Parameters spiking - slightly panicking!

AVVITT · Mar 24, 2021

Hi all. Just did a parameter test on my tank and since cycling the only issue I've had is getting my nitrates down from 40, everything else has been at zero the whole time.
I added a regal tang to my tank on Sunday which was the last time I tested and I'd even managed to get my nitrates down to around 20 or below.
Today's readings are:
Ammonia 0.5 ppm
Nitrite 0.25 ppm
Nitrate 30 ppm
I'm not going to be able to do a water change until tomorrow (first time ever I don't have any water on hand!)
Will my tank be ok for now? I'm hoping the spike may be because of the new fish and some chopped up razor clam which did make the tank rather mucky after I fed them yesterday.
I'm not going to feed them today. I'm going to do a water change tomorrow.
Should I be worried?

AVVITT · Mar 24, 2021

Forgot to mention, I added a carbon filter pad on Sunday as my water was rather cloudy thought I doubt this would have caused an issue

arking_mark · Mar 24, 2021

AVVITT said:
Hi all. Just did a parameter test on my tank and since cycling the only issue I've had is getting my nitrates down from 40, everything else has been at zero the whole time.
I added a regal tang to my tank on Sunday which was the last time I tested and I'd even managed to get my nitrates down to around 20 or below.
Today's readings are:
Ammonia 0.5 ppm
Nitrite 0.25 ppm
Nitrate 30 ppm
I'm not going to be able to do a water change until tomorrow (first time ever I don't have any water on hand!)
Will my tank be ok for now? I'm hoping the spike may be because of the new fish and some chopped up razor clam which did make the tank rather mucky after I fed them yesterday.
I'm not going to feed them today. I'm going to do a water change tomorrow.
Should I be worried?

How are you measuring your parameters? The only number the concerns me for a new tank is ammonia.

Jekyl · Mar 24, 2021

I wouldn't stress too much about it. Even if there was a little ammonia I'm guessing it will be gone by tomorrow.

Azedenkae · Mar 25, 2021

arking_mark said:
How are you measuring your parameters? The only number the concerns me for a new tank is ammonia.

I agree, a sudden increase to 0.5ppm does indeed seem odd. 0.25ppm can sometimes be measured, and it seems to just be due to the test kit and/or baseline ammonia produced (imo). But 0.5 is different.

Waters · Mar 25, 2021

How long has this tank been set up? What size tank and what is your stock list? If it is truly cycled, you will never be able to see any measurable ammonia during testing (if you are using API test kits then a reading of .25 is pretty normal, even without any ammonia). I would definitely do a water change to get that number down, if it is in fact correct.

AVVITT · Mar 26, 2021

Thanks for your replies guys.
The only changes in the last 5 days are: I added more brand new dry rock (approx 2 kilos) I got 1 fish. I stopped using the bacteria that I was dosing during cycling then as a maintenance dose every 2 weeks (I ran out and forgot to get more)
I added a carbon pad to my filter because my water had been cloudy for a few days (possible bacterial bloom)
That's about it. Perhaps adding 1 fish, small though it was may have caused a slight ammonia increase and I'm thinking maybe my tank is balanced while I was adding the maintenance dose of bacteria but once I stopped the balance tipped slightly?

I did 2x 15% water changes over 2 days and I now have 0 ammonia, 0.25 nitrite and 0.20 nitrate.

I'm buying more bacteria tomorrow in the hope that the dosing it recommends may help to keep the population of nitrifying bacteria up until more becomes permanently established.

I live in hope I've dodged a bullet!