Ammonia Spike

[ericdirabalo1]

So I got back from a Tahoe trip and i looked in my aquarium to and find that a few of my mushroms had split. But then i looked at my amall frag of Blastomussa and noticed tht it had shrunk considerably. I also looked at my Candy Cane and noticed that its Skeleton was starting to poke through its flesh. I checked my ammonia level and it was pretty at a level of about 3 ppm. I recently upgraded my skimmer to an AquaC EV180, but im not sure if it is working porperly. Any advice on how to get my ammonia down would be greatly appreciated and also tips on the AquaC ev180 would be great too.
~Thanks

 

[DerekFF]

Water change, carbon and prime


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[ericdirabalo1]

When i add prime ahould i add it to my WC water or add it direct. And i just recently changed my carbon in the last week.

 

[mcarroll]

Ya get something from the LFS to take care of the ammonia.

Usually a skimmer being off (worst case scenario) wouldn't affect the bio filter - which would be required to generate an ammonia spike.

U sure nothing else was done or happened while you were out? (Thinking power outage, fish missing, etc). If the skimmer not skimming is all it takes to generate an ammonia spike, that means you tank is always just on the edge of a crash. This is not good if true.

Is the tank new at all? Normal compliment of rock in the tank?

As far as the EV180, as long as its installed correctly with a pump about the right size you should be fine within a week or two after it breaks in. In the mean time is should just look like a roiling box of water - not much up in the reaction chamber yet. Patience.

-Matt


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[ericdirabalo1]

So I did add two blocks of the dissolving food stuff. The tank is a year and 2 months old. Everything else has been undetectable except for phosphate which I have added GFO. The Skimmer has been running well for a while. And I know I didn't lose power because my Skimmer pump would have stopped do to a broken impeller shaft.

 

[Otter_rs]

I would check all your other water parameters. Make sure all else is stable, including temp. A water change will help knock the ammonia back a little. Cut back on feeding and feed every other day for a while. The bio system should recover and so should your coral. I would refrain from using any ammonia absorbing media or chemicals as it will keep your bio system from recovering. Monitor your Ammonia, Nitrite, and nitrate as if you are cycling a new aquarium, as that is basically what you are doing.


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[mcarroll]

What made you wonder about your skimmer's performance above? Just curious.

-Matt


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[ericdirabalo1]

Oh the foam level had lowered considerabley

 

[Otter_rs]

Oh the foam level had lowered considerabley

Probably either a coincidence, or the skimmer was reacting to the same issue that caused your bio system to die off.


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[ericdirabalo1]

What kind of media would you suggest for the filter?

 

[Otter_rs]

What kind of media would you suggest for the filter?

What filter are you speaking of?


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[ericdirabalo1]

My sumps.

 

[Otter_rs]

My sumps.

Still not quite sure what you are asking here, but you can run some carbon and granular ferric oxide if you wish, but that doesn't have anything to do with your bio system problem. There is no media that fixes a bio system crash even if there are products out there that claim to. Even bacteria boosters aren't worth it in my opinion.


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[ericdirabalo1]

I'm just wondering what would be a good filter media for the tank. Do I need a reactor for the GFO?

 

[Otter_rs]

I'm just wondering what would be a good filter media for the tank. Do I need a reactor for the GFO?

For best results, yes, but you can use GFO in a sack in good water flow and it is still very beneficial.


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[Otter_rs]

I highly recommend using GFO if you are not using bio pellets. I only like to use carbon once in a while, or when needed.


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[ericdirabalo1]

Is it true that they can cause chemistry issues and leach back into the system?

 

[Otter_rs]

Is it true that they can cause chemistry issues and leach back into the system?

Does what cause chemistry issues? GFO? Carbon? Bio pellets? Poor quality of any of these can have negative affects, but unlikely.


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[ericdirabalo1]

The Bio pellets?

 

[Otter_rs]

Bio pellets are a solid carbon source that allows the growth of certain kinds of bacteria. Improper use can cause bacterial blooms that can cause issues.


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