The guy at petsmart said i had a lot of ammonia and not to do a water change since I do it weekly how long would you think it would take if i had a lot of ammonia?
Sent from my SM-G860P using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Lol, the guy at the store did either did not care about fish, did not know or just wanted to, well, get rid of you. Either way that was bad advice for your fish.
You are doing the right thing by coming here. You are right, guppies should not be hanging near the surface all the time. They will if sleeping or having babies, or when they get old. But mostly they should be active, darting around the tank chasing each other. I've had lots of guppies over the years, so trust me.
The first thing: stop using Topfin Ammonia Remover. It will not work to cycle your tank. It can mess up your ph and cause more problems. The only way to cycle is the old fashioned way. Sorry. There is no quick fix.
Do partial water changes until the tank cycles and ammonia is at zero, about 2 weeks but sometimes up to a month. unfortunately we cannot tell you exactly how long it will take until your tank is cycled and your guppies start being active, because everyone's tank is different with different water ph, alkalinity, minerals, gravel, rocks, plants, etc. The guppies are having to adjust to all this in a new environment.
The mobile app doesn't have as much info yet as the full website. To see the articles, I go to the actual Aquarium Advice web site using a browser. On the home page there is a good article, "I just learned about cycling but already have fish, what now?" Here is the link:
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
An API test Kit really is a must have. And use just Prime for water changes. Save your money by skipping Aquasafe and Melafix, you don't need them. The $ you save on these products can go toward the API kit.
Plants do help reduce nitrates, but the leaves may start to decay, causing more ammonia in the water. Make sure to remove all dead plant matter.
I forgot if you have an air pump running? Are you using city or well water?
So in a nutshell:
1. Skip the Melafix, Aquasafe and the Topfin Ammonia Remover
2. Buy an ApI test kit
3. Do partial water changes to get that ammonia down.
4. Use only Prime during water changes.
5. Use the API test kit to keep an eye on things (My daughter calls me a science nerd when I use this kit. I tell her, "Me and Bill Nye")
6. Read the article above about learning to do a fish-in cycle. (actually do this one first)
