Ammonia/ nitrate

[Azedenkae]

So I should just do a large water change to get rid of those high nitrates and I’ll be good to go?

It depends on how you consider an aquarium cycled. If it's just a matter of an aquarium being able to process any amount of ammonia and nitrite, you're good. If it's the more traditional 2ppm ammonia per day consumed, then you just have to dose 2ppm and see if it goes to 0 within 24 hours.

 

[ying yang]

Yeah but do people actually see it as lime green to say its 0.25? Because ive never seen it as it just milky yellow not lime green but i can see how some would think it not yellow like on card.im new saltwater but even freshwater people saying 0.25 also.i just never got it and ive become intrigued lately why?
I do notice if take test at night its deeper yellow in artificial light

 

[Azedenkae]

I still dont get this api mainly always gives 0.25 amnonia reading.
0= milky yellow as it saltwater.
0.25= lime green.
I keep reading it all time but just dont get why always 0.25 amnonia?
Is it because 0= milky yellow and think it sort of going to lime or what ?
Serious question

My presumption is at some point there can always be some die-off/decomposition/metabolism that generates a constant amount of ammonia which causes the test to register something, i.e. '0.25' even if it's not quite 0.25.

 

[ying yang]

What colour you see and what reading would you give amnonia ?
Seriously im proper intrigued

 

[TuxUrchin07]

I used salifert and it worked well for me

 

[ying yang]

Sorry codemaster if hijacked thread but sort of relavant ( possibly) .
My pic above i can see why some would say lime colour but it more yellow to my eyes
Edit: also i read hobby grade test kits are just that,they hobby grade so im thinking why change from api to another hobby grade test kit just to get a estimate.
You know what i may start my own thread to get to bottom of this as truly interested in it.
And see what people recomend as i do get some tests may be easier to read or more accurate etc.
Sorry codemaster i apoligise.got carried away lol

 

[Jekyl]

Sorry codemaster if hijacked thread but sort of relavant ( possibly) .
My pic above i can see why some would say lime colour but it more yellow to my eyes

It's because of the green tint. Makes people not consider it zero

 

[ying yang]

It's because of the green tint. Makes people not consider it zero

Yeah sort of but i always treat it like rounding up numbers.go to nearest so that above nearer yellow so 0.

 

[ying yang]

My presumption is at some point there can always be some die-off/decomposition/metabolism that generates a constant amount of ammonia which causes the test to register something, i.e. '0.25' even if it's not quite 0.25.

Yeah this makes sense in my eyes and often thought this as can there truly ever be a 0 amnonia in a aquarium with livestock? I think not so it doesnt show true colour yellow as it slightly above 0 so not 0 if get me.
But saltwater i prezume would make colour more hazy also.
Ok thanks just my curiousity got better of me ha ha

 

[Codemasterflex1]

It depends on how you consider an aquarium cycled. If it's just a matter of an aquarium being able to process any amount of ammonia and nitrite, you're good. If it's the more traditional 2ppm ammonia per day consumed, then you just have to dose 2ppm and see if it goes to 0 within 24 hours.

So should I do the 75 percent water change first and then dose ammonia or dose before water change? Also think I have to buy a different brand of ammonia test.

 

[Azedenkae]

Yeah this makes sense in my eyes and often thought this as can there truly ever be a 0 amnonia in a aquarium with livestock? I think not so it doesnt show true colour yellow as it slightly above 0 so not 0 if get me.
But saltwater i prezume would make colour more hazy also.
Ok thanks just my curiousity got better of me ha ha

All good. It was something I was always curious about as well ehehe.

 

[Azedenkae]

So should I do the 75 percent water change first and then dose ammonia or dose before water change? Also think I have to buy a different brand of ammonia test.

After. Also imo you don't need a different brand of ammonia test. API is not super accurate, but is accurate enough for what we need to use it for.

 

[Codemasterflex1]

So my tank should show ammonia and nitrites at 0 after 24 hours for a traditional cycle?

 

[Codemasterflex1]

It depends on how you consider an aquarium cycled. If it's just a matter of an aquarium being able to process any amount of ammonia and nitrite, you're good. If it's the more traditional 2ppm ammonia per day consumed, then you just have to dose 2ppm and see if it goes to 0 within 24 hours.

Is one cycle preferred over the other? So my ammonia and nitrites should read 0 have 24 hours? What do I do if they don’t?

 

[Azedenkae]

Is one cycle preferred over the other? So my ammonia and nitrites should read 0 have 24 hours? What do I do if they don’t?

Making sure your aquarium can handle 2ppm means it can handle all the ammonia produced from a full bioload right away, and then some. Which is very useful in the event you may need to stock more, or if there's a death, in which case the nitrification may be able to handle ammonia produced from decomposition before you find the death and deal with it. However, it takes longer to make sure that your nitrifiers can handle 2ppm. Basically just a matter of dosing ammonia again and again every time ammonia and nitrite reaches 0, until they reach 0 within 24 hours. What occurs here is that the nitrifiers will consume ammonia as they reproduce, allowing for faster and faster handling of ammonia.

A caveat already mentioned: nitrite is non-toxic to marine fish unless it reaches super high concentrations. I still like it to reach 0 because a high enough concentration (25ppm) can still cause disease in fish. So it's just a 'to be sure' thing.

 

[Codemasterflex1]

Making sure your aquarium can handle 2ppm means it can handle all the ammonia produced from a full bioload right away, and then some. Which is very useful in the event you may need to stock more, or if there's a death, in which case the nitrification may be able to handle ammonia produced from decomposition before you find the death and deal with it. However, it takes longer to make sure that your nitrifiers can handle 2ppm. Basically just a matter of dosing ammonia again and again every time ammonia and nitrite reaches 0, until they reach 0 within 24 hours. What occurs here is that the nitrifiers will consume ammonia as they reproduce, allowing for faster and faster handling of ammonia.

A caveat already mentioned: nitrite is non-toxic to marine fish unless it reaches super high concentrations. I still like it to reach 0 because a high enough concentration (25ppm) can still cause disease in fish. So it's just a 'to be sure' thing.

So my question is that as my tank matures will it be able to handle that ammonia down the road?

 

[Azedenkae]

So my question is that as my tank matures will it be able to handle that ammonia down the road?

Yes. As your tank matures, it will be able to handle more and more ammonia. Hence why not everyone aims for 2ppm ammonia/day oxidation rate, they are content with a lower capability and stock more slowly instead.

 

[Codemasterflex1]

I

Yes. As your tank matures, it will be able to handle more and more ammonia. Hence why not everyone aims for 2ppm ammonia/day oxidation rate, they are content with a lower capability and stock more slowly instead.

i have two clownfish, cleaner shrimp and 2 harlequin shrimp so because of the harlequin I just might keep dosing ammonia

 

[Azedenkae]

I

i have two clownfish, cleaner shrimp and 2 harlequin shrimp so because of the harlequin I just might keep dosing ammonia

Oh wait, you already have live stock in the tank?

 

[Codemasterflex1]

Oh wait, you already have live stock in the tank?

No I have a smaller 20 gallon. I wanted a different aquascape so I tore down the tank that I’m current cycling. So this is me getting it back up and running