Salt water already tainted from LFS

[nursechristine]

Trying to keep my newer 10 gallon cube parameters good. Only 2 clownfish and 1 orchid dottyback. Each time by day 3 there us .25 ppm amonia. I am not overfeeding.. the brownish green “dust” will NOT GO AWAY. I wipe tank glass daily, tested for phosphates... slight amount. Im going to move in 4 months so wont install RODI system until then. Can the saltwater be compromised from LFS?

 

[Thales]

What is the taint? How old is the tank?
This all sounds like regular new tank stuff

 

[BeltedCoyote]

It’s possible for an LFS to have tainted water. But if I’m reading your description right, the ammonia slowly creeps up until day three at .25, yes? If it was the LFS water I would think you’d be seeing that level of ammonia as soon as the water change occurred. Sounds more like an issue with the biological filtration of the tank...

how long ago was your tank cycled? And how soon after cycle did you add your livestock?

 

[Cell]

API ammonia 0.25 is false positive. The brownish green dust is relatively normal. Most of us have to clean glass daily if not more. Dosing Vibrant helped me out quite a bit in that regard.

 

[nursechristine]

What is the taint? How old is the tank?
This all sounds like regular new tank stuff

Amonia .25 ppm day 2... brown @Dust algae”... 4 weeks of this algae.. im doing water changes every 3 days 30% atleast. Tried prime and stability doesn't improve ammonia which Keeps creeping up. I have had tank up almost 2 weeks i feed baby brine shrimp and a few pellets evenings.. my hermit crabs are killing each other i have extra shells and a few pellets hit the sand for them . .. could they be not getting enough food? Can dead hermit bits raise ammonia levels

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Amonia .25 ppm day 2... brown @Dust algae”... 4 weeks of this algae.. im doing water changes every 3 days 30% atleast. Tried prime and stability doesn't improve ammonia which Keeps creeping up. I have had tank up almost 2 weeks i feed baby brine shrimp and a few pellets evenings.. my hermit crabs are killing each other i have extra shells and a few pellets hit the sand for them . .. could they be not getting enough food? Can dead hermit bits raise ammonia levels

Yes, decaying livestock will give off ammonia.

what test kit are you using. @Cell is completely correct about the API false positive issue. I actually ran into the exact same issue when setting up my 40b. It wasn’t until I took a sample of my tank water to my LFS and had them test it with a different test kit that I found out my tank was fully cycled and API ammonia kits aren’t very reliable

 

[nursechristine]

It’s possible for an LFS to have tainted water. But if I’m reading your description right, the ammonia slowly creeps up until day three at .25, yes? If it was the LFS water I would think you’d be seeing that level of ammonia as soon as the water change occurred. Sounds more like an issue with the biological filtration of the tank...

how long ago was your tank cycled? And how soon after cycle did you add your livestock?

Its been cycled 2 months.. there is a little filter pump that came with the waterbox cube 10 it has a sock filter, bag of charcoal bits and sponge plus I put in a bio brick to help filter. I also have an aqamai powerhead..its getting exhausting im checking with test kit almost daily!!! I love my two occellaris clowns they swim to surface and wiggle so darn cute to get me to feed them.. i just dont want them to get sick...im on top if it but need advice on keeping ammonia at zero.. between water changes every 3-4 days, vacuuming sand and being stingy with feeding what else can I do?

 

[nursechristine]

Yes, decaying livestock will give off ammonia.

what test kit are you using. @Cell is completely correct about the API false positive issue. I actually ran into the exact same issue when setting up my 40b. It wasn’t until I took a sample of my tank water to my LFS and had them test it with a different test kit that I found out my tank was fully cycled and API ammonia kits aren’t very reliable

API master salt water... thank you maybe it could be inaccurate.

 

[nursechristine]

API ammonia 0.25 is false positive. The brownish green dust is relatively normal. Most of us have to clean glass daily if not more. Dosing Vibrant helped me out quite a bit in that regard.

Ok ill look into vibrant thank you.. is it bad to love your fish like family members??? Theyre so darn cute!!! I hear clowns can bite when older is that true?? They were 3/4” when I got them 2 months ago they are just under 1 1/2” now.. they are hosting the return output from filter that fliws back in tank. They only stay in top 1/4 of my 10 gallon tank. I got a mushroom/leather coral they want no part of it