Has anyone used Ex Amon?

[Melsy]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has heard of or used a product called Ex-Amon?
This is the only link I could find on it..

http://www.guppysaquariumproducts.com.au/filter-material/x3-ex-amon/prod_289.html

Im still having some ammonia issues as my good bacteria builds up, and the daily water changes just never reduce it low enough for me to be happy. A discus store owner told me this is a good 'media like' product to add to my filter.

Does anyone have any experience with it, not looking for a quick fix on my ammonia problem, but any help with it would be good!
:ug
Mel

[zar]

It's not really clear if you've cycled your tank yet or not? Is your bacteria building up still, i.e. are you cycling your tank? If it is let it build up :-)
Usually your filter should be capable of handling your ammonia build ups, the waterchanges people generally do are there to remove nitrates mostly or grow out fish.
Could you be somehow constantly killing your good bacteria, I've heard of people doing taht by rinsing their filter sponges in tap water and the chlorine killing their filtration bacteria in that way, not sure if it's a myth or not. Maybe you can also reduce feeding.
I understand that the fish store owner would love to sell you a product to control your ammonia but that's what your filter should do....

[Melsy]

Hi thanks for your reply Zar. Im not really sure why ithe ammonia is still always so high...I am doing daily water changes of anywhere from 30-60%, I know I have to wear this becuase I didnt take the time to cycle my filter due to some bad advice from discus seller. But the tank has now been in operation since mid march, so about 2 and a half months.

I do wonder if I am somehow killing my good bacteria without even realising it, I have only cleaned out my fliter with water from the tank, not from the tap. Could not ageing my water be the problem, I add seachem prime to tap water, and get the water at a temp about the same as tank, then just put it straight in. I'd hoped maybe the ex amon would just releive a little bit of the stress for me.. and my fish!!

[ILLUSN]

if your doing big daily changes it will take 3-6 months for your filter to mature

[Melsy]

Thanks Illusn, I guess the daily water changes will continue for some time then. My first water bill since getting my tank was insane! It was almost double!! :shock: :lol:

One question, I was adding seachem stability, which the day after adding made the water look spectacularly clean, but with daily water changes I was going through a bottle a week, is it beneficial that I continue with the Stability?

[ILLUSN]

not really, i wouldn't be adding anything except prime, if you can get some mature filter media you could have your cycle done in a week you wouldn't need more than a handfull.