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hello all i have a 55g tank with 7 small about 2inch each african chiclids and i have developed ammonia i did a large water change went away for a day or so then it came back i feed them once a day with marine pellets to bring out thier color more i dont want them to die from ammonia whats the fastest way to get rid of ammonia .my water is crystal clear as im using 2 power filters and i dont want to use ammonia lock so whats the next best thing? plz help at 6.75 a pop for these fish i would hate to keep buying them every time one dies

Is this a new tank? there are products to seed your aquarium w/ beneficial bacteria. I've had success with a product called Cycle when doing water changes/ gravel vacs and when adding new fish.

1. Stop feeding the fish,
2. Do not stock additional fish,
3. Treat your tank with Seachem Prime or AmmoLock per directions,
4. Continue to change your aquarium water by 25% per day.

This is a new tank. The following explains the above points.

Your fish do not need to be fed for a week. Don't feed them. The waste food and the waste products from your fish will build up the ammonia. Stop feeding them!

Stocking additional fish or replacing fish that have died will only add to the ammonia. Be patient!

You have chosen to stock your tank with expensive fish prior to having the tank complete its aging cycle. If you want to save these fish, you have two choices: treat the tank with AmmoLock or Prime or a similar product that locks up ammonia or return the fish to your fish store.

Continued water changes will keep ammonia levels lower in conjunction with the use of AmmoLock or Prime. Change the water!

Your local fish store (lfs) should have asked for a sample of your water if they knew that this was a new tank. They would have tested the water for nitrates, the end product of the aging cycle for an aquarium. They also should have recommended inexpensive fish to cycle the tank such as danios or mollies.

Of course, they might have asked the questions and made the recommendations.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Why are some of you people so Rudd? We come here with a problem and you make us feel like fools WHY? someone ask a question she needs help not to be made feel like she is doing things wrong to kill the fish. Were not stupid or meen (Of course, they might have asked the questions and made the recommendations) Not all pet stores talk you I no there was one that just sold a lady a fish and didn't even talk to he and ask what kind of tank she had she was new he sold her a brackish fish and she had she had a fresh water tank so plz when your talking to us keep your faces to your self

edith

Petstores are not where you should rely on getting your info. Most of the time they know nothing and what they do know is just repeated info they were taught when hired to catch fish for people. Any book that is not really outdated or if you have the internet any websearch will tell you what cycling is and why fish tanks get ammonia. Researching a pet before you get is part of being a smart and responsible owner. Noone is trying to make anyone feel stupid but these are very basic questions that many people ask over and over again and should have been answered before the fish were purchased. It gets tiring for people to have to answer the same thing over and over so they tend to make short and to the point posts.

I understand that really I do. But I was given this link from the pet store here in Ottawa they told me oh don't worry they are grate . They don't mind helping you. Well I read threw all the threads and didn't find my question answered so I asked and now your telling me if some one was to ask the same question that some of you get made. Sorry to bother you. I don't always trust the computer that is why I am here I ask peopal that have went threw it and no what they are saying is true they went threw it.

edith