should i get the ammonia pills thingys?

Question

ok so i did a full water change but my ammonia level is high clean gravel and everything but the ammonia is still .5 should i get the ammonia pills to reduce or should i let it settle on its own BTW where doing better when i put them in but i guess it was to late for my bala shark and he just died i dont want any more of my fish to dye please help lost 7 in 2 days pH is good what else could be causing that

btw what i did notice when my first fish dyed was that the others where piking at it could it have infected them

i also gave them a stress reliever what i have noticed about all off them is that inder their "chin" those gills are red and whit the balas their fins instead of being silver where red what could it be

Answer 1

First, no, don't use any type of ammonia chemicals other than Amquel in a cycling tank. You can use it, but I would still recommend that you use water changes to get rid of the ammonia instead.

What you are seeing is a normal and natural rise in the ammonia from fish waste. Eventually bacteria will grow in the tank and filter to handle the ammonia, but in the mean time you need to control it with water changes.

Don't do complete water changes and don't wash the gravel. Also avoid washing the filter or it's cartridges at all. They more you wash, the more of the bacteria you remove and you want to keep all you can get.

Do a 50% water change whenever the ammonia gets into the high or dangerous levels on your test kit and watch for the next spike. Eventually, the ammonia will disappear as the bacteria grows in the tank.

Again, don't clean anything, use use water changes to keep the ammonia low. It will eventually be fine, it's totally normal and just takes time for it to cycle.

Here's a link you should read as soon as possible. It will help you learn about what is going on in your tank and really help keep you from losing more fish.

http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

Hope that helps

MM

Answer 2

In a word, NO. You shouldn't use the ammonia lock because ammonia is part of the natural cycle in your fishtank. Here's the breakdown:

In a normal tank, when you just start it, the ammonia level rises because the fish excrete it as waste (like humans do when we pee). The difference, of course, is that humans don't swim around in our own excrement. Well, in a fish tank, bacteria form that begin to feed on the fish pee. They keep the ammonia level from building up too fast.

In a tank that has just started, or in one that has lots of new fish added, the bacteria can't keep up with the ammonia production. But, if you use the additives, the ammonia is chemically changed. The bacteria never have a chance to breed because there is no ammonia for them to eat. In the long run, your tank will just keep having this problem.

You need to stop throwing chemicals in the tank. It needs to find it's own balance. Then, when it has stabilized, slowly build your fish population back up.

Also, do water changes of 25% two times a week. DO NOT clean the filter, as this is where most of the bacteria will start growing.

Good luck.

P.S. Never do a FULL WATER change. Very stressful on the fish.

Answer 3

Don't get the ammonia pills or anything like that. If your tank is cycling, then anything you get to bind the ammonia will just be a temporary fix and will result in your tank just taking longer to cycle and prolonging the agony! Are you doing 100% water changes? You need to be doing frequent, smaller water changes. Like daily, 20-25% water changes. This will help keep the levels down while the tank cycles. Red gills is usually an indication of ammonia poisoning, I'm afraid, though I'm not an expert. Good luck with your fish and sorry about the one that died.
Check out this site:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/ammoniapoison.htm

Answer 4

You need to look up the nitrogen cycle, and do some reading. That is your problem. The ammonia pills will only fix things temporarily, your tank needs to cycle.

Answer 5

I don't know, but is your tank pretty new? If your tank was just set up it might be still cycling
Please check your nitrites and let as know what the result is

And no you shouldn't use any chemicals

Also, can you post a pic on here with your shark?

EB

Answer 6

No. Stop doing "full water changes" your tank needs to cycle.
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html
http://www.bestfish.com/breakin.html