Ammoina Issues

[_Sam]

Recently my partner and I have set up a new tank for our tropical fish. It's a 90L Aqua one AR-620, cleaned everything and set it up. Treated the water and waited several hours before transferring them into the tank. A couple of days later the water went really cloudy, we did a about 15% water change because it was late at night we couldn't do anymore. The next day the water was even worst. We still had their old tank set up so we moved them back in there for the time. We did a complete water change, cleaned up any waste that was in the gravel, treated the water. A couple of days have passed and we've just let it cycle, but I tested the water this morning and the ammonia levels are still high.
Please help, we are stumped.

 

[Potluck]

Recently my partner and I have set up a new tank for our tropical fish. It's a 90L Aqua one AR-620, cleaned everything and set it up. Treated the water and waited several hours before transferring them into the tank. A couple of days later the water went really cloudy, we did a about 15% water change because it was late at night we couldn't do anymore. The next day the water was even worst. We still had their old tank set up so we moved them back in there for the time. We did a complete water change, cleaned up any waste that was in the gravel, treated the water. A couple of days have passed and we've just let it cycle, but I tested the water this morning and the ammonia levels are still high.

Please help, we are stumped.

The tank wasn't cycled therefor that's why you have ammonia, you can't just take fish out of an established tank and put them in a non established tank without transferring gravel and or filters that have been running in the established aquarium, you need to leave them in the established tank they are in now (the old one) and let the new one go through the cycling process

 

[_Sam]

So even though we have done a complete water change, cleaned the gravel, etc. We should still expect the ammoina level to be high, without fish, untill it's been through a full cycle?

 

[Potluck]

So even though we have done a complete water change, cleaned the gravel, etc. We should still expect the ammoina level to be high, without fish, untill it's been through a full cycle?

Yes, cleaning doesn't matter, all new tanks will go through the cycling process UNLESS, you take everything from the other tank, filters /gravel /decor and put them in the new tank, you cannot let anything dry out in this process though, but to be on the safe side I would just seed the other tank and let it cycle keeping fish in the already cycled tank then transfer fish, shouldn't take more than 3 weeks.

Water doesn't hold nitrifying bacteria which is the bacteria in your filter/ gravel/ Decor that eat ammonia and nitrite and turn them into nitrate.

 

[King Fisher]

+1 Potluck. Removing 15% of the water means you still had 85% ammonia water in the tank.

As was stated. Take a scoop of gravel from the old tank and put in a pantyhose or cotton filter sock and put it in the new tank. Add a decoration from the old tank and put it in the new tank. Then add pure ammonia or fish food to the new tank so you feed the bacteria you placed in it. Wait a couple weeks or so. Do a couple big, 50%, water changes back to back then add your fish. It would be a good idea to purchase an API Freshwater Master Test Kit and test the water as you go.