I need help. Huge ammonia spike, won't go down.

[tubeteeth]

I have been trying to cycle this 10gal tank for 4 months now. I put in fish food once, and it had a massive ammonia spike over the chart reading and it won't go down. I've been doing daily 50% water changes for a month now and there is no change. Algae is growing, my plants are doing fine, but the ammonia is spiked so high and I can't fix it. I have never had this issue before, and my two other tanks are fine. I have only been adding water conditioner to the tank. My filter has carbon pad along with normal media. I tried putting in gravel from one of my cycled tanks, and it was no use. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Welcome to the forum.

Started with WAY too much ammonia, I would do a large WC, and start over, with no more than 3 PPM ammonia, tops....too much ammonia to begin with will prevent the cycle from happening

Cycling with food is much more difficult than with pure ammonia, because you have no way of controlling the level....use pure ammonia, or Dr. Tim's, next time

 

[Sunnyspots]

Also, check your testing kit isn't out of date or faulty in some way.

 

[Avel1896]

Hey
Remove the carbon pad that is useless if there are no drug residues.
No inhabitants ? Change 100% water and add plantsssss

 

[Colin_T]

Test the tap water for ammonia. If it is free of ammonia, put some gravel into a bucket of tap water and monitor the ammonia level over the next week. If you get an ammonia reading in the bucket of tap water, then the gravel is causing the problem.

If the bucket of tap water and gravel does not give an ammonia reading, then gravel clean and drain the tank completely, then refill it with dechlorinated water. Wait a few days and check the ammonia level.

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If you want to use fish food to cycle a tank, use a hard pellet food and put it in a net. As soon as the ammonia level is 2-3ppm, remove the food and don't add any more unless the ammonia level drops to 0ppm.

To help speed up the cycling process, raise the water temperature to 30C, increase aeration/ surface turbulence, and add some liquid filter bacteria supplement (available from most pet shops).

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Put a picture on the back of the tank before you get fish so they feel more comfortable.