Why has my tank spiked?

[Brancho]

Starting to lose my mind with this tank! 130 gal 5 months old 5 fish bunch of coral and some cuc!! I've always struggled with nitrates around 10ppm. But I just did another water change 25% rodi water and today I have 1ppm ammonia. 5 nitrite and 40 ppm nitrate?? Am I over stocked o er feeding? I do 1 cube a day and the fish take it all??

 

[fishski13]

What test kit are you using?

Also any chance you stirred up the sand or did anything you werent doing before during the water change?

Cause 5 fish isnt over stocked in a 130 gallon. And one cube a day seems completely normal.

 

[Brancho]

I always vacuum the sand during changes changed the carbon and phosphate minus nothing crazy.I have the api kit. All fish seem happy and I just added some prime and I'll do another change tomorrow. My ammonia has been bouncing last 2 3 weeks! Should I do all testing before feeding does that make any difference?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Should I do all testing before feeding does that make any difference?

Yes, it can. A cycled tank is one that can convert ammonia into nitrate (resulting in 0 ammonia) within 12-24 hours. So if you test right after adding a potential source of waste (i.e. food, stirring up the sand, etc), then you may be getting a reading of ammonia that has not been present for long and that will quickly be gone.

That being said, even with API, an ammonia reading of 1.0 is worrisome in a supposedly cycled tank...

 

[fishski13]

So stirring up the sand can add waste into the water causing an ammonia spike.

API ammonia test kits are often notorious for giving false readings.

 

[The Farmer]

Try half a cube a day and test after a few days

 

[Brancho]

Thanks. I tested this morning and ammonia and nitrite is 0 nitrate down to 20ppm but not sure if that's the prime working got a protein skimmer coming Tues so that might reduce nitrate right?

 

[fishski13]

Thanks. I tested this morning and ammonia and nitrite is 0 nitrate down to 20ppm but not sure if that's the prime working got a protein skimmer coming Tues so that might reduce nitrate right?

So not 100% sure if it will reduce a lot but basically it will help maintain levels as it will grab all the organic matter out of the water before it has a chance to break down into nitrate.