What wipes bacteria other than throwing away filter too soon?

[MetiSeifu]

Does changing water 50% everyday to level Ammonia level hurt Bacteria as well?

We have been changing water everyday for more than 2 weeks and ammonia level is still almost toxic. Adding bacteria doesn't seem to help. Nothing seems to convert ammonia to nitrite or nitrate [or however it supposed to work] in the tank. It feels like the best option is to just let the fish die and start a new. But there is a young platy who made it thus far, whose dad died a month or so ago. I really like that other fish and would do anything to help Nemo survive. We just don't know what else to do.

P.S. I know people are dying in thousands out there. But this is getting really frustrating and depressing.

 

[Byron]

You will need to provide us with more detail/background. Though I seem to recall something about this from an older thread...? What are your parameters (GH, pH)? Are they adding chloramine to your water?

 

[Colin_T]

The basic filter cycle.

Fish food and waste, dead plant and dead fish produce ammonia. After a couple of weeks you get some good bacteria that start to grow in the filter and convert the ammonia into nitrite. A few weeks after that you get more good bacteria that convert the nitrite into nitrate. You get rid of nitrates with water changes.

On average it takes 4-6 weeks for an aquarium to cycle, sometimes longer.

Make sure the pH is close to 7.0.
Have the temperature between 22-30C.
Have lots of aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels.

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Don't clean the filter for the first 8 weeks unless you absolutely have to. If you clean the filter before the good bacteria have established, you can cause the cycle to start again.
Don't replace filter media/ materials either because these house the good bacteria and if you replace the media, you get rid of the bacteria and the cycle has to start again.

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When you clean the filter, get a bucket of tank water and squeeze the filter media in the bucket of tank water. Then put the media in the tank. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn.
Wash the filter case and impellor unit under tap water.
When it's clean, put the media back in the filter and set the filter up. Fill it with water, plug it in and turn it on.

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How long has the tank been set up for?
What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?

Only feed the fish once every second day until the tank has cycled.
Keep doing water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate to help reduce the ammonia.

Does changing water 50% everyday to level Ammonia level hurt Bacteria as well?

As for the question, no, changing water does not harm beneficial filter bacteria as long as the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.