Cloudy ammonia water. I NEED HELP! ):

[TlmAsj2910]

I have a 75 gallon tank containing some platys, balloon belly mollies, cory catfish, and guppies. I do not have gravel in the bottom. This is a newly set up tank and no i did not let it cycle but this is why.
I called my lps and they told me since i was adding almost half the water from other fish tanks that i shouldn't need to cycle (later, i found out this girl was new). Because of this, i have lost probably half my fish before i knew that it was ammonia. Plus, my water is cloudy.

Friday, I called my lps and talked to another person. I told her that my water was cloudy and that my nitrites were high (at this point i didn't have a way to check the ammonia) and that my water was cloudy. She suggested prime and a different water clarifier because my other one just did not do the job. So i went and got prime and water clarifier.


Yesterday, I checked my levels, and they were:

nitrate between 0 and 20
nitrite 3.0
ammonia was a little between stress and harmful

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So, i ended up going back to the store and talked to yet again a different person. She suggested an additional filter (actually a different one but i did not have the money to buy it because it is just out of my budge right now though i think i might get it later on when money isn't so tight). So i added in the filter, so i have two 55/75 Quiet Flow filters. one on each side of the tank. She suggested a pwc. I changed about 25% of the water. She, also, suggested a start zyme since i did not cycle the tank. i did all of that.

This morning I tested my levels and they were the same, but now my water is so much more cloudier, and I added in another dose of prime because i read that you are supposed to keep adding it. I added more water clarifier in. I am at my wits end. I have no idea what else to do or how long to wait.

PLEASE HELP SAFE MY FISH'S LIFE!
);
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[librarygirl]

Ok, stop listening to the LFS.

You need to do water changes, that's the only way to get the toxins down and get the fish through the cycle. With nitrite at 3 it is DANGEROUSLY high. You're going to have to do a few large (70%) water changes to get that down to under .25. Use the Prime, it'll help detoxify between water changes, but it shouldn't be used in place of water changes.

Once you do a number of water changes to get ammonia and nitrite under .25, test the water daily and any time either of those gets above .25, do another water change(s) to get them down. That's really the only way.

If you have another established tank you could get some filter media or substrate from that tank to help seed the new one but only if your other tank can donate it safely without throwing that one into a mini-cycle as well.

I wouldn't add any other chemicals or fake bacteria to this tank; they aren't needed and can do more harm than good. The cloudiness and likely a bacterial bloom and will go away on its own in time. Prime and water changes will be your friend for a while until the ammonia and nitrites can stay at 0 on their own.

The link in my signature will help: new tank with fish.

 

[davePM]

Stop buying stuff that the lfs say you need! 90% of it is useless. Read this: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html

The only thing I have ever added to a tank is water conditioner. You really shouldn't need anything else!

 

[TlmAsj2910]

I do have another established fish tank. (i cycled it a while back) it is a 5 gallon fry tank, But i'm not sure how to filter media or substrate from it.

I don't have a way to test the chlorine in my tap water, but i do have a bottle of water conditioner, should i add that to the water before i put it in the tank or afterwords?

And should i wait 24 hours before i do a water change?
I never had this problem with my other tank so this is totally confusing and yes, i know i should not listen to lps people but at the time that is the only people i had because i just found this site.