High ammonia... can't get rid of it .. someone please help

[Ryan231211]

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High ammonia... can't get rid of it .. someone please help

1. Hello people..
   I'm new to keeping fish and I'm having a huge problem.. my tank has been up and running for 5 months... I've had ammonia from the start and it just won't go... I made a terrible mistake and added fish way to fast by following wrong advice... after reading a lot online I understand I made a huge mistake.. it's 22 gallon tank.. with about 35 really small fish... is this over crowded? Anyway.. I can't get my ammonia to go.. it will never go below 1ppm... I've tried so many ways that people have suggested.. nothing is working... I've tried leaving it a week before water changes... ammonia just goes sky high... I've added ammonia remover.. I've done water changes every other day.... and then I tried 50% water changes daily... nothing is working... I have added a a much larger and better filter for the tank... I know a new filter won't help my situation right now as there is no bacteria inside.. but I've had ammonia problems since I started... someone body please please help me... I've lost so many fish already... I honestly don't know what else to do...
   
   

 

[Ash Paws]

Are you testing with strips or with a liquid kit? Strips are not accurate and the ammonia just might be an inaccuracy because of all that stuff you have done already.

You can get a bottle of beneficial bacteria supplement and use as needed after water changes. Read the directions on the bottle. I always use it after water changes. It creates the bacteria so you don't have to wait for it to come back after you clean the filter and water.

 

[Ryan231211]

Hello ash paws..

I am using the API master test kit.. the liquid one... I have been adding beneficial bacteria now for quite a while... I've tried adding it to my tank water.. I've added it to my filter..... think I would say I've been using it a couple of months now.. maybe more... but yet I've always got high ammonia... all my other tests are coming back okay I think... but I can't be to sure as I'm not experienced but I have been following instructions... the only thing I have not tried is doing 90% water changes and also I have not tried doing 2 water changes a day at 50%.... I've heard that it can really help... but to me doing a 50% water change twice a day just doesn't sound good... but people say it really works

 

[Byron]

We must know the numbers...what level is the ammonia at?

Have you tested the source water (tap water on its own) for ammonia? Also for nitrite and nitrate if you have those tests. Any of these can be in the tap water and that is a different issue. And, is your water treated with chloramine or just chlorine?

Can you be specific on the fish in this tank, species and numbers. Are there any live plants? How often are water changes, and what volume?

What water conditioner are you using? What other additives?

 

[Ryan231211]

My nitrites are at 0....
My high range PH is at around 7.6
My nitrates is at I would say 40...
My ammonia is at about 1....

Just can't seem to get that ammonia down.. it will drop a bit after a water change but then straight back up the day after...
.. I tested my tap water for ammonia... the test may show a tiny hint of ammonia... but I could be wrong as the test looks yellow....

I use something called tetra aqua safe to treat the new water going into the tank...
.. I would say my tank may have around 35 to 40 fish.. it's got
Mollie
Cardenal tetra
Neon tetra
Black widow
Rummy nose tetra..
Then I have a few more small ones sorry I'm not actually sure what they are called as I have forgot...
I have 2 live plants in there and I was doing water changes once a week as I was told to do so by a friend.. but the ammonia was just getting really high.. so I done water changes every other day.. the ammonia was not moving at all.. so I changed to water changes daily... it brings ammonia down a little bit but not much.. I'm just not sure on how much to change at one time.. I've tried doing 10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
But nothing seems to work.. I've seen people saying to do 90% or do two 50% water changes a day.. one in morning and one at night...
But is that safe to do so to the fish.. surely that can't be good for them can it?

 

[Sarah73]

Have you tested your water you are adding to the tank? Add prime.

 

[Byron]

We need to know specifically thee number of each species of fish. This is crucial to solving this...from the fish listed I can see there are probably too many. Nitrates at 40 are too high, and this is usually due to the fish load or overfeeding, or both. I assume tap water is zero nitrate?

What is the GH (general or total hardness) of the tap water? You may find this from the water authority if you do not already know. The pH is related, but GH is even more important. And on the pH, you should probably be using the normal range test, if the pH is only 7.6 on the high range.

 

[Ryan231211]

Yes I have tested it loads now just to be sure... I went to buy some prime but the person at the shop sold me something else.. said it was really good.. it's called colony fresh water..

 

[Sarah73]

Yes I have tested it loads now just to be sure... I went to buy some prime but the person at the shop sold me something else.. said it was really good.. it's called colony fresh water..

What are the water parameters for the water that you add to the tank? And yes agree with @Byron . We need to know exact parameters. Also what kind of "tiny fish" do you Have? Neons? Guppies?

 

[Byron]

Yes I have tested it loads now just to be sure... I went to buy some prime but the person at the shop sold me something else.. said it was really good.. it's called colony fresh water..

Colony Fresh Water appears to be a bacterial supplement, but not a water conditioner. I wold discontinue this and see if the ammonia goes down.

What water conditioner are you using, to remove chlorine/chloramine? And you did not answer my question, do you have chloramine added to the tap water or just chlorine, or both?

Prime is a conditioner that dechlorinates and also detoxifies ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. But this is only temporary, for 24-36 hours, after which if still present the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate again become toxic. It is not a remedy for on-going ammonia, etc, but it does temporarily deal with these in the tap water at water changes, and the plants/bacteria then take over. We/you need to solve the cause, not cover it up with Prime.

 

[Ryan231211]

There is 1 mollie
Around 10 cardinals
4 black widow
6 small fish sorry again not sure what they are
7 rummy nose tetras
2 guppy
1 tiger pleck(only a tiny baby)
Around 6 neons
Another 6 small fish that I'm not sure on what they are.. sorry I should really know all my fish
And that is one thing I have not checked is the hardness of the water... one of my neighbers has been helping me with my tank and what he said Is the water is a little hard where we are

Yes tap water is 0 nitrate

Just tested normal PH..... I done a water change not long ago... and it's now showing 7.6 on normal PH....

hope I got everything in there that you asked

 

[Sarah73]

Yes I know prime is just used to cover for the fish. I'm just saying what he can do to protect his fish while he figures things out.

 

[Sarah73]

No what is the ammonia for the water you add to the tank??!! Black widow?

 

[Ryan231211]

I use something called tetra aqua safe... I was told by the pet shop this was all I needed... but I'm very new to this so I could of been told wrong

 

[Ryan231211]

I'm not sure if the tap water even has ammonia in it... think I'm just been suspicious about it.. as the test is coming up yellow... but there may be a slight hint of green... but I'm honestly not sure it's very hard to tell....