what is wrong with my tank? help!!!!

[bunk97]

I have been haveing problems with my tank. it is about 2 months old it was fully cylcled according to the test kit 3 weeks after I set it up by useing nitromax, established crushed coral and other bacteria start ups. the tank was doing good for a while then one day I noticed that my fluval 404 was unplugged (all bio media) I cleaned it out with aquarium water and added a eheim wet/dry from one of my other established tanks and a emporer 400 also established ever since the ammonia has been sky high at first I was told to do water changes so I did. It lowered it for a day or so then slowly went all the way back up off the color chart. then i was told that since i was showing a little bit of nitrite and nitrate was at about 40 that it is possible that it is not cycled either due to the filters or it never fully cycled properly. so I do not know what to do. Water changes or let it go and see. I have been testing for the last week and the ammonia is still off the charts the nitrites are at zero the nitrates are at 20. again water changes to lower or wait to see if it cycles? I think that the tank is cycled already due to all the filter changes and problems that it has caused a huge ammonia spike and I should do water changes to lower but I don't want to do that if it is not cycled then it will just take longer. please help somebody! I would so much appreciate and be in debt to you for ever.
i have been loosing fish left and right due to this problem and ich the ich I am working on but this I don't know what to do
humahuma

 

[wamp]

Well, you have several problems at one time.. I know how that sucks. First. Take some water to the LFS and have them validate them for you. Your test kit could be wrong.
If you have ammonia, you need to remove some fish. If not, they will continue too add waste and your filter is not established to handle that amount right now. The whole point of a cycle is to slowly bring the amount of bacteria to the level of waste. If your waste exceeds the amount of bacteria you have, it will continue to cycle.
Water changes are the right thing to do in this case. It will be the only way to get yor ammonia levels down fast, but they will climb back up. You have to let the tank cycle slowly. Even if your test kits read all 0 it is still cycling. It has established to that level of waste but when you add more, it will go up again. The key is too go slow.
Have your water tested, remove some fish, do another water change, start your cycle over.