Stuff dying one by one and some ammonia readings

[KleineVampir]

Yesterday my clown disappeared, he's presumed dead. This morning I had to take a feather duster out of the tank who'd crawled out of his tube and curled up on the substrate and died. Yesterday I tested for nitrates and phosphates and didn't get a reading, so very low. Today I did an ammonia test and actually got something, so that is likely my problem. I got 1 notch above 0, 0.25. It seems like everything in there is not having a very good time. But why after 7 months would I have ammonia problems of all things? I did add a 20 gallon sump to a 40 gallon display, but that was about a month ago. Did I kill the nitrifying bactera by doing so?

Also what is the course of action? I was going to go to the fish store, get some ammonia-reducing stuff like ammo chips, and some bacteria in a bottle. I recently got 2 marine pure type blocks, so there's plenty of surface area in the tank now. It could probably use the bacteria either way.

 

[KleineVampir]

Here's a theory: I increased the bioload of the tank significantly when I added 4 bangaii cardinals to the tank, 1 of which died. Maybe they release more ammonia than the tank can handle.

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Interesting...for now if the ammonia levels are high, get something like API ammonia lock or anything that treats the ammonia. This is not a permaneant solution though

 

[KleineVampir]

Interesting...for now if the ammonia levels are high, get something like API ammonia lock or anything that treats the ammonia. This is not a permaneant solution though

Lol I love your profile pic.

Actually I'm kinda hesitant to even do that, because it might inhibit the growth of nitrifying bacteria in the tank. And that is the permanent solution. What wouldn't do that is just adding more bacteria but I'm not sure if that's even worth a trip to the fish store or the money when I could just wait for the bacteria to populate naturally.

 

[link81]

you have to get the ammonia down or there will be more deaths.
I second @NotFishyFishGuy's advice.
the bacteria will come, they're already there if you've completed an initial cycle.

 

[Terry Mattson]

Could do water changes daily until ammonia drops to zero. Also add Airstone if you do not have a skimmer

 

[Quietman]

I would think the ammonia is a symptom of the clown fish missing than the root cause of the problem. Yes, you need to address it, but a water change would do that as well. If it doesn't drop rapidly in a day then there was something that wasn't cycled - but with age and media blocks, not seeing that.

Perhaps if it's very low stock level you might have a couple days of water changes.

Ammonia media is good to have on hand just for emergencies like this.

What killed the clown in the first place? Who knows. It happens.

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

what is the ammonia level? You said it was one notch above 0.25 but what does it look like?

 

[KleineVampir]

what is the ammonia level? You said it was one notch above 0.25 but what does it look like?

I said it was one notch above 0. In other words, about 0.25.

Now, I might be biased here, but I think I'm right! The bioload was practically non-existent with just a tiny clown and 2 firefish. The addition of 4 much larger fish probably caused an increase of ammonia, which persisted since things kept dying as a result, creating a slow domino effect. I bought some microbacter 7 which will be here tomorrow. That'll help seed my blocks as well as the tank in general hopefully.

 

[KleineVampir]

Microbacter 7 is supposed to reduce ammonia so you could say that I am acting as fast as I can. Given that the local fish stores do not have microbacter 7, so I have to wait a day for shipping. Then again maybe a reef society person can help me out by just showing up and pouring some microbacter 7 in my sump and then leaving. Lol.

 

[spidercrab]

Add both ammonia neutralizer and bacteria bottle.

 

[spidercrab]

Tank isnt keeping up with ammonia production. Not enough bacteria population.

 

[Kenneth Hooper]

Generally, 0.25 is not a death sentence short term

 

[KleineVampir]

Thanks for your help guys. Even though I think I figured it out it's still nice to have people on here to make sure you aren't way off base.

It does surprise me though, since I even have some caulerpa prolifera that is rapidly growing in there. That should be absorbing some ammonia. Not to mention that half of my 20 gallon sump is fuge with a newly upgraded light. It's been growing chaeto but perhaps hair algae on the sides more so! Either way you would think with all that micro and macro algae growth things would be ok. I guess upping bioload, especially with fish, is harder than I thought. Fish must really just be ammonia making machines!

 

[Malifry97]

Lol I love your profile pic.

Actually I'm kinda hesitant to even do that, because it might inhibit the growth of nitrifying bacteria in the tank. And that is the permanent solution. What wouldn't do that is just adding more bacteria but I'm not sure if that's even worth a trip to the fish store or the money when I could just wait for the bacteria to populate naturally.

Use Seachime Prime, it doesn’t inhibit bacteria growth, also use Seachem Stability, turbo start or bio spira, OVERDOSE THE BACTERIA HEAVILY

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Yeah now that i think about it, 0.25 shouldn’t be too bad, my freshwater tank has been like that for 3 months with no problems. Could it be the water that you are using?

 

[Malifry97]

Yeah now that i think about it, 0.25 shouldn’t be too bad, my freshwater tank has been like that for 3 months with no problems. Could it be the water that you are using?

If it’s an API kit 0.25 is often actually 0 just the test kit is false often

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

If it’s an API kit 0.25 is often actually 0 just the test kit is false often

Ah I see. I use the API. Always thought it was weird lol

 

[KleineVampir]

If it’s an API kit 0.25 is often actually 0 just the test kit is false often

Well dang, if that's the case then I'd be back to square 1! Though I don't think it's off though. I've used it before and got a more yellow color. This time it was definitely a bit green. I really don't know what else it could possibly be. I mean aside from ammonia, what could it be? It's not nitrate or phosphate. I haven't been doing anything out of the ordinary. In fact everything I've been doing should be good for the tank. I upgraded the fuge light, I put in macros. And here everything is acting like it's the apocalypse in there!

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Well dang, if that's the case then I'd be back to square 1! Though I don't think it's off though. I've used it before and got a more yellow color. This time it was definitely a bit green. I really don't know what else it could possibly be. I mean aside from ammonia, what could it be? It's not nitrate or phosphate. I haven't been doing anything out of the ordinary. In fact everything I've been doing should be good for the tank. I upgraded the fuge light, I put in macros. And here everything is acting like it's the apocalypse in there!

Do you have pictures? What are all the parameters