On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 13:42:05 -0700, JGW wrote:

Two bottle. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. The literature says the test
will still show positive even when the ammonia is inactivated.

Not according to what I've been taught and have personally experienced.
I've tested, found ammonia, treated with Chloram-X, retested after a few
hours, and no ammonia. The ammonia in the converted form is still available
to the filter to complete its cycle.

So
when I treat again, I figure I have to treat for the difference
between the last reading and the current reading.

If you're showing ammonia, you need to treat for whatever ppm the test is
showing. When was your test kit manufactured? There is a Lot number, on
each bottle, top of front label. The last 2 numbers are the month & year.

The vet did rule out parasites. As for the primary cause, we had an
exterminator to the house a few days previously. It wasn't a windy
day, and he only sprayed the perimeter of the house, which is maybe 10
feet or more from the tank. But perhaps some got in there, weakened
the fish, and then they got sick. The timing worked out in a
suspicious wat, and the vet thinks that is what happened.

That could have killed your filter also. What was he spraying for? ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~