Goldfish aquarium help?

Question

my fish tank is somewhere between 20 to 30 gallons and the water is very cloudy and i just recently changed about 25% of the water and got new foam and carbon for my hagen aquaclear filter and nothing its not clear i even tried using "no more algae" by jungle which are tablets that "FIZZ" and removes algae and controls the formation of new algae and i put 2 in last week before the 25% water change and replacing the filter...also i would like to know what is AMMONIA in a fish tank because i accidentatly bought ammonia remover instead of the BIOMAX for my filter and thinking if i can use this to remove what ever is in my tank ..thx for taking the time to read this and please help

Answer 1

Ammonia is created by fish waste and the decay of uneaten food in the tank. You don;t say how long the tank has been running, but when you changed everything in the filter you removed bacteria growing there that control the ammonia.

You need to get an ammonia test kit from the pet atore and monitor the ammonia level in your tank. You will need to chage water possibly every day untili the bacteria get reestablished in the tank. This could take as long as 2 weeks, but should happen faster. The cloudiness you are seeing is a result of the increased ammonia evels in the tank and a bloom of the bacteria that control it.

The ammonia remover you bought will remove the ammonia, but that is not the best idea. You want some ammonia to be present at this stage so that the bacteria have something to feed on so that they will get established.

Get the test kit or barring that do a 50% water chage every day for 2 weeks and all should be fine.

Try not to over feed at all during this time, only what the fish will eat in 3-4 minutes.

The best thing to do is never replace the sponge in the filter if at all possible. If it gets dirty and clogged simply rinse it out in some tank water.

Here's a link to a page that will help you understand what is going on in your tank.

http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

MM

Answer 2

When you put the new foam in your filter you threw away most of the beneficial bacteria in your system. Never throw away the sponge,just wash it in a bucket of water siphoned from the aquarium that it filters,it may take two or three rinses to get it clean,but you will salvage most of the bacteria that have been eating the ammonia in the tank.Ammonia is the first by-product of the breaking down of the fish waste and uneaten food in your tank. The bacteria that you pitched were busy converting the ammonia into nitrites,which in turn are consumed by an other type of bacteria living in the same sponge.The cloudiness is caused by another bunch of bacteria floating around in the water. Take some of your water in to the pet store for a test,and if it has ammonia it will help to use the Ammo-rid. It will take 5 or 6 weeks for the tank to re-balance,then the free floating bacteria will go away.You must do frequent water changes until this happens. Also if you use charcoal in your filter change it every 30 days,or it will just release all the phosphates that it spent the month removing.(Some people use charcoal only occasionally).------Good luck.----PeeTee

Answer 3

In a tank that size, only two or three fish should be living in it. Goldfish are like ammonia factories and produce large amounts of it. Ammonia is toxic to fish and can cause ammonia poisoning which can be fatal.

The cloudy water is a good thing. Your fish are eating and are therefore producing waste, aka ammonia. The ammonia is the cause of the cloudy water but not the actual producer of the cloudy water. The cloudy water you see is actually a bacteria bloom. Of course, there is no need to worry about this, as it is benificial bacteria that feed on the ammonia. This cloud normally appears in a new or uncycled tank.

Do not use any of the ammonia removers or cloudy water clearers. They will destroy the bacteria that are trying to live in the tank. This bacteria breaks the ammonia down into less toxic nitrite and nitrate. Also, do not use algae removers as a small percentage of algae is good for your tank.

Just let the water clear on its own and do weekly water changes until it dissapates. If the ammonia is spiking in the tank, the bacteria are flourishing and causing the cloudy water. Once they use the ammonia up, the cloud will go away. But the water changes are immortant because you don't want the ammonia getting so high it causes ammonia poisoning in your fish.

Answer 4

Hi there, if you do not know what is ammonia in a fish tank , I guess you do not know about the nitrogen cycle and have not cycled your tank. All the chemicals you put in your tank would not work if you haven't cycled your tank. I hope you haven't bought a lot of goldfish cos they will be in for a rough time and some of them may die from the ammonia or nitrite poisoning.

Anyway , Ammonia is produced from fish waste and uneaten food. Even in a small amount , it is deadly to the fish. The cloudyness may be due to a ammonia spike.

Replacing the filter will not resolve the problem and may make things as a new filter it is not biologically mature( have not been cycled).
Do read these articles about the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle your tank . They will be useful not only for your tank situation but also long term fish keeping.
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html
http://www.algone.com/fishless_cycling.php

Answer 5

Ammonia is what the fish produce. You don't mention how many fish you have, but goldfish do produce a lot of ammonia.

Ammonia is toxic to the fish, but may be some of the problem.

If you don't have a test kit I would suggest getting one, but for now, take a sample of the water into the aquarium shop and ask them to test it for you ASAP. They will usually do this at no charge. Continue with the water changes every week. (more often if there is a problem with the water) Also, never use household cleaners on your tank. The smallest amount will kill your fish. (even if you rinse it well) There are aquarium safe cleaners that you should use.

Please stay away from the chemical additives, and try to find the cause of the problems. Using chemicals is not real good for the overall health of your aquarium.

Good Luck

Answer 6

The ammonia you are talking about is from the fish. Ammonia lock is a good product for that. Goldfish are very dirty too. You didnt mention how many fish you had in your tank you may have too many. I think its one fish per gallon but im not l00% sure. I cant remember.The cloudiness could be just from cleaning it. If it doesnt clear up in a couple days go to a good pet store and ask them. Make sure they are very knowledgeable because i went to a big chain store and they caused me to kill my whole tank. They told me to mix two different medicines and I had one jump out of the tank to its death.

Answer 7

I find that adding water conditioner (sold where you get your fish) with every water change helps to neutralize the ammonia in the water caused by the fish waste. Ask questions where you buy your fish, they are usually helpful.