Ammonia Alert color

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ReefHog

ReefHog

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Ive had my quarantine set up for one week now. When I put my Ammonia Alert badge in it was closer to the green than any other color from the start. I figured I’d give it some time to stabilize but it never did. It’s the exact color from day one. I have seen these in other tanks definitely yellow. I saw some posts regarding this so I looked at it with light behind it. See below. First one is in the tank. (Actually looks greener in person) It does look closer to yellow with light behind it. But it was out of water. Yesterday my long nose hawk stopped eating and is just laying around. I know they do that (I’ve had him for three years) but he’s definitely having a hard time. I changed a 1/3 of the water today as a precaution and will do another 1/3 tomorrow. I made sure CP was dosed to make up water before adding it. Thoughts on my Amonia badge. Normal? Bad one?
72557736-FFDB-4E17-88D7-9B454B511B58.jpeg D47F7985-B9A0-4DB3-98E6-4544A6129FA2.jpeg C7B49681-9608-4528-8D44-5DAB89B024ED.jpeg
 
Deltec
Had my best success by letting a QT cycle for at least a month. I know it's a long time. But by letting it go through the entire ammonia + nitrite + nitrate cycle and then doing water changes to remove the excess nitrates works well.

And also use a HOB with the foam filter and a bag of ceramic media (BioMax) in the HOB that either have been soaking for a day or two in BioSpira or soaking in my DT sump for a month, works great. And I also use a foam bubble filter with the foam treated the same as the HOB foam.

Never have any ammonia problems in the QT since doing these steps. I'll do a weekly water change just for keep the water fresh and siphoning the bottom for debris, not because of ammonia problems. Hope this helps a bit.
 
None of those pictures seem anything to panic about to me. Keep up on your water changes and keep detritus and excess food to a minimum - as @Big G mentioned.

If you QT often or are really worried, I would suggest picking up a SenEye. They take the guesswork of color matching out of the situation and just give you a number - and with the web server; an alarm! I still use the badge as a backup and visual check, but the greenish tinge results in a SenEye check - not a panic attack.
 
Orphek OR3 reef aquarium LED bar
I put filter sponge from my nano reef in the penguin bio-wheel hob filter. The sponge has been the nano for two years. I also added some API Quick Start on day one for some extra measure. The fact that it hasn't changed from beginning makes me feel better but only if it's working. I'll continue to change 1/3 twice a week.
 
I set mine up and used bio-spira, I put a piece of sponge in a tray let the biospira soak while I set up the qt with hob filter and put the fish right in. Mine stays yellow but I do a 25% WC every four days no matter what. I have two wrasses in a 20G
 
Orphek OR3 reef aquarium LED bar
3.5” niger trigger, small file fish and small/medium long nose hawk in 20 gallon. All were eating mysis and flake for 4 days. Hawk quit eating Wednesday. I only feedcwhat they eat in first minute or so. Mysis once a day and flake once a day.
 
Never looked like that. Not even with freshly mixed saltwater. I think I’ll go buy another one tomorrow and see if I get the same results.
 
ReefHog said:
Never looked like that. Not even with freshly mixed saltwater. I think I’ll go buy another one tomorrow and see if I get the same results.
Click to expand...
Mine looked like your picture until I used biospira. I tried to use a sponge from an stabilished tank and seachem but it was always green, maybe there is a little bit of ammonia or the badge is defective ,this is why I use two.
 
I put a jawfish and a flasher in a 15G QT 2 weeks ago in QT I had used for full prophylactic treatment for an individual small fish just previously.

After 4 days the badge turned green alert. I did two 25% WC''s, added 1/2 a small bottle of Biospira and 8 hours later, the badge was full yellow/safe.

Cleaning the HOB sponge often is also critically important. Also, if you bleach the badge, I think it ruins them
 
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I ordered a new badge but wont be here till tomorrow night. In mean time I did another 1/3 water change and gave hawkfish a 30 minute bath in methylene blue as he seems to be affected the most. Can I dose some prime? Would prime affect anything in a negative way? Also, I have API quick start, Tim's one and only and Seachem Stability on hand. Ordered some BioSpira but won't be here till tomorrow evening with the new badge. I will clean filter sponge in tank water and replace. Should I soak sponge in tank water with some Quick Start, Tim's or Stability before returning it to hob filter?
 
Deltec
ReefHog said:
I ordered a new badge but wont be here till tomorrow night. In mean time I did another 1/3 water change and gave hawkfish a 30 minute bath in methylene blue as he seems to be affected the most. Can I dose some prime? Would prime affect anything in a negative way? Also, I have API quick start, Tim's one and only and Seachem Stability on hand. Ordered some BioSpira but won't be here till tomorrow evening with the new badge. I will clean filter sponge in tank water and replace. Should I soak sponge in tank water with some Quick Start, Tim's or Stability before returning it to hob filter?
Click to expand...
Are you treating them with chloroquine phosphate or copper powder? if you are using chloroquine phosphate then you can use prime. soak the sponges in biospira.
 
Petco carries Biospira. Don not mix Prime with ANY meds.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Pretty sure CP and Seachem Prime are ok together. In an any case, Changed 2/3 of the water today and yesterday and no change in the ammonia badge. Frustrating not being able to test for ammonia or CP. ugh
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Got bio Spira and soaked filter sponge in 16oz cup with tank water and bio Spira for a few minutes. Then put sponge back in hob and poured rest in hob filter to be despersed. Off to work. Keep my fingers crossed hawk is still hanging in there when I get home tonight. Trigger and filefish still eating and don’t look bad.
 
Follow up. All remaining fish made it through hospital/Quarantine fine and look good. Trigger is somewhat reclusive, hanging around his hiding spot, but comes out to eat (small amounts) and I catch his swimming around when i'm not in the room. He is the lone survivor of the 10 fish that were on deaths door affected by the velvet. He does have some minor fin damage but still looks good and fat. As far as the ammonia badge goes, the first one I bought is still closer to green even though it's been out of water for two weeks. It does turn blue when held near Windex. The second one I bought was yellow from day one and stayed that way throughout hospital/quarantine.
 

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