0.25ppm, no nitrates, no nitrites. So we did daily water changes of around 30%. The ammonia was going down so we were advised to get ammo lock and began adding this daily alongside doing water changes every day but still not change. We added tetrabalance as well and still nothing helped. Then we were advised to add biodigest (all of this with the fish in the tank) so we added 2 vials of biodigest in the hope of bringing the ammonia down.

Ammonia went through the roof by the next day and was at 3ppm and climbing so we put all the fish into our existing tank to be safe. Currently our juwel is at 5.5ppm no nitrates not nitrites and I’m completely lost as to what to do!? I feel like I’ve failed as we should’ve waiting longer for the tank to cycle and I’m really stuck as to how to get this tank back on track. Since adding the fancies it’s been about 2.5weeks and they have been in our old tank for about a week now and doing great but any help would be much appreciated!!! I’m so lost and giving up hope with all of these mistakes!

 

[Delapool]

I’m guessing the biodigest added waste-destroying (heterotrophic) bacteria which converted waste to ammonia. I thought they could consume ammonia as well but that I think would explain events.

Unfortunately as you mention, tank isn’t cycled to have a big enough nitrifying (autotrophic) bacterial population.

You could try adding more bacteria in a bottle - I’d only get the nitrifying bacteria imo.

Then using amono-lock or seachem prime, water changes and testing regretfully for fish-in cycling. The amono-lock / prime won’t stop tank cycling (maybe slightly slower).

 

[Gigifish]

I’m guessing the biodigest added waste-destroying (heterotrophic) bacteria which converted waste to ammonia. I thought they could consume ammonia as well but that I think would explain events.

Unfortunately as you mention, tank isn’t cycled to have a big enough nitrifying (autotrophic) bacterial population.

You could try adding more bacteria in a bottle - I’d only get the nitrifying bacteria imo.

Then using amono-lock or seachem prime, water changes and testing regretfully for fish-in cycling. The amono-lock / prime won’t stop tank cycling (maybe slightly slower).

Thanks so much for your advice. With regards to cycling now as the fish are out and in my other tank. Should I go down the route of fish less cycling with ammonia or would it be a case of water changes do you think and just it runs it’s course??

 

[Delapool]

Good point - imo would go with ammonia dosing but I agree let the tank settle a bit first. The bacteria can handle quite high ammonia, it’s more so readings are not off the test kit charts so to speak.