ammonia in the tank for 2 weeks

Question
Hi Brian,
I have a new 10 gallons tank. I kept it with no fish for about a month, mostly because some wood ornaments colored the water. After a month I took them out of the tank. After a partial water change, I introduced 2 dwarf gouramis. After another week, 3 platties;(I understand now it was to soon). The water became cloudy, I did some tests to find high levels of ammonia. I used ammolock (advise from the fish store) every other day, changed 25% of water daily, reduced food, and after 2 weeks I am at the same levels. Some people recommend to add bacteria, some don't. What should I do? I don't want the fish to be harmed.
I forgot to mention that there are no real plants in this tank.
Thank you for help,
Mirela

Answer
Hello Mirela:  you are suffering from new tank syndrome... the cloudy water is due to the water trying to balance itself out.  You can add a bacterial product called cycle to the tank and that will help the water to clear... however we are going to need to find out what is causing the high levels of ammonia... do you vacuum your gravel or clean it???  I would start with a good cleaning of your gravel... you can purchase a small gravel vacuum at the local aquarium for about $12... these tools are indispensable... you can add plants to your tank if you'd like to.... but clean your gravel, do a 20 percent water change, add the cycle product, and wait a day and test your water... feed your fish twice a day only what they will eat in about 3 minutes.... let me know how this works for you and by all means keep me up-dated on your ammonia levels.... dave