Mysterywriter221

When I do water changes the ammonia levels in my tank increase. Some of my fish are turning black which someone on this site said may be caused by ammonia.
Should I use ammonia removing tablets or do something else?

Ghostfish

That sounds like a fairly odd issue. It could be that you are stirring up waste in your substrate as you pour in the new water. You may need to clean it.

sirdarksol

Check your dechlorinator and ammonia test and make sure that they are compatible. Certain test/dechlor combos give false readings.
Ghostfish has another good idea. How often do you gravel vac?
Have you tested your water source? Some water has ammonia in it to begin with. Not a good thing, but it happens. If it's too high, you may want to talk to your city about it, because it's not healthy for you, either.

Mysterywriter221

I gravel vac everytime I change water.

I don't use a dechlorinator. I have well water so there is no chlorine in my water. I'll go test my water source now.

Slug

You probably have ammonia in your water source, its pretty common, though uncommon for well water. I have it in my tap water. Prime dechlor works wonders. It neutralizes any ammonia as well as dechlorinates the water.

Birdo

A thing to remember about the the ammo-lock solution is that, though it converts ammonia to a harmless solution, it also may affect the readings of your ammonia level. in other words if you use it, then test it, the tests will still indicate there is ammonia in your tank.

I would use a solution to dissapate the ammonia in this type of emmergency to help out your fish temporarily. However, I would get down to the bottom of why your ammonia levels which are increasing instead of decreasing.

Some suggestions and questions for you:
Is your tank cycling? It is natural for the ammonia level to spike, just keep doing the water changes as it cycles. I do 50% a day. I am currently cycling my tank. Right now even after I change my tank my nitrates are still the same, I believe...because it is still cycling.

Yours could be doing a mini cycle? Did you add any more fish during the cycle if you are cycling? If this is true, then you might have to redo the cycle!

How much and how often do you change your water?

Is your tank overstocked? rule with small fish is 1 inch of body of the fish (excluding the tail) per gallon. However, sometimes according to activity level of the fish, this is not true. I am not in anyway experienced with large fish and stocking them though.

What kind of fish do you have? If you are cycling your tank you should use hardy fish...but usually try to do a fishless cycle which would be better for fish. Dwarf Gouramis have been known to have the iridovirus which have similar symptoms you are explaining and has nothing to do with the owner. They become listless and turn dark then die. Do you have these fish? It might be a possibility?

Do you overfeed your fish? The fish's stomach is about as big as it's eye in most cases so only a couple flakes of fish would suffice. If you overfeed the ammonia level will rise.

Is there any other kind of stress the fish would be experiencing, which would lower their immune system and make them more susceptible to illness such as a tank being in a loud area where children are playing? High temperature, low temperature?

I like to use freshwater aquarium salt as a preventative for fish illness, and so far it has worked well for my livebearers, though I am not sure what fish you have and how it affects them.

Also, I learned from Chief Waterchanger on here that adding 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of garlic per 10g may help fish diseases. If you want to ask him about it I'm sure he will be happy to help! Also if you add salt to the water sometimes it helps with ICH. I don't know the exact formula, but there is an article on this site I came across that might be of interest to you if you search the website...actually I believe it was in a forum in here...I saw it on the top of my screen today and clicked on it but didn't read it thoroughly. I am a beginner like you, but I hope this helps! Good luck and let me know how it goes! Anyone else here that is an expert is very welcome to criticize my advice. So please chime in! Thanks!

Oh wow, before I even got to write this in, other people wrote in haha!

Mysterywriter221

My water (out of my sink) tests between stress and harmful. I've been using the Jungle Quick Dip Ammonia test.

I'll try to get Prime Dechlor but I haven't seen it anywhere. Right now I have Jungle Ammonia Clear Tank Buddies. Is that a suitable replacement?

Birdo

Oh ok it happens immediately right after you change the water..sorry I misunderstood. I like the Jungle products they seem to work Ok, however, I only used their medicines not the ammonia clear tank buddy stuff. So I can't be able to definitively tell you an answer on the tank buddy solution. Sorry!

Mysterywriter221

I honestly don't know what cycling is.

My fish just survived ick and the instructions on the medication said that the carbon filter in the filter needed to be removed during treatment. It is back in now.

I haven't added any new fish to my tank in 6 months.

Ghostfish

That is pretty high ammonia levels for striaght out of the tap. You probably would want that looked into. Since you are on well water, I'm guessing you are in a rural area. That likely means you have a septic tank. There could be an issue with your septic tank and you are getting runoff into your well water. Thats likely the worst case scenario. The ammonia of course could come from other areas as well.

sirdarksol

If there is a significant amount of ammonia in your water, you may want to consider getting an in-line filter made to remove ammonia.

http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
For cycling, check this out. If your tank has been set up for awhile (I can't remember how old you said it was in the other thread), it likely has gone through the cycle (which is simply the buildup of the nitrifying bacteria that turn ammonia into nitrites into nitrates).

Mysterywriter221

I'm hoping it comes from other areas. The septic hasn't had any noticeable problems recently.

A sewer system doesn't work well with well water.

I've had my tank set up for about 2 years.

Mysterywriter221

My tank doesn't have any living plants in it. All are artificial.

Birdo

If you don't know what cycling is, that could be your problem with the ammonia, your tank might not have fully cycled. In order for a tank to become balanced it needs to go through a nitrogen cycle. First the ammonia levels will spike in the first 1-2 weeks of setting up the tank, and you keep doing 50% water changes, then the nitrites will spike, and you continue to do 50% water changes, and then the nitrates should form. Nitrates are fairly harmless to fish but should not be in excess of +25 level. In order to cycle a tank you either can do it fishless, by adding fish food flakes to an empty tank, or with an ammonia solution (I reccommend this because it is not as hard on the fish) or you can do it with 1 or 2 hardy fish. I will try and paste a link on tank cycling on here for you.

The process can take a while a month and a half or so, everyone's water/tank is different could take longer or shorter time to do. If you haven't cycled your tank it could be part of the problem of why your fish are stressed. However, from what everyone else is saying and your water readings before you do the tank changes, it does sound like perhaps your water may be the problem.

Ghostfish

There would have had to been a puncture in your septic tank or it would have to overflow for it to happen. I have heard of it happening before. I grew up in rural WVa and there were times when it became an issue. Usually it would be because of heavy rains causing systems to overflow or just old tanks leaking.

At the same time, my parents water has levels of ammonia in it as well. I never noticed the odor growing up because I was accustomed to it. After leaving and coming back to visit, I cannot even drink their water. I believe theirs is caused by water runoff from the mountains. Mom never did have any luck with keeping fish in it either.

Mysterywriter221

Really? I can't drink most city water.

I think it would be run off if it is anything.

Birdo

Hmm, haven't added fish for 6 months...and no plants in there, then yeah your cycle is probably complete. What are your nitrite readings and pH and the like? How long have you had the tank and how many fish are in it and what's its size? is it the one that is 20 g 2 years old with the goldfish in it or do you have another tank?

Shawnie

You could be getting false readings as the test strips are unreliable...id invest in an ammonia liquid kit just to curb your suspisions..but id really get the API master liquid test kit so you can test for everything! goodluck!