Ammonia Troubles.

[Faame]

Hi new to the hobby and need some help.

I recently started my tank, already cycled and everything.
Ammonia and Nitrites were at a 0 and it was perfectly fine.

I just got a trio of black mollies and they have developed what i beleive is columnaris, been treating them with maracyde and pimafix.

Now for some reason my ammonia is spiking up, going up to 1.0ppm, treated it with prime but its still up there.

I'm really wondering at what it is.

10g Tank
4 Guppies
3 Mollies
2 Chinese Algae Eaters (LFS Scammed me into buying 2)

Are there to many fish in my tank?

 

[mommytron]

can i ask how you cycled your tank?

it's possible that the medicine you're using has killed off your beneficial bacteria, causing your tank to go back into a cycle.

you're going to want to perform 50%+ PWC's to keep ammonia as close to 0 as possible.

the mollies have a large bioload for their size, and should really be in no less than a 20g tank. same with the CAE.

P.S. welcome to AA, i hope we can help

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Yes the tank is overstocked IMO. Mollies produce A LOT of waste.

 

[Faame]

Did a fishless cycle with a peice of shrimp. everything by the book.

Is it good to do water changes with meds in the tank? will it reduce its effectiveness?

Yea i figured it was, Probably gonna give away the guppies to make room for the mollies and CAE's.

 

[mommytron]

i'm not sure, i've never had to use meds myself. i'm sure you will probably have to just add them back in accordingly. but ammonia will be just as deadly as columnaris if not taken care of. once it hits .5ppm it will start to burn the fishes gills and cause permanent damage. if left unchecked and it rises, your fish could all die from ammonia poisoning. it's really important to keep ammonia as close to 0 as possible.

if anything, the guppies are what you want to keep. they are the only fish you have that is appropriate for your 10g tank.

 

[jetajockey]

it's going to be hard for the biofilter to keep up with that level of stocking in that size tank.

And yeah antibiotics have a negative impact on your beneficial bacteria, so start with the water changes till it gets resolved. Prime detoxifies the ammonia temporarily, but it does not remove it.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Also if u have carbon in your filter it needs to be removed.