What do I need to do to get rid of ammonia poisoning?

Question

There has to be something wrong with the water in my tank,I keep losing my guppies,after reading about ammonia poisoning this must be the reason,they have their fin frayed or nipped

Answer 1

To be 100% sure that the problem is ammonia, you should get an ammonia test kit to test your tank water.  Frayed and nipped fins can be caused by many different things including aggression, bacterial, and fungal infections.  If you don't have any test kits, you should probably get a nitrite and nitrate test kit as well.  

If your ammonia is above 0 ppm either your tank has not cycled completely or your biological filter is being overloaded by too many fish or overfeeding.  To remedy high ammonia, perform a partial water change (about 30% if the ammonia is very high) and cut back on feeding until you see the ammonia fall.  Pet stores offer products such as AMMO-LOCK which turn toxic ammonia into none toxic ammonia.  These products only cover up the problem, not fix it.  While AMMO-LOCK is helpful in emergency situations, you will still need to perform a partial water change and fix the root of the ammonia problem whether it be allowing the tank to finish cycling, removing fish due to overstocking, or cutting back on feeding.

A nitrite level of above 0 ppm could also mean your tank has not cycled completely OR you've been cleaning the gravel too vigorously AND/OR you've been cleaning the filter media with tap water.  Over cleaning the gravel and cleaning the filter media with tap water will kill the beneficial bacteria that eat both ammonia and nitrite.  To remedy high nitrites, perform a partial water change.

If your nitrates are above 40 ppm, you need to perform a partial water change as well.  The only way to get nitrates out is to physically take them out.  High nitrates can lead to stress which can lead to bacterial or fungal fin rot.  

You said your guppies have frayed and nipped fins, which is a classic sign of fin rot.  If, in testing your water, you find that your ammonia level is 0 ppm, you can be sure that your guppies have fin rot.  You can purchase medicine for fin rot from your local pet store.  It is hard to tell the difference between bacterial and fungal fin rot.  Usually fungal fin rot leaves a fuzzy border where the fin is frayed and bacterial fin rot leaves just a ragged edge.  Bacterial and fungal fin rot require separate medications, although now (I haven't shopped for medication in a long time) the store may offer a medicine that treats both types.

Remember, most fish diseases can be avoided by clean water.  Keep up on those partials!  Good luck!

Answer 2

Yes, this is a common effect of ammonia poisoning.  What you need to do is cycle your tank.  Please read about cycling on this site here:

http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php