JB wrote:


I just did a 25% Water change, and while doing so I noticed my filter
was pretty dirty but not clogged, so changed that as well..

This is the second or third time I've noticed you mention that you have
changed your filter....are you putting in new sponges? If yes, then this
is absolutely the worst thing that you could be doing.....the bacteria
that make up the nitrogen cycle live in your filter medium....now if it
gets clogged all you should be doing is gently rinsing the sponges in
water removed from your tank (tap water is a big no, no as the chlorine
can/will kill off the bacteria).....

Please read the following link on cycling a tank:-

http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html


Now I've
noticed the I guess dust balls randonly in my tank that are wrapped
around bits of food... What should I do about that??.. I appreciate
all of your advice...


This is decaying food (I agree with the other bloke).....your fish are
being overfed and it is this that is giving you the issues with trapped
gunk turning into Hydrogen Sulphide in your gravel and your rise in
ammonia/nitrites......I would stop feeding for a day or two....then just
feed a small amount every other day until things settle....

Products such as Cycle or also Amquel may allieviate things but the key
is to get to the root cause of the problem - it could be plainly that
the tank hasn't cycled yet, overfeeding, or over zealous cleaning that
is killing off your beneficial bacteria....

Gill