What is ammonia in my tank? how do i get rid of it?

Question

my gold fish, i have just noticed has a few large black patches on its fins. i only got the tank a few days ago and i have several other fish.....i seperated the one with the black patches... i have looked on the net and all i can seem to find out is that it is probably because of the ammonia levels? i dont even know what it is or how its created? i just used normal tap water when i first filled the tank but i did use water conditioner. i have water plants and a filter?

please help

also, is it contagios to my other fish? i want to put him back in the big tank cause he looks really lonely=[

Answer 1

ammonia is a sickness that get when the tank is dirty like when the cloudy water come you got to clean it or get one of those gold myserty snail. The best choice is to get a snail because then can prevent it from ever coming. GOOD LUCK

Answer 2

Do more research on the nitrogen cycle and don't add any more fish.  Ammonia isn't 'contagious' but as it is in the water all of your fish will be affected in some way.  Try using Seachem Prime as a water conditioner, it detoxifies ammonia.  Make sure you get a full test kit and keep testing your water and make sure you do water changes every day, or every other day.  

Answer 3

The first thing I would do is get my water tested.  I had an ammonia spike because I was overfeeding my fish.  I way that I lowered it was I did 20% water changes every day for about a week.  Make sure you use water conditioner.  You need to fix it ASAP.  This will kill your fish.  You should probably get a water test kit.  Goldfish have more waste than a lot of fish ammonia is caused by waste in a tank. example excess food in tank, fish waste.  If your tank is new it could be trying to cycle.  Your ammonia will spike and then usually the nitrites will spike.  If it is an ammonia problem it is a problem with the water not the fish so your other fish are in danger.  My fish were at the top gasping for air when I had high ammonia levels.        

Answer 4

over feeding and not doing a watercahnge will cause ammonia, also if the tank was previously used as a cage for a rodent or any kind of animal that peed in it. the pee would have soaked in to the seals and no matter how much you cleaned it it will cause chronic ammonia and the only thing you could is reseal it. gold fish are dirty fish meaning the p**p allot so that would cause it to..  also since it is a new tank meaning new water you should check out the cycling process of a tank. its to complicated to explane  so here it is

http://www.bestfish.com/breakin.html      good luck hope i was of some help!

Answer 5

Have a read of the page below. It explains the Ammonia and the biological cycle you need to get rid of it.

As an emergency measure, do large partial water changes. That way you tip most of the Ammonia down the sink, and top up the tank with fresh water. But the long term fix is to get the tanks filters working properly.

All fish (and other living things) produce ammonia. We pee ours down the toilet, but the fish just dump their in the tank and if you cant process or remove it, then it builds up and kills your fish.

Ian

Answer 6

amonia comes from fish waste that builds up and from food that is not eaten and falls to the bottom and contaminates the water which can make your fish sick.  try not to feed your fish more than it will eat. but dont worry you fish is not sick and its not contagious(put him back with his buddies). black patches just means your fish is recovering from all the handling it just went through. you should clean you tank as required, keeping an under gravel filter should help you not have to do whole tank cleaning so often.  a cleaning fish will help too( like an algae eater).  you should condition the water and  keep a temp of 60-70.