What is going on?

[Anna94]

What is going on? Why is my ammonia always high? I did a water change Friday and used Prime and Stability. Later that night, I went and got me 2 cardinals and an oto. I fed the fish Saturday and a little bit of the food sunk to the bottom, but not a lot. My tank has been cycled for a year. Why can't I keep ammonia at 0? The tank is 20 gal, I have 9 fish in it right now, I feed once every other day, and I do weekly 50% water changes and vacuum the gravel every water change.

 

[nirbhao]

Sometimes, when you add fish, it takes a bit for the beneficial bacteria to catch up. Water changes!

 

[NRB]

How frequently are you changing/cleaning the filter? The problem is with a smaller filter like on a 20 gallon, you normally remove the entire cartridge and replace it; however that is where the beneficial bacteria grows.

When you clean the gravel, only do about half of it at a time. This is another spot beneficial bacteria grows and if you clean all the gravel, you could be getting rid of the bacteria each time.

Since you do have some nitrates in your tank you definitely appear to have a cycled tank. I think you just don't have enough bacteria to break down the ammonia. Try not cleaning the gravel or changing/cleaning the filter for a month or so and see what happens. Continue with the water changes, or you will lose your fish.

 

[Anna94]

I have an AquaClear filter so none of the media gets replaced just rinsed in tank water

 

[Anna94]

I do plan on getting a sponge filter as well

 

[NRB]

When you say always high, do you mean since you added new fish or before that? The beneficial bacteria in your tank will multiply at a rate to keep up with the ammonia and nitrite. If you had 7 fish then your filter can handle 7- 8 fish, when you add more fish the bacteria will have to multiply to handle their waste. Over the next few weeks the bacteria will now be able to handle 10 fish. It isn't a fast process.

If this was high before adding fish, are you sure there is nothing in your tank that has died, any live plants that are dying? Nothing blocking the filter intake?

You may want to run the API test on your tap water. Those levels should all be 0, but never hurts to test.

 

[Anna94]

Ammonia in tap water was 0 and there is nothing dead. When I did the water change Friday I took out some plants and decor and there was nothing dead under them

 

[NRB]

I would just keep doing daily water changes. Don't do anything to the filter or gravel and see if things get better over the next week or so. Your nitrifying bacteria will multiply and the ammonia should become less and less each day.

Best of Luck!

 

[Ingy]

As someone else asked, when you said always high, for how long are you referring? If it's been longer than since you added the new fish then you may have a more serious problem.
Why are the ammonia eating BB not keeping up with the ammonia load?
Have you got copper or brass in the tank? Have you medicated in the tank? Copper and many medications will kill bacteria, both good and bad.

 

[Anna94]

As someone else asked, when you said always high, for how long are you referring? If it's been longer than since you added the new fish then you may have a more serious problem.
Why are the ammonia eating BB not keeping up with the ammonia load?
Have you got copper or brass in the tank? Have you medicated in the tank? Copper and many medications will kill bacteria, both good and bad.

No meds or copper in the tank.