High ammonia. Help!

[Bfred13]

I have a 40 gallon bow front tank. It has been set up and running since July with daily water changes all the good stuff. I have the following fish:
5 white skirt tetras
5 serpae tetras
2 small plecos
2 dwarf gouramis
2 silver tip tetras

All the fish are alive and well and happy.
Problem is my ammonia has been steadily reading at 8.0 even with 40-50% daily water changes. What the hell is going on and how in the world do I fix it?! I've been doing daily water changes and using prime, not over feeding. Filter is a biowheel penguin 200 which is rated up to 50 gallons. Help.

 

[Potluck]

How are you testing the water, liquid test kit/strips, have you been doing water changes every since you have set it up, are you sure it's established?.. Could you test nitrite and Nitrate and ph if you're using an api master liquid test kit thanks.

 

[Bfred13]

I am using the API liquid test kit and have been doing water changes since it's been set up. I tested my ph this morning and it's 6.4 so I think I found my problem.

 

[Potluck]

what's your nitrite and Nitrate

 

[Bfred13]

They are both zero.

 

[Fresh2o]

The zero nitrate is odd. I would not think the water changes would have removed all of the nitrates.
Excessive ammonia and zero nitrites/nitrates gives the impression of an uncycled tank.
The filter, though rated for 50 gallons, might be underpowered for that volume and bioload. IMO it would be more suited for a 20g tank.
What maintenance (and how often) is performed on the filter?

 

[Bfred13]

Honestly I rinse the carbon when it gets gross. I'm not aware of anything else that needs to be done. I have another biowheel from a smaller tank that I took down, should I put that one in it as well to have a double filter? I don't believe the tank is cycled and it's driving me nuts.

 

[Fresh2o]

Adding the second filter may help.
Running 5 months and still not cycled is puzzling. Is it possible that something is killing off the beneficial bacteria? Antibiotics or other medicines?
I don't disagree with rinsing the filter cartridge. In most cases, it is recommended that it be rinsed in old tank water. But with the biowheel in place, it should be possible to rinse the cartridge in tap water. Assuming the beneficial bacteria are colonizing the biowheel.

 

[Bfred13]

I only use prime.

 

[Bfred13]

And there are zeolite stones in the filter too but that's it. This tank need to cycle this is killing me.

 

[bullyboy]

How old is your test kit?
The Nitrate soulution is usually the first to go.
Followed by the Ammonia soulution, than PH
The test kits are only good for a maximum of 5 years.

 

[jock7575]

Sounds like the tank has not cycled. You should have some nitrate reading in a cycled tank...about 5 to 10 ppm.ph level has nothing to do with your ammonia readings.How long has the tank been up and running?

 

[nirbhao]

Sounds like the tank has not cycled. You should have some nitrate reading in a cycled tank...about 5 to 10 ppm.ph level has nothing to do with your ammonia readings.How long has the tank been up and running?

I never have nitrate in my planted tank.

So no dead critters? Dead plants?

Have you tested your tap water?

Fortunately the Prime detoxifies the ammonia, so that's buying you some time.

 

[jock7575]

Or overfeeding?

 

[Bfred13]

I am not over feeding and no nothing is dead. I do not have real plants and the kit was purchased with the tank July of this year, which is how long it's been running.

 

[nirbhao]

Can you test your tap water?

 

[Bfred13]

I've only tested tap water for ammonia and there is none.

 

[nirbhao]

I have no suggestions. That is very strange.

 

[coralbandit]

If all your fish are healthy and your only concern is with the test readings then I would do a couple things.
1. test all the test on your source[tap] water to COMPARE...
Know that these test are not a be all end all.They are a tool and maybe your's is not
working proper. Do you shake the living day lights out of the #2 reagent for your
nitrate test???Most who get zero are not doing the test correctly?
2.Add a reputable biological bacteria supplement like ; Dr. Tims one and only or
Tetra Safe Start[ TSS].
3 Not worry as your fish say you ok?I really don't test much anymore as I understand the regular maintenance to keep my fish healthy and happy and I only have extra concern if my fish tell me something is going wrong.... No joke.

Good luck

 

[Bfred13]

They are but my tetras and gouramis are what I have left. I lost some mollies and from what I've read tetras like a low ph but the ammonia isn't harming them. Also from tons of researching low ph is causing my tank not to cycle. I just want it to be done.