8.0 Ammonia for almost two months

[Irishman]

I understand how the cycle should work and I am definitely not interested in more water changes so I will wait longer. It is just frustrating not seeing an end to this high ammonia.

Do you know how much live rock you have in your tank instead of just saying 5 pieces? And you have 40 lbs of sand in your tank? Where did you get the sand from all over the world, like beach sand? Are you making your own water or buying it from a LFS? How did you spike your tank, raw shrimp or?

A consideration is just start all over again.

 

[asting]

Do you know how much live rock you have in your tank instead of just saying 5 pieces? And you have 40 lbs of sand in your tank? Where did you get the sand from all over the world, like beach sand? Are you making your own water or buying it from a LFS? How did you spike your tank, raw shrimp or?

A consideration is just start all over again.

That shouldn't matter. It might be an issue down the line if heavily stocked, but you can cycle an empty tank...

 

[Irishman]

That shouldn't matter. It might be an issue down the line if heavily stocked, but you can cycle an empty tank...

Just asking questions to help out. Not lurk and critique other people’s thought process.

 

[asting]

Just asking questions to help out. Not lurk and critique other people’s thought process.

It's not relevant. Don't mislead OP.

 

[Irishman]

It's not relevant. Don't mislead OP.

How are my questions irrelevant? They’re basic questions everyone asks new guys.

 

[asting]

How are my questions irrelevant? They’re basic questions everyone asks new guys.

the amount of live rock is not stalling out the cycle...

 

[Calpoly2103]

I'm still very curious how the ammonia got to 8.0 in the first place.....

 

[Pdash]

What source water are you using? Tap water? RO/DI water, water bought from your local fish store? You need to give us more information if you want help.

 

[Vic73]

Tank pics?

Yeah i thought either bad test kit....or dosed accidentally up to 8.0 PPM. I know the bacteria bottles say not to go above 5ppm or else it stalls the cycle. For me, bacteria bottle or not, it still took about a month to cycle my tank.

Can you please provide some more information? When did you add the first bottle of bacteria? Where did the ammonia come from? (rock? dosing?)

I started the tank 4/5/19, added salt, bacteria starter, and waited a couple of weeks. After testing 8.0 N3/4 and nothing else . Did multiple water changes already so not doing another one until I get some other advice.

Hold off on water changes until the cycle is complete. Ammonia spikes followed by nitrite then nitrate. Once the tank has stabilized then do a water change. You gotta give the bacteria time to colonize before you change the water.

 

[Vic73]

Do you know how much live rock you have in your tank instead of just saying 5 pieces? And you have 40 lbs of sand in your tank? Where did you get the sand from all over the world, like beach sand? Are you making your own water or buying it from a LFS? How did you spike your tank, raw shrimp or?

A consideration is just start all over again.

Yes beach sand from everywhere like Australia, Hawaii, Italy and Guam. Using tap water with treatment bottles to raise bacteria and lower Ammonia but nothing working.

 

[Vic73]

Me too and so far nothing said has been something I haven’t thought of so kinda bummed..

I'm still very curious how the ammonia got to 8.0 in the first place.....

 

[Vic73]

What source water are you using? Tap water? RO/DI water, water bought from your local fish store? You need to give us more information if you want help.

Yes tap water but been adding Instant Ocean starter bacteria lately.

 

[Vic73]

Do you know how much live rock you have in your tank instead of just saying 5 pieces? And you have 40 lbs of sand in your tank? Where did you get the sand from all over the world, like beach sand? Are you making your own water or buying it from a LFS? How did you spike your tank, raw shrimp or?

A consideration is just start all over again.

 

[Hemmdog]

Yes beach sand from everywhere like Australia, Hawaii, Italy and Guam. Using tap water with treatment bottles to raise bacteria and lower Ammonia but nothing working.

It’s your water. You can’t use tap water in a reef. The bottles to “make it ok” don’t do anything to the actual contaminants and heavy metals. This is most likely your ammonia source as well.

 

[Vic73]

I started the tank 4/5/19, added salt, bacteria starter, and waited a couple of weeks. After testing 8.0 N3/4 and nothing else . Did multiple water changes already so not doing another one until I get some other advice.

 

[Vic73]

It’s your water. You can’t use tap water in a reef. The bottles to “make it ok” don’t do anything to the actual contaminants and heavy metals. This is most likely your ammonia source as well.

Really? How can all these companies market that they can convert to safe water and then it doesn’t?

 

[Hemmdog]

Really? How can all these companies market that they can convert to safe water and then it doesn’t?

I’m not sure. But reefs need 0 tds water, with an RODI unit. You just adding more liquid to your salt mix over and over again when topping off. When your using tap the heavy metals and other bad things accumulate eventually turning catastrophic. Sometimes you can get away with it for a little bit if you water source is great, but in most cases it’s a nightmare. You really need RODI water, most LFS’s sell it, I still buy mine and lug 50gals of water every week.

 

[Pdash]

Really? How can all these companies market that they can convert to safe water and then it doesn’t?

You need to sit down and read. You jumped into the hobby without a sufficient knowledge base.
Any sand from "the world" you bring in needs to be rinsed thoroughly for contaminates.
Dechlorinators can be used to render tap water "safe" for fish, but how effective a solution this is depends on the quality of your tap water.
It surprises you that advertising sticks to the letter of the truth as opposed to the spirit of it?

 

[fishyfishyfishy]

I think your live rock may not have been that alive unfortunately also RO/DI water really is the only way to go the “treated” tap may have been the culprit of killing of the bacteria the rock had. And I don’t mean to add more but I don’t think the little boat is going to do well in saltwater either I could be wrong but I have read most freshwater decor and certain plastics are toxic in a reef system

 

[Jon Fishman]

The rocks certainly look cool though. I would drain/start over. Get a RODI filter and make your own water, and start a new cycle.