Ammonia isnt right.

Question
So I have a 45G tank that is heavily planted and has been set up for over a year.  My pH is at 5.8-6.0  and ammonia is through the roof!  I have more than enough filtration and current in the water.  It has been like this for months and i have been doing weekly water changes and I also cleaned out my filters using the same water.  The ammonia hasn't even budged and my pH has gone up but the city water i use isn't any higher than 6.0so it stays around there.  I used buffers and ammonia removers and still nothing happened!  The odd thing is that my fish are completely fine.  They all eat and act perfectly normal and no one seems to be worried but me.  So I'm running out of ideas of how to fix the problem.

Any words of advice?
Thanks!
Mike

Answer
Hi Mike,

Something has caused the tank to come uncycled.  Have you changed out gravel, filters?  Are you overstocked?  Overfeeding?  Were their any fish that died that you never 'found'?  I really do need to know what kinds of fish you have, how many, and what kind of filter you have.  Disposable cartridges?  How old is the filter?

If the fish can stand it (this is partly why I'd like to know what they are) turn the temp down as low as they can stand it.  This makes the ammonia less toxic.

Have you tested your water straight from the tap?  Sometimes water will contain ammonia right out of the tap.  What is your tank ammonia reading?  What about nitrite and nitrate?  This will give us a clue as to whether it's converting at all.

What test kit are you using?  Some reagents in certain test kits aren't compatible with ammonia buffers and chemicals and will give you false readings.  And strips are garbage and horribly inaccurate.  I always recommend API's Freshwater Master Test Liquid Drop Kit.

For now until I have more info, turn the temp down as low as the fish can stand.  Do 25% water changes daily and double dose the Seachem's Prime.  Use this and NOTHING ELSE.  No other water conditioners and no other kind of ammonia removing chemicals.  Nothing removes ammonia except for water changes.  You have to be careful because excessive water changes will stress fish so do them carefully but the ammonia will kill them so you have no choice.

Good luck : ) April M.