What the Probability of This?

[BaliReefBox]

Did my weekly test of the water parameters and my ammonia has gone through the roof. From like 0 to 5ppm, a shade of green on the salifert that I have never seen before. I did an immediate 25% water change and plan to do another in another 2 days. I added some API quick start and before this did a Nitrite test. The nitrite came in at abot 1-2ppm.
The tank is relatively new but has been cycled as I watched the Ammonia ans Nitrites go up and down with a corresponding NO3 rise..
My theory is and please let me know your thoughts is that a nassarius snail has died and is rotting in the sand somewhere... I had like 5 but can only see 4 when I put food into the tank.
Does this sound plausable? I want some hermits but they are proving hard to find over here..
Cheers

 

[jrmailo]

What is the volume of the tank?

 

[BaliReefBox]

What is the volume of the tank?

its only 60x40x40 AIO with a water volumn of 87litres

 

[BaliReefBox]

Fish and coras all seem happy enough but IK 5ppm ammonia isnt where it should be

 

[jrmailo]

While chemistry will change easier in smaller tanks with lower water volume, I find it unlikely that a single dead snail could spike your ammonia to 5ppm. I would suspect overfeeding (since you tank is still immature) or testing error,

 

[BaliReefBox]

Ahhh you just jogged my memory...a few days ago I blended up some squid, prawns and scallops for the fish and corals...they didnt like it at all...I had been changing socks twice a day for the last few days and this has probably caused the spike...

Would you suggest another water change in 2 days or let it run it course...
thx for the help, as you can see Im very new to this and my memory is lacking also
cheers

 

[jrmailo]

I would suggest doing a water change NOW and continue with more water change until you are reading 0ppm ammonia. Detectable level of ammonia can and will harm you tank's inhabitants even if the effect is not immediate.

 

[BaliReefBox]

I did an 25% one already once i saw the ammonia... I will check tomorrow morning and do another one besok

 

[PeterEde]

Sounds like something died to me.
Like your Prince Planet. He was one of my favorite cartoons as a kid

 

[PeterEde]

Ahhh you just jogged my memory...a few days ago I blended up some squid, prawns and scallops for the fish and corals...they didnt like it at all...I had been changing socks twice a day for the last few days and this has probably caused the spike...

Would you suggest another water change in 2 days or let it run it course...
thx for the help, as you can see Im very new to this and my memory is lacking also
cheers

well there's a lot of dead stuff if the fish didnt eat it all

 

[Karen00]

If I'm not mistaken Salifert tests total ammonia (nh3 + nh4). If you're not seeing inhabitants in distress and dying then you probably have nh4 making the test turn that colour. NH4 is not lethal but changes in water temperature and I think ph can cause nh4 to convert to nh3 which is lethal. You definitely need to keep doing water changes to get this down to 0.

 

[Johnz]

If your ammonia was 5ppm everything in the tank would be dead, and the stench would be unbearable. If you cycled your tank, you are done, no need to test for ammonia any longer. If your corals look fine, grab a beer and chill.

 

[Spare time]

You can dump the whole bottle of quick start in (just remove filter socks and carbon)

 

[HBtank]

You are seeing NH4, tanks don’t suddenly ”decycle”.

 

[Dburr1014]

Did my weekly test of the water parameters and my ammonia has gone through the roof. From like 0 to 5ppm, a shade of green on the salifert that I have never seen before. I did an immediate 25% water change and plan to do another in another 2 days. I added some API quick start and before this did a Nitrite test. The nitrite came in at abot 1-2ppm.
The tank is relatively new but has been cycled as I watched the Ammonia ans Nitrites go up and down with a corresponding NO3 rise..
My theory is and please let me know your thoughts is that a nassarius snail has died and is rotting in the sand somewhere... I had like 5 but can only see 4 when I put food into the tank.
Does this sound plausable? I want some hermits but they are proving hard to find over here..
Cheers

Did you retest? Could be test error.

 

[BaliReefBox]

Did you retest? Could be test error

when i do the ammonia test i have 2 kits both api and salifert...i run them at the same time and both test kits were off the charts,

 

[BaliReefBox]

well brekky then I will run a full set of tests and see where we are at today...
stay tuned

 

[BaliReefBox]

Oki
order a chem 7 and said to the wife "stat" severl times ( luv it when they says this on TV) and these are the results.

Before: Sal NO3 Phos Amm Cal Alk Nitrite Mg Ph
14Jul 1.026- <3- 0.5- 0- 410- 9.7 - 0- 1350 -8.2

Now 1.026- <5- 0.33- 0.25- 410- 7.7- 0-1- 1350- 8

On the 14th I added 1 tablespoon of GFO into the carbon reactor and it has been dropping steadily by abot 0.03 per day. I ran the NO3 both Sali and API and they are similar. Ammo is only API as the sali is empty. Phos is hanna and I ran it twice and they were 0.31 and 0.35.
My Alk has dropped heaps but I have added several corals between tests and I am not sure whether this would attribute to the drop.
I will go the the LFS and get them to run a water test and I will buy a new Sali ammo kit.
Any suggestions???? another 25% water change maybe???
Cheers and thx