Ammonia Spike.. 27 year well established tank...

[Delatedlotus]

27 year fantastic tank.. 210 gallon 2 tank system 120 and a 90 gallon + 80 gallon refugium ran mostly fowler for years. With some 130lbs of extremely beautiful live rock the hard to get stuff. Started adding a lot of expensive frags over the last 3 months. Some seem to be kind off docile, slowerish growth. Dosing NO POX right now NO3 at 20ppm and dropping SLOWLY.. Ammonia is at 0.4 for no reason I can think off. Is it raised because I am dropping NO3 down?. I had a Cyano out break two month's ago and I know, I used Chemi-clean for red Cyano slime. Worked fantastic I have to say... But could it be high ammonia because of this factors.. ALL parameters are in check, other than NO3 being high and the AMMONIA SPIKE... Have done 2 X 25% water changes very recently.. Dosing All-For-Reef as well alk at just a little high 10.1. Buts is there a way to drop the ammonia and why is it so high? I am calling out for some reef guru advice.

 

[Jekyl]

What test? Unless something died I think it would be unbelievable to have ammonia at all. My bet is bad test.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

That’s a low reading on an API test kit. What test are you using?

 

[Delatedlotus]

Currently at:

Salinity	1.026
Magnesium (Mg)	1480
Alkalinity (KH)	10.1
Calcium (Ca)	480
Phosphate (PO3)	0.08
Nitrate (NO3)	20
Nitrite (NO2)	?
pH	8
Ammonia (NH3/NH4)	0.4

 

[Delatedlotus]

What test? Unless something died I think it would be unbelievable to have ammonia at all. My bet is bad test.

I am missing one small clown fish.. Very small! Blew around and cant find it.. But it would not raise ammonia that much in 210 gallons would it... Really would it?

 

[Jekyl]

I am missing one small clown fish.. Very small! Blew around and cant find it.. But it would not raise ammonia that much in 210 gallons would it... Really would it?

What test kit are you using?

 

[Delatedlotus]

Via API test kit... Low tests. NOT out dated at all.. Checked 3 times... Cleaned vials as well.. ????

 

[Jekyl]

Via API test kit... NOT out dated at all..

I would throw it away and sleep better at night. Honestly

 

[Jekyl]

I believe the way it works with those tests is that there's always some ammonia in the system. However not the type of ammonia that we need to measure for. This is simplified of course and there's a much more technical answer. Long story short, throw the API test in the trash.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Via API test kit... NOT out dated at all..

I bet between “Nemo” and API. Your good. Do a water change to level things out and give it a day.

 

[brandon429]

very nice to see an ammonia concern thread for once where the instant recommend is not to buy more bottled bacteria.

simply do not measure for ammonia in a display tank after the cycle is done. those test kits register .00x peaks and troughs as x.0 or .x peaks and troughs, hundreds of times overstated, due to the conversions mentioned by Jekyl.

let ammonia go up and down as it pleases, it can't ever drift out of line by you altering any other param in the tank.

 

[Delatedlotus]

Thanks you guys... I am just at a loss. I also have been dosing NO POX and levels are not changing much if any at all. Less rock 190 gallons ÷ 25 gallons, = 7.60 doses, 7.60 x 3ml = 22.80ml daily. Been adding 25ml for 9 days now. Today I added 28ml.. No changes at all yet. Just tested, via Rea Sea algae kit. All though I am still kind of concerned about the ammonia levels. They have always been right at zero.. Is this just an endless game... Why can't we all just get along... lol

 

[brandon429]

The only thing in a display reef’s normal lifespan that will drive up ammonia is a fish kill

you don’t have to worry about ammonia being uncontrolled unless a bunch of dead fish are littered about. Your tank will handle any other ammonia challenge like a shock absorber. Of course we don’t count a kid dumping in a whole bottle of food, do we need to test for ammonia to see a huge pile of brown waste scattered about? Ammonia issues don’t come from invisible chemistry issues


they only come from massive protein stores rotting, or in stilled systems during a power outage. Given a normal days running, nobody needs to bother testing for ammonia in a display reef tank.



in quarantine setups, low surface area/ doesn’t use live rocks - yes those are ammonia risks as they aren’t display reefs.

post a pic of your fine reef tank it will have several markers of cycle completion. We will name them after the pic

 

[Jekyl]

Thanks you guys... I am just at a loss. I also have been dosing NO POX and levels are not changing much if any at all. Less rock 190 gallons ÷ 25 gallons, = 7.60 doses, 7.60 x 3ml = 22.80ml daily. Been adding 25ml for 9 days now. Today I added 28ml.. No changes at all yet. Just tested!. All though I am still kind of concerned about the ammonia levels. They have always been right at zero.. Is this just an endless game... Why can't we all just get along... lol

NoPox takes a while to build up in the system. You're basically feeding a bacteria that will consume the nitrate I think. Takes a while for the population to grow. As for the ammonia, unless you lost a bunch of fish at once, and never took them out, there's no way ammonia should be a concern.

 

[Aspect]

API is terrible I threw my test kits out. Get a bottle of Seachem Amguard for some peace of mind.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Via API test kit... Low tests. NOT out dated at all.. Checked 3 times... Cleaned vials as well.. ????

API test kit for ammonia is absolute garbage off of the production line. Toss it in the trash. You are not getting correct readings.

The chances of ammonia actually getting that high and staying there in a tank of established that long without doing something silly like stirring up your entire sand bed with a stick and just letting the water stagnate is near impossible.

 

[brandon429]

No, do not ever add amguard to a reef tank.

don’t insert one iota of doubt into a perfectly known system. This reef is not in ammonia concern, neither is any other display reef. We expect periods of higher vs lower ammonia, the tanks handle it within range always, no help needed after a cycle, firm rule. You don’t buy anything just in case, or just to be sure, or for maybe. supports to biofiltration are not needed in reefing and are fear based sales only.

 

[Delatedlotus]

Hey guys... I just found the Clown... Him's ok... lol

 

[Delatedlotus]

Thank you again everyone... Now I have to address the NO POX issue as that really is my main concern right now. Tested Red Sea at over 30ppm... Will it ever drop..? lol. Any of you have any experiences with NO3 and using NO POX here..? I really do not like any kind of additives what so ever but I have been using some lately.. No Pox... Good or bad..?

 

[Jekyl]

Thank you again... Now I have to address the NO POX issue as that really is my main concern now. Test Red Sea at over 30ppm... Will it ever drop..? lol

Is everything happy? Other forms of nitrate reduction being used?