QT Ammonia Level

jfingers · Oct 24, 2023

I currently have my Porcupine Puffer in a 55 gallon QT. I know a 10-12 inch puffer is big for a 55 gallon. My ammonia keeps climbing and is current at 0.52. I’m doing 15 gallon WC everyday and it keeps climbing. Should I start to panic? If not, what is the max ammonia level before it’s an emergency water change?

FUNGI · Oct 24, 2023

Did you cycle the QT? I would get some Prime (or other ammonia remover)....0.52 is quite high for long term..Just IMO

jfingers · Oct 24, 2023

I did cycle it.

TheFunnyFarm · Oct 24, 2023

You might not have enough surface area to sustain sufficient bacteria to counter the bioload.

jfingers · Oct 24, 2023

I have a half inch of sand on the bottom and have a seachem tidal power filter 110 chalk full with biomedia. Not sure what else I can do.

SpursFan · Oct 24, 2023

You need to add some cycled bio media asap and reduce feeding till resolved.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Oct 24, 2023

FUNGI said:
Did you cycle the QT? I would get some Prime (or other ammonia remover)....0.52 is quite high for long term..Just IMO

No! Prime has been proven to NOT detoxify ammonia (it has never claimed to remove it). For an uncycled tank, large water changes are the way to keep ammonia at safe levels.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Oct 24, 2023

jfingers said:
I have a half inch of sand on the bottom and have a seachem tidal power filter 110 chalk full with biomedia. Not sure what else I can do.

Add a bottle of Fritz Turbo Start.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Oct 24, 2023

jfingers said:
I did cycle it.

If you cycled it, then you must not have enough surface area for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize, regardless of the amount of "bio media" you have.

Are you doing an observation quarantine or treating the fish?

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Oct 24, 2023

jfingers said:
I have a half inch of sand on the bottom and have a seachem tidal power filter 110 chalk full with biomedia. Not sure what else I can do.

Just looked up this filter... Even completely full of media, that wouldn't be enough. Without a decent amount of rock in the tank (or a LARGE media bag full of something like Matrix), there won't be sufficient surface area to grow a decent biofilter.

jfingers · Oct 24, 2023

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal said:
If you cycled it, then you must not have enough surface area for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize, regardless of the amount of "bio media" you have.

Are you doing an observation quarantine or treating the fish?

He was treated with Fenbendazole for gill flukes. Cant put him back in display because it’s infected.

FUNGI · Oct 25, 2023

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal said:
No! Prime has been proven to NOT detoxify ammonia (it has never claimed to remove it). For an uncycled tank, large water changes are the way to keep ammonia at safe levels.

Must have mis-read the bottle:

Spare time · Oct 25, 2023

FUNGI said:
Must have mis-read the bottle:

Seachem, like other aquarium product companies, puts misleading claims on their products. They may also exhibit poor understanding of chemistry and won't explain how things are supposed to work. There is a massive thread on this website about prime that you should check out.

Spare time · Oct 25, 2023

When you say you cycled the tank, how did you do it? I would just get another massive bacterial bottle. Somethine like biospira or fritz turbo. I can't imagine you don't have enough surface area with sand in there If you are concerned about surface area, just add some rock or biosponge (or toss something like a biobrick/plate in).

PS keep in mind that if there are other fish in the display tank, they may also harbor flukes and treating just one fish may not work.

FUNGI · Oct 25, 2023

Spare time said:
Seachem, like other aquarium product companies, puts misleading claims on their products. They may also exhibit poor understanding of chemistry and won't explain how things are supposed to work. There is a massive thread on this website about prime that you should check out.

Link Pls

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Oct 25, 2023

FUNGI said:
Must have mis-read the bottle:

Let's not start this again!! You are not listening to us. Prime has been PROVEN ineffective in reducing, detoxifying, or otherwise altering ammonia!

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Oct 25, 2023

FUNGI said:
Link Pls

jfingers · Oct 25, 2023

Spare time said:
When you say you cycled the tank, how did you do it? I would just get another massive bacterial bottle. Somethine like biospira or fritz turbo. I can't imagine you don't have enough surface area with sand in there If you are concerned about surface area, just add some rock or biosponge (or toss something like a biobrick/plate in).

PS keep in mind that if there are other fish in the display tank, they may also harbor flukes and treating just one fish may not work.

I cycled the tank with a piece of table shrimp. One thing I failed to read is there is a conversion chart for the Hanna Checker free ammonia. After the conversion I’m reading 0.06 of free ammonia.

Spare time · Oct 25, 2023

jfingers said:
I cycled the tank with a piece of table shrimp. One thing I failed to read is there is a conversion chart for the Hanna Checker free ammonia. After the conversion I’m reading 0.06 of free ammonia.

I think you may have 0 ammonia then, given the error rang on the hanna ammonia checker is +/-0.05

Assuming it is this checker https://www.hannainst.com/marine-ammonia-checker-hc.html