AMMONIA ALWAYS 0.2 ..??

[brettdyer80]

Hi Reefers,

Sorry for a lame post which has probably been asked many times...

I'm baffled by my test results in my new cycled or cycling tank..? I have a nano max setup with two perc clowns which were added with ATM colony, i am using TMRP salt, using my own 0 TDS ro/di water, everything is about 4 weeks in now and im starting to see a light dusting of brown on sand in some places too. im running lights at bare min..5% blue 1% white....!

I have tested today.. no2 was 0-0.1...No3 was 5-10...Ammonia..0.2 with R/S kit, Salifert kit 0-0.1, Seachem ammonia alert 0 safe, NTlabs kit.. 0.2..?
its been like this now for weeks i have not really seen a spike of ammonia then n02 then no3..?

fish are perfectly healthy have been in there from day one.. Feed once daily, and only small amounts of vitalis pellets. gsp is thriving along with the zoa and green mushy coral. to the eye all is perfect but test are giving a headache lol...

could this be a false reading? as surly fish would be dead by now if ammonia was present. Any advice would be gladly appreciated

 

[melonheadorion]

the reading you get is total ammonia. on the back of the same color code card, you have to use the chart on the back to see the measurement of toxic ammonia. i wouldnt be concerned with a .2 reading

 

[brettdyer80]

the reading you get is total ammonia. on the back of the same color code card, you have to use the chart on the back to see the measurement of toxic ammonia. i wouldnt be concerned with a .2 reading

Thanks for reply..

It's been like this from day one..? Fish are healthy though. No signs of stress gasping for air or acting weird. Two kits say 0.2 and two kits read safe 0

 

[brettdyer80]

Thanks for reply..

It's been like this from day one..? Fish are healthy though. No signs of stress gasping for air or acting weird. Two kits say 0.2 and two kits read safe 0

That woul be 0.02

 

[melonheadorion]

from what i have gathered...it will read an element of ammonia, because it is reading total ammonia and not just toxic ammonia. both of my tanks have had .2 for readings, regardless, most times. ive not had any fish deaths due to it. the ammonia levels would have to be significantly higher for you to see stress from it (.75 or higher is probably where you would see issues)

 

[brettdyer80]

from what i have gathered...it will read an element of ammonia, because it is reading total ammonia and not just toxic ammonia. both of my tanks have had .2 for readings, regardless, most times. ive not had any fish deaths due to it. the ammonia levels would have to be significantly higher for you to see stress from it (.75 or higher is probably where you would see issues)

Thank you..

This is want I was thinking. Because from previous experience Ammonia wiped out everything. This has been the same nearly all the way through. I've tried seachem stability. And even ATM triage and water change still the same readings.. I've never purchased so many kits ha ha ha

The fish are just far to healthy and doing what clowns do.

I wouldn't of let them suffer, to eye all looks lovely... Just seeing tiny bit of diatomaceous now.so.keepomg lights low

 

[melonheadorion]

Thank you..

This is want I was thinking. Because from previous experience Ammonia wiped out everything. This has been the same nearly all the way through. I've tried seachem stability. And even ATM triage and water change still the same readings.. I've never purchased so many kits ha ha ha

The fish are just far to healthy and doing what clowns do.

I wouldn't of let them suffer, to eye all looks lovely... Just seeing tiny bit of diatomaceous now.so.keepomg lights low

my fins are still wet with all of this as well. ive only been into this hobby for about a year, but for the whole year, including now, i still see, from time to time, a .2 reading. for the longest time, i struggled to find what was causing it, and eventually, stopped worrying about it after finding that its not even a real .2. at .5, i start to worry, but even with a .5, ive not had fish die. if i ever see a .5, i generally do a water change, and add bacteria, but again, it would really be .05 at that point.
i dont really chase the ammonia number unless i see fish issues. if fish are acting and being fine, then they are fine. no need to continue chasing a parameter for somethign that isnt causing issues