[Sookie Landar]

I have a 55 gallon tank. Its been up and running for about a year and 7 months years now.
But here lately I have been having some troubles with it. It keeps getting cloudy and my ammonia levels are high. I was told to add moss balls to my tank and do a 30% water change, so I did. I still keep losing fish, My tank is still cloudy and my ammonia levels are still high.

I have 2 AquaTechPower Filter 30-60, a 200 watt heater, and bubble wall.

Any advice to help me clear up my tank and lower the ammonia levels will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance!

[odinn7]

Do you have too many fish?
How is the PH level?
Has anything changed recently?

This is a very informative page that should help you:
About.com.

[Sookie Landar]

I have 6 Skirt Tetra, 4 Lamp Eye Tetra and 1 Plecostomus. About how many fish can I have in the 55 gallon. Do I have to many now? The PH levels are good. The only thing different I have done recently was added a cave from the pet store. Could that be my problem?

[ITstudent2006]

Well the first thing to trouble-shoot increasing/decreasing levels is to identify what has changed. Since you have recently put in something new, I would take it out.

Have you ruled out any diseases? How do the fish look once you take them out after dying?

I have a 45g Pentagon Corner with 3 New World Cichlids and 1 Pleco. I was always under the impression that 1" of fish per gallon of water was a safe rule. Not sure the sizes of yours but you have 12 in that tank.

Any mating pairs?

[odinn7]

Now wait... you added a cave recently... Did the problem start shortly after that?

I had a tank going real well for years and bought something, washed it off, and added it. A day later I was having problems with the water. I removed it and the problem cleared up. I soaked it in a bucket of water for a week then washed it off with clean hot water. It seemed to be good then.

Maybe try removing that cave and see how it goes.