Why do I still have ammonia after a water change?

**kurly** · 02-12-2008, 04:34 PM

I'm confused. Went with the fishless cycle about 8 months ago on my 10 gallon tank. Everything was fine until about three weeks ago when something upset the cycle (probably from my son overfeeding the fish for several days)and ammonia started to show up again. I did a thorough vac to remove as much of the excess food in my tank and have been changing the water every other day but ammonia is still present in my tank. It's reading around 1.0 now. I put some ammo-lock in the tank a couple of days ago.Not sure how that really works because ammonia is still reading in my tank. Does it protect the fish even if ammonia still shows up? I have no idea what to do because it appears that my tank is now going through the cycle process again but this time I have fish in it. The fish are all doing fine but I'm confused and concerned about the ammonia reading.

Someone please help me.

**Tooch** · 02-12-2008, 04:59 PM

Just a couple questions... Have you put the fish in just recently? How many did you add at once? Have you been doing water changes since the fishless cycle?

If you added several fish all at once recently, it's possible you're tank is going through a mini-cycle. Over-feeding would also be a major contributor to too much ammonia. Be sure to be doing weekly vac's and water changes (refilling it with conditioned water) to help bring it down.

What type of filter are you using?

**Lady Hobbs** · 02-12-2008, 05:06 PM

Yup. You have lost your cycle probably from the over feeding and then cleaning too much to rid the tank of the food. You'll have to do small water changes as the ammonia builds or you'll loose your fish unless the Ammo lock holds it down for you.

**B_Ez** · 02-12-2008, 05:25 PM

Ammo Lock, I believe, only renders the ammonia harmless for a period of time (24 to 48 hours) and the beneficial bacterial can still consume it.

**jbeining75** · 02-12-2008, 05:29 PM

I agree you probably disturbed your nit cycle in your tank...... Watch your levels and do water changes as needed....... with ammonia spikes will come a nitrite spike. You want to keep your nitrites at 0 or very close... You may be doing 30% changes every day to contol the tank..........

**sailor** · 02-12-2008, 06:49 PM

Did you or anybody else rinse or clean your filter media in any water other than your aquarium water, because that will do the same thing, send it into a mini cycle.

Sailor