Help day 46 still high ammonia

60 Gallon tank Marineland Emperor 400 bio wheel filter 2 bubblers

I am new to aquariums. I took my water to the local fish store on day 7 and was told tank tested perfect I could add fish so I did. I have been fighting high ammonia ever since. Cant get it to go away. I am now on day 46. Have been doing water changes every other day. I even did a 90% water change as instructed by fish store. They have had me keep putting prime and stability in., Still no change in ammonia. I am at whits end can anyone help me? I have been spending a fortune on chemicals the store been selling me. I don't mine spending the money if it helps but it hasn't budged. Any suggestions?

water is nice and clear

Do daily 75% water changes for 2 weeks. The tank was not cycled when you added fish

How many days have you had fish in the tank for?
What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?

If the tank has had fish in for more than a month and it still has ammonia readings, then there is an issue with the filter.
Have you cleaned the filter since you added fish?
If yes, how did you clean it?

What sort of filter is on/ in the tank?
What filter media/ materials are in the filter?

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If you have filter pads/ cartridges and have been replacing them, that will stop your filter from cycling and cause ammonia problems.

If you have a nitrite reading then the filter is developing.

If you have 0 nitrite but some nitrate (and the nitrate is not from the tap water), then your filter is working but you are adding too much food or there is something breaking down in the tank and causing the ammonia.

Been feeding very little every 3 days

How many days have you had fish in the tank for? 39
What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH? ph 7.0 ammonia 4.0 Nitrite 0 nitrate 5.0

If the tank has had fish in for more than a month and it still has ammonia readings, then there is an issue with the filter.
Have you cleaned the filter since you added fish? Have never cleaned filter or replaced them
If yes, how did you clean it?

What sort of filter is on/ in the tank? the padded filter that came with it
What filter media/ materials are in the filter? Matrix

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If you have filter pads/ cartridges and have been replacing them, that will stop your filter from cycling and cause ammonia problems.

jeff6898 said:

Been feeding very little every 3 days

How many days have you had fish in the tank for? 39
What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH? ph 7.0 ammonia 4.0 Nitrite 0 nitrate 5.0

If the tank has had fish in for more than a month and it still has ammonia readings, then there is an issue with the filter.
Have you cleaned the filter since you added fish? Have never cleaned filter or replaced them
If yes, how did you clean it?

What sort of filter is on/ in the tank? the padded filter that came with it
What filter media/ materials are in the filter? Matrix

-------
If you have filter pads/ cartridges and have been replacing them, that will stop your filter from cycling and cause ammonia problems.

Click to expand...

How many fish are in the tank?

Do you have any live plants? They should help absorb some of the ammonia. You'll need fast growing ones like Elodea/anachris, water sprite, duckweed, etc.

You mention adding more and more chemicals - what exactly have you added?

Can you check your tap water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates?

Put some of the gravel into a container of tap water. Check the ammonia level before you put the gravel in the water, and monitor the ammonia in that container for a week. The ammonia might be coming from the gravel.

Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
If not, get a basic model gravel clean and clean the substrate. If there is uneaten food in the gravel it will produce ammonia.
If you don't have a gravel cleaner let me know and I can tell you how to make one from a plastic drink bottle and garden hose.

Is the filter run continuously?

What is the water temperature?

How many fish are in the tank? 11

Do you have any live plants? They should help absorb some of the ammonia. You'll need fast growing ones like Elodea/anachris, water sprite, duckweed, etc. No live plants

You mention adding more and more chemicals - what exactly have you added? Prime stability tetra aquasafe plus

Can you check your tap water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates? Attached

Put some of the gravel into a container of tap water. Check the ammonia level before you put the gravel in the water, and monitor the ammonia in that container for a week. The ammonia might be coming from the gravel.

Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change? Yes I do
If not, get a basic model gravel clean and clean the substrate. If there is uneaten food in the gravel it will produce ammonia.
If you don't have a gravel cleaner let me know and I can tell you how to make one from a plastic drink bottle and garden hose.

Is the filter run continuously? Yes 24/7

What is the water temperature? 80

jeff6898 said:

Can you check your tap water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates? Attached

Click to expand...

posting a picture of coloured phials means nothing without a colour chart to compare the results to

Ammonia.

Colin_T said:

posting a picture of coloured phials means nothing without a colour chart to compare the results to

Click to expand...

Ammonia. 0. Nitrite. 0. Nitrate. 2.0

jeff6898 said:

How many fish are in the tank? 11

Do you have any live plants? They should help absorb some of the ammonia. You'll need fast growing ones like Elodea/anachris, water sprite, duckweed, etc. No live plants

You mention adding more and more chemicals - what exactly have you added? Prime stability tetra aquasafe plus

Click to expand...

Im not sure exactly how seachem stability works, from the sounds of it it claims to contain 3 different bacteria that build biological filter. Now if ones bioligical filter is dependant on redosing stability to maintain effective levels of bacteria then you are wasting money.
Beneficial bacteria is naturally occuring in a fish tank, the majority of beneficial bacteria will be found in filter media and fish decor surfaces. By adding stability depending on how it functions, it could artificially be replacing the naturally occuring bacteria essentially starving it. Stability claims their bacteria wont die like other brands but if it does not only is one reliant on continually buying their product but when that bacteria dies the lapse in beneficial bacteria can cause an ammonia spike coupled with the ammonia produced by the dead bacteria.
Get rid of the stability, let your tank naturally grow its own beneficial bacteria and i think you will find that it will benefit your tank and your wallet

Prime and Tetra Aquasafe Plus are both water conditioners. You don't need both. If you are using both at the same time, you are overdosing the tank. While this may not affect the cycle it will be affecting the fish.

Can I ask, are you adding Prime and Aquasafe only to the new water when you do a water change, or are you adding them to the tank between water changes? These products should only be used to treat the new water at a water change.


If you want to use a bottled bacteria product, Tetra Safe Start is one of the most highly recommended ones.

Your tap water is fine so the ammonia is coming from something in the tank. Test the gravel and see if that is the cause.

Bought the seachum ammonia alert. Had it in 8 hours now and reads yellow safe still. Use test kit shows high reading. Really confused now.

So far gravel testing 0 ammonia