Seachem alert badge almost on alert. Tot

[NowGlazeIT]

I'm runnng copper so I have to count on this badge.
I’ve been hovering around the first alert stage with my badge for over a week. Right around the time I was reaching therapeutic levels with coppersafe and I’m wondering if a small amount of consistant no3 is common. I added another badge to make sure and the readings matched after a short time of the new badge entering the tank. I’ve done a 20 percent water change and a 40 percent 2-3 days after and saw very little to possibly no change in color on the badge. All my fish are eating 3 times a day I have a total of 7 small fish in a 29g biocube 24gallons total system volume.
Tank was seeded with dr.tims and a sponge from a sump but I never waited for a cycle I added fish a day after setting up QT. QT has been running 14 days now.

Edit: I can’t remove the letters Tot from the title of this thread. Just a typo

 

[TheEngineer]

I find those badges really hard to read. Are you confident it is blue?

Do you have a regular ammonia test kit you can verify with?

 

[Radman73]

I'd do a 50% water change, make sure the water change has copper at therapeutic levels too, plus I'd dump some more bacteria in a bottle in there. That's a lot of fish in a small space.

Make sure you siphon out any detritus you can see.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't have much experience with these badges, but if you really think ammonia is an issue, and can't remove the fish, treating with something like Seachem Prime or Amquel might be in order.

 

[TheEngineer]

Don’t use prime with copper!!

 

[Radman73]

Don’t use prime with copper!!

What I just popped in to say.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, sorry, I missed the copper.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I find those badges really hard to read. Are you confident it is blue?

Do you have a regular ammonia test kit you can verify with?

It’s not blue it’s green at .05ppm I thought that there would be a constant small amount of no3 transferring into no4.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I don't have much experience with these badges, but if you really think ammonia is an issue, and can't remove the fish, treating with something like Seachem Prime or Amquel might be in order.

I don’t think it’s an issue because the fish seem fine I’m wondering if .o5 ppm of free amonia is normally an issue?

 

[TheEngineer]

That’s not quite how the nitrogen cycle works. Ammonia is the start of the cycle. Ammonia is converted to nitrites. Nitrites are converted to nitrates. Finally nitrates are converted into proteins.

Excess ammonia means your biological filter isn’t big enough to handle the excretions of the fish in your QT.

You should do a large water change and supplement with bacteria in a bottle too if you can. Make sure to match the level of copper in your replacement water with what you have the QT at.

 

[TheEngineer]

I don’t think it’s an issue because the fish seem fine I’m wondering if .o5 ppm of free amonia is normally an issue?

Free ammonia is the toxic form to fish. Prime converts ammonia into the safer form, ammonium (NH+4).

Those alert badges read total ammonia (both free and ammonium). Ideally no level of ammonia should be present.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Free ammonia is the toxic form to fish. Prime converts ammonia into the safer form, ammonium (NH+4).

Those alert badges read total ammonia (both free and ammonium). Ideally no level of ammonia should be present.

Oh I thought they measured only free ammonia. I know ideally ammonia should not be present but since fish are constantly releasing amonia threw the gills it should be fair to say that there is always a small amount present correct? I feel my bio filter is doing the job as the amonia badge will not budge in color

 

[TheEngineer]

There’s always some present for sure. That level is less than 0.02ppm when all things are working well. When you get above it means the bacteria isn’t keeping up.

For now, you can still get ahead of it. When it gets much higher you need to take more drastic action (larger water changes, etc )

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s not blue it’s green at .05ppm I thought that there would be a constant small amount of no3 transferring into no4.

I'm not sure what you are saying.
NO3- is nitrate.
Ammonia is NH3
ammonium is NH4+

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I'm not sure what you are saying.
NO3- is nitrate.
Ammonia is NH3
ammonium is NH4+

I meant NH3 I’m sorry. I thought the badge only read NH3

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I’m starting to think I added coppersafe before my bacteria numbers could grow strong enough to maintain the bio load

 

[Gareth elliott]

Do you have a copper test kit? What ppb is your copper currently at? Copper will inhibit nitrifying bacteria at certain concentrations. Copper treatments can be tricky with the dosing since a little goes a long way, 10-20ppb where almost all aquatic life not just those most sensitive are effected. Second what @Radman73 suggested.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

so Bottom line everyone that’s chimed in and have used the badge never lets it stay in the green?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Hmm this is starting to bend toward the fish disease forum

 

[TheEngineer]

so Bottom line everyone that’s chimed in and have used the badge never lets it stay in the green?

I don’t. The badges are nice because they give you a constant test. Ammonia can creep up quickly and this way you don’t have to test twice a day.

Now that you know it is there you can take action before it reaches critical levels.