ammonia too high, now cloudy tank

[cbheternal]

my ammonia was high. so i used Ammo block. i took the carbon bag out for just over 24 hrs. the tank went cloudy. so i put the carbon back in. went to bed. woke up. and could not see the back of the tank. 20gallons. so i did a 50% watet change. what is going on. and what should i do. please help. my kids are all worried and crying. 20 gallon tank. 8 guppies. filter is Aquaclear 150. now called aquaclear 30

[melosu58]

Moved to the FW sick fish forum. More people will see it there.

[Vircomore]

How long has it been between "the tank being filled" and "the fish going in"? If you bought the fish shortly after setting up the tank, then the tank hasn't grown the bacteria that is required for handling ammonia.

You're going to need to do a ton of water changes to keep the ammonia low - or you may start losing guppies soon.

[cbheternal]

Originally Posted by Vircomore

How long has it been between "the tank being filled" and "the fish going in"? If you bought the fish shortly after setting up the tank, then the tank hasn't grown the bacteria that is required for handling ammonia.

You're going to need to do a ton of water changes to keep the ammonia low - or you may start losing guppies soon.

the tank was up and running for 2 weeks before fish were introduced. first started with. 2 adults. then added 6 babbies 3 weeks later. im not over stocked. ?? so i have no cycle ????? im confused. how foten should i be changing the water???

[Vircomore]

You can look up "Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle" but here's a brief explanation.

Fish waste = ammonia
Extra food = ammonia
Decaying matter = ammonia

The ammonia is bad, but there is a special bacteria that eats ammonia.

Ammonia -> Bacteria #1 -> Nitrite.

then....

Nitrate -> Bacteria #2 -> Nitrate.

And nitrate isn't that harmful.

The problem you have is that your fish are producing the ammonia, but your tank hasn't grown the bacteria to eat it and make it safe.

If you don't do frequent water changes - (enough to keep the ammonia as low as possible) - your fish could be burned by the ammonia and die.

The white cloudy water is a sign that the bacteria is growing fast - and the white water is not harmful to the fish even if it looks bad. You should be more worried about the ammonia than the white water.

[Krypt]

What we mean by cycle, is that all aquariums need to establish a colony of bacteria that converts fish waste (ammonia) into nitrites, then nitrates. This is usually accomplished by adding an ammonia source to your new tank and allowing it to be processed naturally by bacteria for about 4-6 weeks. This builds up your colony so at the end of your cycle, you can add fish.

Since you have added fish without cycling your tank correctly, your ammonia levels will be high for a few weeks until your bacterial colony catches up. In the mean time, when ever you detect ANY ammonia, do water changes until you read 0 again. That is the only way your fish will survive the cycling process.

[cbheternal]

Originally Posted by Krypt

What we mean by cycle, is that all aquariums need to establish a colony of bacteria that converts fish waste (ammonia) into nitrites, then nitrates. This is usually accomplished by adding an ammonia source to your new tank and allowing it to be processed naturally by bacteria for about 4-6 weeks. This builds up your colony so at the end of your cycle, you can add fish.

Since you have added fish without cycling your tank correctly, your ammonia levels will be high for a few weeks until your bacterial colony catches up. In the mean time, when ever you detect ANY ammonia, do water changes until you read 0 again. That is the only way your fish will survive the cycling process.

ok then. this is helping. thanks ppl. how often should i change the water. ?? every day. or. two???

[cbheternal]

Originally Posted by Vircomore

You can look up "Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle" but here's a brief explanation.

Fish waste = ammonia
Extra food = ammonia
Decaying matter = ammonia

The ammonia is bad, but there is a special bacteria that eats ammonia.

Ammonia -> Bacteria #1 -> Nitrite.

then....

Nitrate -> Bacteria #2 -> Nitrate.

And nitrate isn't that harmful.

The problem you have is that your fish are producing the ammonia, but your tank hasn't grown the bacteria to eat it and make it safe.

If you don't do frequent water changes - (enough to keep the ammonia as low as possible) - your fish could be burned by the ammonia and die.

The white cloudy water is a sign that the bacteria is growing fast - and the white water is not harmful to the fish even if it looks bad. You should be more worried about the ammonia than the white water.

i have read alot about cycling. i think i understand it now. how often should i do water changes. to fix my ammona problem. oh and thanks in advance for everyones help. my kids say thanks.

[dkpate]

Get a liquid test kit, and change part of the water every time the ammonia or nitrites gets above .25ppm.
Also, don't use that Ammo Lock anymore, it does more harm than good. Alot of us on here use Prime water treatment, and it will help with the ammonia and nitrites.

[cbheternal]

Originally Posted by dkpate

Get a liquid test kit, and change part of the water every time the ammonia or nitrites gets above .25ppm.
Also, don't use that Ammo Lock anymore, it does more harm than good. Alot of us on here use Prime water treatment, and it will help with the ammonia and nitrites.

alrighty then. i have a test kit. i did 50% this morning. my ammonia is still high. should i change the water again today untill i get a lower reading.

[fort384]

Yes... do 50% water changes until the ammonia is below .25.

[Tad]

Try to change 25% of water daily and dont forget to add a good minerals for each changing
Too much fresh water in one time change is not good for fish too
The ammonia should give up after few days if the colony of good bacteria in ur tank are strong enough

[Tad]

How is the pH in the tank ? If it's below 7 then the ammonia is not toxic

[cbheternal]

Originally Posted by Tad

How is the pH in the tank ? If it's below 7 then the ammonia is not toxic

ok. so i just changed some water again. ammonia still a bit high. the ph is 6.6 to 6.8 im gonna go buy a new test kit. cause i don't trust mine. its getting old.

[fort384]

Originally Posted by Tad

Try to change 25% of water daily and dont forget to add a good minerals for each changing
Too much fresh water in one time change is not good for fish too
The ammonia should give up after few days if the colony of good bacteria in ur tank are strong enough

According to what? Many people here do 50%+ water changes always, not just during cycling. What "minerals" are you adding?

Originally Posted by Tad

How is the pH in the tank ? If it's below 7 then the ammonia is not toxic

According to what? Ammonia might be less toxic at lower pH values, but it is still toxic.

[fort384]

Originally Posted by cbheternal

ok. so i just changed some water again. ammonia still a bit high. the ph is 6.6 to 6.8 im gonna go buy a new test kit. cause i don't trust mine. its getting old.

If it is over .25, I would do another PWC.

[cbheternal]

Originally Posted by fort384

If it is over .25, I would do another PWC.

on my test card it says 2-3 ??? Im gonna do another pwc. is 3 in a day too much. i really appreciate all this help. fort384. and everybody else

[dkpate]

I did 70% water changes every day in my tank, and sometimes two a day. Fresh water is not bad for fish Tad, do you think streams and lakes are stagnant water? The water changes might be stressful for them because of you being in there 3 times a day, but I guarantee that it will be less stressful in the long run than ammonia burns.

[Zagz]

You have to do whatever water changes are necessary to keep your ammonia down. If that means doing 3 in one day then it is fine. Keep adding dechlorinator to the water every water change.

It does not harm the fish to change the water, ammonia will kill the fish. That is the obvious harm.

Good luck and keep at it.

[cbheternal]

Originally Posted by Zagz

You have to do whatever water changes are necessary to keep your ammonia down. If that means doing 3 in one day then it is fine. Keep adding dechlorinator to the water every water change.

It does not harm the fish to change the water, ammonia will kill the fish. That is the obvious harm.

Good luck and keep at it.

alright then. here goes #3. what kind of minerals should i be adding. im using a conditioner Aqua plus. my tank is getting foggyer with every change. ill keep it up. i really dont want my fish to die. we gave them names lol