Well didn't want to do a fish less cycle for I have fish. If you read from beginning what started as a bacteria bloom (I probably panicked for fish were trying for air at top of tank). Purchased almost all products from Dr Tim. We started with waste away for I think I had bad bacteria in the tank. Didn't clear up for weeks. Cleaned filter media which wasn't that bad to begin (tank had been great for 4 months) always had 0 nitrites but the nitrate dropped way low and then ammonia never went away. So today 95% water change, now 2 filters running. Put one and only in both medias and the ammonia this evening is at 4. I checked my water outside and ammonia is almost nil. Conditioned water. Wtf? Also I do not have hospital tank but 2 25 gallon garbage cans that I put bubbler in and move them every two days. They seem to be ok (using first defense) but not sure how long they can do that. Still eating but not sure if ever will be right. PH was at 8.2 so did ph down yesterday before change today. Seem to have white particles in the water. The bigger ones look like skin?
Thanks Nancy
It seems your already cycled tank somehow had the cycle crushed. Clean the filter media should be done very carefully, otherwise its bacteria colony can be damaged and thus crush the cycle. Fishless cycle can be rather quickly (with a few days) when you use heavy seeding products combined with pure ammonia. If I were you, I'd try to have the tank cycled as quick as possible either with fish or without the fish.
If you decide to do fishless cycle again, I believe you already know the process. Make sure the filter is working properly first, then add ammonia, and a whole bottle of bacteria product.
If you decide to cycle with fish since you already have them, the process can be done fairly similar without the part of adding ammonia since the fish is a source of ammonia.
If you choose the latter, you can use Prime water conditioner for daily partial water change which will turn the ammonia into harmless ammonium temporarily.
Hi Thor,
No worries. Ok I wrote a long email b4 and it didn't post. I wasn't doing a fish less cycle. I had a bacteria bloom tried to fix, probably got overzealous and fish were struggling so am moving them between my homemade tank buckets. There have been no fish in my tank and the ammonia is continually high. The tank readings indicate cycled. After you helped me with fish less cycle fish were great for months. I have done numerous water changes, up to 95% added dr tins one and only etc... Nothing. Ph a little high. Ammonia down after yesterday to 4 plus but nought b4 8+. Why won't ammonia go away?
Disregard now see post today 3-20. Just saw message
If I am reading your post correctly, you are experiencing high ammonia in a fish tank without fish? Even after multiple large % water changes?
It can only mean one thing, something is rotting in your aquarium. Either a dead fish, or some leftover fish food or too much fish poo. Or something else organic. You must use an aquarium vacuum to suck up as much debris as possible from the bottom of the fish tank when you do a water change.
The "bacteria boom" was not the cause, but rather an after effect when the cycle had been crushed or at least it entered a mini-cycle because too much ammonia was produced, and the good bacteria colony in the filter media was not enough to handle it. So bacteria multiplies to meet the "demand" of ammonia production. What you need to fix isn't the bacteria boom itself, but rather to get the tank fully cycled again, or get rid of whatever is producing the enormous amount of ammonia in there (without the fish?)
