Tank cycling ammonia levels 2ppm please help!

Hi

As the title suggests my tank is currently cycling. The ammonia level is 2ppm I am doing daily water changes about 25% and adding quick start and stress coat on every change. I also have ammo lock, is it ok to add this on every change as well. I have read conflicting information on ammo lock but I am satisfied that it will not affect the tank cycling. I have lost two guppies in the last two days which I'm really sad about I have tried so hard to keep them all alive. Can anyone offer me advice on water changes and ammo lock. I am doing apI water testing, the levels are also showing 0.25ppm nitrite and 0.25ppm nitrate.

thanks

 

HI Donna and welcome to Fishlore.
Try changing at least 50 to 75% of the water daily. That should help get the ammonia down as long as there isn't any in the water you are replacing it with.

 

Get yourself a bottle of Seachem Prime and Seachem Stability and follow the instructions on the bottle. This will help you establish your bio-filter in a quicker amount of time. The Prime will detoxify your ammonia and nitrite till your filter can metabolize them.

 

Good point, Dom.
Prime will replace all of those extra chemicals you are putting in your tank.

 

I'm using API quick start, stress zyme and ammo lock which I believe are the equivalent products of the seachem ones. I haven't seen the seachem products here in Oz. I am doing daily water changes, I've done 2 today and my ammonia level is not changing, I think I'm going to lose guppy number 3, why isn't the level dropping?

 

I'm using API quick start, stress zyme and ammo lock which I believe are the equivalent products of the seachem ones. I haven't seen the seachem products here in Oz. I am doing daily water changes, I've done 2 today and my ammonia level is not changing, I think I'm going to lose guppy number 3, why isn't the level dropping?

They might be the equivalent but they don't do the job like Prime and Stability do. If you can't find those then try looking for Tetra Safestart and if no luck maybe try online.

 

Are you changing 50% to 75% of the water daily?
Is there any ammonia in the water you are adding to the tank?
Are you using strips or a liquid test kit to test your water?

 

I've checked my water and there is no ammonia, I am using the API test strips. I have tracked down seachem today so I have purchased prime and stability.

 

You should also get a liquid test kit. The strips are very unreliable. There is a good chance that you are getting false readings.

 

Sorry I have no idea why I wrote I'm using strips!! I use the apI water testing kit with the test tube bottles. So I'm now using prime and stability the guppies appear happy but both have red gills I'm doing 50% water changes and yet my ammonia is now toward 8ppm I have tested my house water which is 0 on the cold tap and 0.25 on the hot tap. I am at a loss, can anyone offer any further help please

 

I am not familiar with ammonia getting so high with daily 50% water changes. At this point, large water changes and Prime is all you can do. How large is the tank and how many of what kind of fish do you have in it?