Ammonia and coral

[Ksturg]

Ive been reading on if ammonia will hurt coral and I have been reading conflicting articles. So what is the thought will ammonia hurt corals gsp in specific.

 

[wkscott]

On one hand ammonia is toxic to corals diffectly. On the other, ammonia eventually turns to nitrates which the coral's symbiotic alga need.

If your test kit is showing ammonia in the water, this will hurt your corals.

 

[brandon429]

and I wanted to know what arrangement in the system will present ammonia to your gsp. its rather tough, but interested in the origination point for that ammonia. is the holding tank for the gsp cycled?

 

[wkscott]

If you have live rock in the tank with any die off or you are putting any food into the tank, ammonia will be produced. In a cycled tank the ammonia is quickly turned into nitrite then to nitrate.
Not sure what you mean by holding tank.

 

[Ksturg]

Ok so I recently bought a 28gal nano cube I transferred all my sand, live rock and water from my already cycled and up for 6 month 29gal tank. Some how when I let the tank settle for 2 days I tested the water and I have .25 ammonia. There are no corals in it now they are all in my regular dt. But I just fragged my gsp cause I have too much in my dt. I was going to put some in the other tank but I don't want to if coral can be hurt by ammonia. Why would I have gotten ammonia into my tank after I switched it over?

 

[brandon429]

the sand, detritus in it.

and .25 might still mean zero anyway, google "api false ammonia reading" every reading listed is a .25 or multiple.

if the water doesn't stink and isn't cloudy id not worry about it, because there is no mechanism that overcomes the natural filtration ability of the live rock (which we know cycled systems can digest up to 4+ ppm per day) and leaves only a constant .25 for more than 24 hours.

if something in your tank was leaking raw ammonia to the tune of 5.75 ppm a day, you'd smell it in the house and see the cloud in the water

by rule, the live rock you moved can digest orders more than .25 in 24 hours. wait a day, retest, if its .25 still just ignore it and proceed. rerinse that bed/do over the move if its not too late, we intercept lots of tanks in our sandbed thread and make them 100% clean before reinstall to prevent cycling.

if the sandbed can be stirred up and makes a cloud mess in the tank, that's a big suspect and doing it over will help you on upcoming algae wars.

 

[wkscott]

Ok so I recently bought a 28gal nano cube I transferred all my sand, live rock and water from my already cycled and up for 6 month 29gal tank. Some how when I let the tank settle for 2 days I tested the water and I have .25 ammonia. There are no corals in it now they are all in my regular dt. But I just fragged my gsp cause I have too much in my dt. I was going to put some in the other tank but I don't want to if coral can be hurt by ammonia. Why would I have gotten ammonia into my tank after I switched it over?

When you did the transfer did you wash the sand? If not, critters in it could have died. As they decay, they release ammonia. Also there could have been a little die off from the live rocks. In any case, the new tank is going through a cycle. Probably very short term until everything rebalances.

 

[Ksturg]

Ok I think I'll wait a day...like I said all of my corals are in my main dt so I'm in no hurry to put the frag in there. The water is clear and except for the thousands of little white pods all over the glass. And I guess I could have killed off some bacteria in the sand in the move.

 

[Ksturg]

When you did the transfer did you wash the sand? If not, critters in it could have died. As they decay, they release ammonia. Also there could have been a little die off from the live rocks. In any case, the new tank is going through a cycle. Probably very short term until everything rebalances.

No did not wash the sand and had the live rock in the same water in the transfer container it was only out of the water long enough to transfer.

 

[Ksturg]

the sand, detritus in it.

and .25 might still mean zero anyway, google "api false ammonia reading" every reading listed is a .25 or multiple.

if the water doesn't stink and isn't cloudy id not worry about it, because there is no mechanism that overcomes the natural filtration ability of the live rock (which we know cycled systems can digest up to 4+ ppm per day) and leaves only a constant .25 for more than 24 hours.

if something in your tank was leaking raw ammonia to the tune of 5.75 ppm a day, you'd smell it in the house and see the cloud in the water

by rule, the live rock you moved can digest orders more than .25 in 24 hours. wait a day, retest, if its .25 still just ignore it and proceed. rerinse that bed/do over the move if its not too late, we intercept lots of tanks in our sandbed thread and make them 100% clean before reinstall to prevent cycling.

if the sandbed can be stirred up and makes a cloud mess in the tank, that's a big suspect and doing it over will help you on upcoming algae wars.

I have oolite sand it's super fine so I try not to stir it up cause it makes a mess in the water and usually takes a few days to settle again.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, I've not seen much data on ammonia toxicity to corals. Some might even like it.

 

[nano reef]

When you did the transfer did you wash the sand? If not, critters in it could have died. As they decay, they release ammonia. Also there could have been a little die off from the live rocks. In any case, the new tank is going through a cycle. Probably very short term until everything rebalances.

do you mean wash the sand in tank water? Because dosnt washing the sand get rid alot of bacteria? My tank is going through a mini cycle too. I have lots of coral. Only thing I can think of was I took out live rock several times and vacumed up a lot of food that we were trying to coax a yellow clown goby to eat. I was misting the rock while it was out and trying to keep it wet. I also added some sand too because my sand was getting low from all the vacuuming with my turkey baster and pulling out sand when I do that.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ive been reading on if ammonia will hurt coral and I have been reading conflicting articles. So what is the thought will ammonia hurt corals gsp in specific.

Like most things in seawater, amounts matter for the answer.

Corals can use ammonia as a source of nitrogen, and may even prefer it to nitrate.

At some high enough concentration, it will become toxic. I'm not sure of the exact level where it stops becoming useful and becomes toxic, but at least for one hard coral, as much as 0.09 ppm ammonia helped at least one hard coral when not getting its fill of plankton food.

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[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

do you mean wash the sand in tank water? Because dosnt washing the sand get rid alot of bacteria? My tank is going through a mini cycle too. I have lots of coral. Only thing I can think of was I took out live rock several times and vacumed up a lot of food that we were trying to coax a yellow clown goby to eat. I was misting the rock while it was out and trying to keep it wet. I also added some sand too because my sand was getting low from all the vacuuming with my turkey baster and pulling out sand when I do that.

This is a several year old thread, but rinsing sand with seawater won't kill off much of the bacteria since they adhere to the sand surfaces. Rinsing sand with freshwater may well kill substantial numbers of the bacteria.

 

[Dan_P]

FWIW, I've not seen much data on ammonia toxicity to corals. Some might even like it.

Do you remember somebody posting that they were dosing ammonium chloride? Maybe another forum but I could swear that you commented on the idea.

 

[nano reef]

This is a several year old thread, but rinsing sand with seawater won't kill off much of the bacteria since they adhere to the sand surfaces. Rinsing sand with freshwater may well kill substantial numbers of the bacteria.

Thanks for answering me! I know you are the man that can help me. I googled amonia and corals and found that thread. I have posted a thread about copepods beacuse I thought that was what was bothering my corals but I am slow to catch on I guess. researching lights so much lately! But I have a bad situation and maybe a crash happening. I may leave a new post but recent one is titled something like copepods stressing coral.
Anyway Its been a long series of events but goes like this:
Got the ycg and tried to coax it with lots of food and was dirtying up the tank and its a 10 gallon no skimmer so you read all the other about taking rock out well I thought that might have been the reason for amonia and dint realize how toxic it can be for corals but I removed the fish. Right after that period well we got the copepods but after that I went to do my weekly testings and WC and noticed my salinity was 1020. My refractometer was way off. So I postponed WC a few days and ordered 2 new ones and hanna checker and a amazon in a blue case. It was off by 4 points or maybe 5! It very well may have been off a while beacuse I noticed when I bought a fish or bought salted rodi the lfs was always higher than mine and I dint undersatnd why so I diluted it to 1026 with rodi or what I thought was 1026! After I upped the salinity maybe to quickly in 2 days time the coral were still seeming stressed the zoas not opening and shrinking up acans blastos ect. Now things are way worse. I did a water change of about 50 percent! Maybe 2 much but it was getting dirty waiting those xtra days for the new meters and feeding them which I now realize I shoulnt have with ammonia but my acans have shrilved before and plumped up after eating!

I checked nitrites and nitrates and they are higher than ever! I checked them a few nights ago and nitrates were about 10 now they are between 20 and 40 so this must be a crash!
Nitrites are .50 to 1.0
amonia is 0.25 to .50.
I added dr tims one time 4 nights ago and daily doses of daily bacteria mccrobe lift starter. I have read that peop[le have had vibrant and microbacter bacteria kill fish and coral so started thinking maybe that was the problem! I just started to dose with prime! About 8 hours ago!. I mentioned in my other thread I won 18 corals from unique so maybe this is whats happening, not the salinity drop or maybe the drop was from the crash! I dont know what is happening then then copepods crawling and possibly eatting them. I am going to do a water change as soon as I know how much to do and how often. Should I change it daily? How much water? I wont feed corals anymore. Ikeep doing dumb things it seems! I did a change about 3 days ago as well and nirtrates already that high. They have never been that high! I thought this was just an ammonia spike ...HA

I thought of moving them but several reasons not to: If its from to many frags then that is a newly cycled tank. I havt even been running the light but a few hours a day on low, like 20 percent. I dont want that tank to crash plus I may be getting ne w lights maybe radions or hydra and dont want to keep reaclimating them to new light. Already did that once when my current orbit broke and now have a biocube light!
Please help me and tell me what to do and what do you think is happening. A crash no doubt!

Can I safely add more prime? How much is safe? DIdint seem to effect it. The lid was off and lost. I am getting more later today. Its 4:30 and cant sleep researching what to do! Sorry this is long and I hyjacked this thread but its old! Should I add marine pure balls or sand from other tank? Oh yeah, my new live rock is dense, I bought some gorgeous rock that had a cave and an arch. About 14 lbs of dense live rock in a 10 gallon, not porous like my old reef saver rock. Its that caribe sea painted rock, like the tonga, real solid! I am also getting a new ten gallon and switch to an aio where I can add more media and a skimmer, and a better light. The fluval evo 13.5 but no one at all has it in stock. I was told manufacturer is behind!

I will have to aclimate these corals again to a new light and hope this dosnt throw me into another cycle! Thanks For any help. I may copy and paste this to my copepod post

 

[Sallstrom]

Do you remember somebody posting that they were dosing ammonium chloride? Maybe another forum but I could swear that you commented on the idea.

We've just started testing dosing ammonium chloride in a low nutrient reef system at my work. No "results" yet, but everything look well. Very diluted and low doses so far.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you remember somebody posting that they were dosing ammonium chloride? Maybe another forum but I could swear that you commented on the idea.

It would not surprise me, but I do not specifically recall. If dosed slowly, it seems like a fine plan.

 

[jonray]

I moved a cynarina that was struggling in my overcrowded temporary holding tank in to my new tank that showed 0.2-0.4 ppm ammonia on a Red Sea test kit. the coral flourished. I don’t think a smidge of ammonia is as deadly to corals as is portrayed.

 

[zhernandez]

It would not surprise me, but I do not specifically recall. If dosed slowly, it seems like a fine plan.

I dose 3ml/100gallons. Has fed my system perfectly. Chaeto is growing like a weed and corals are looking great. Been dosing for about 6 months. Ammonium Chloride.
I also dose potassium permanganate as an oxidizer 3 drops per/100g