Please Help Me Understand Water Changes

[kll1221]

I am having trouble with ammonia. I have a 55 gallon tank that has been running 7-8 weeks. I unfortunately did the cycle with fish. Right now I have 10 danios, 5 spotted corys, 2 ottos and 3 dalmation mollies and about 5 fry just in the big tank.

I tested ammonia a few days ago and it was high green like 4 did a 45% water change still read high. next day did a 25% change and was a bit lower and now today 3 days later did another 50% wc and it is at a 2 now. Should my tank been cycled already? I thought it was otherwise I wouldn't have added the mollies. The fish today seem fine not showing any signs of stress. Could my test kit provide false readings? I am using the liquid drops. My tap water has 0 ammonia. Thanks.

 

[Lotus]

If you did a control test with tapwater, I would assume your kit isn't giving a false reading. What was the ammonia level before you added the mollies? Have you done a large cleanout of a filter recently? What is your nitrite level?

It sounds to me like your tank hasn't finished cycling, or is re-cycling.

 

[kll1221]

Before I added the Mollies it was yellow and the nitrates/nitrites read white or clear on the test strips everything was where I thought it should have been. Now the only difference is I am using the liquid for ammonia as before was a strip.

No I haven't cleaned out the filter, should I? I thought I was suppose to leave that alone. The nitrite level was white on the strip

 

[Lotus]

No, don't clean your filter out until all your readings are where they should be (ammonia and nitrite at zero).

It's possible the new fish sent the tank into a small cycle. The fry will also be adding to the bioload. I would keep up with the water changes, and try to keep the ammonia under 1ppm until things have settled down in the tank.

You might also want to think about whether you're feeding too much. I would only feed once a day until your water is under control.

 

[kll1221]

Ok cool I guess I did something right LoL. The fry were unexpected I guess I didn't realize how fast and easy Mollies breed. They are lose in the tank with the others but I think they are going to make it the danios enjoy chasing them around and I don't think they can fit in their mouths and the mollies are "protecting" them, I thought they ate them *shrug* I would catch them to put in a seperate net but I can't catch them, I did have one in a seperate net but he escaped during a water change. I guess really all I can do is wc,wc until the ammonia is figured out.