HELP!!!! my water is horrible

ok so i committed the ultimate no-no, i medicated my main tank.....it was a desperation move to save my porky. He had ich and 2 of my other fish got it so i put the tank salinty very low, 1.015, well the ich went away but he got a bacterial infection and after discussion with my LFS decided if i moved him he'd probably die........so i dosed EM. the infection cleared up but he died anyway.

So im testing water ever other day and ammonia is climbing, im well over 8 now, tried not feeding the other fish, ammo-lock, water changes, prime, buffer, cycle, NOTHING is working. The only fish still in there are my humu trigger a 3 stripe damsel and a blue velvet damsel, none of them are breathing hard but they dont want to eat, my nitrite is a 0, nitrate is 30, ph is 8.2

What am i missing someone please help,

 

water changes, water changes, water changes! 60 gal tank? do 20 gal change then wait 2 days and do another(IMO of course)

 

yeah im thinking that, although now i will ask you guys b4 i ask the kids at LFS about issues, and i have since gone to a new LFS that is much much better, i guess ill increase amount of water change, been doing 5 gal every other day, will go to 20 and try that

 

Im sorry for your loss (Change that water)

 

yep increase the amt. 5 gal everyother day on a 60 gal isn't very much to begin with for a normal water change. I'd do 15 everything I changed it. 5 isn't really doing much.

 

i know its not a lot but i was trying to let the bacteria grow again, i normally do 10 gal at a time. Was told bene bacteria should grow back in a week, YEAH RIGHT.

BTW i have been seeing a lot of bristle worms in the past week, is this cuz im not feeding the tank and they are coming out more or what????,

 

Water changes stink for me I add 5gal every 2 days just to ajust my sump. I buy salt by the bucked.

 

I agree water changes are the best way
however if you still want extra protection there is a product called prime by seachem it will make your ammonia, nitrate, nitrite non-toxic to the fish but the normal bacteria can still use it, so it wont slow the new cycle down

it works when i was young and foolish i used to use this product to keep 8 comet goldfish(3 inches each) in a ten gallon tank. i don't recommend this method but certain cirumstances left me with out a proper sized tank and i was to cheap to buy another one in high school.

 

How old is this tank? I doubt it's that stocked if it's cycling... it must be a few months at least?
Water changes won't remove bacteria, because it grows on the surface of the rock, sand, etc, not in the water column. Water changes should dilute the ammonia though as gras and others above have said.