Ammonia Pegged at 8.0 After 50% Water Change, Nitrate 10ppm, What's is happening!

[bstone026]

Okay 2 to 3 days ago everything was fine, normal tank. First sign something was up was my tank got cloudy for about a day, fish seemed lethargic and unwilling to eat. I ran my test and right away I noticed The Ammonia was as high as the test could read, I didn't believe it so I checked my other tanks and the Ammonia was 0ppm on those. So last night I used the half bag of salt I had left and did a 50% water change plus I opened both canister filters and changed the Purigen and The Fluval clearmax pack plus added new carbon. This morning I checked it again still pegged at 8.0 so I added the max dose of prime...Surprise no affect. Now this is not a reef tank, it's I grow and displace different Macroalgae's being in Florida shipping and selection are great. I do not think it's the algae I mean it has been in there awhile. I just ordered more salt from amazon (we have no local fish store} Does anyone have any ideas or a way to slightly reduce this crazy high ammonia. As you can see in the pics most of my fish are hiding which is very much not normal for them. I pray this tank doesn't crash soon

 

[Wasabiroot]

Did something die? Could be some CUC or a fish that has perished contributing ammonia to the tank as it breaks down.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Do large water changes immediately. 50% of the problem is still there. Then find the cause. Also consider using another test kit to confirm.
***Edited. After rereading post, this tank is not a reef tank, and is being dosed with trace elements containing copper. While a water change won't hurt, it is not the solution to the problem. Advice updated later in the thread.***

 

[bstone026]

Do large water changes immediately.

I did a 50% last night and still at 8.0 which leads me to believe it is much higher. I've got amazon rushing me some instant ocean. that big water change used my last bit of salt.

 

[brandon429]

do nothing, at all, you have a false reading from a non digital test kit. it is impossible for that system to have a sustained ammonia spike, not possible, even from a dead fish. notice how all the tank is fine, no symptoms? misread, added here:

Sustained Ammonia spikes are misreads

The reason you think your reef tank can’t control its ammonia is due to false training from old cycling science. That and you don’t own a seneye on the tank in question: if you did, you wouldn’t ever think your ammonia was out of control...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[bstone026]

Question about Prime/Fritz Complete..Does this stuff really lower ammonia? bottle says in emergencies you can triple dose

 

[Glenner’sreef]

When you’re stumped like this, I start thinking outside the box. External chemicals: Windex being sprayed and falling on the water. Aerosol sprays as well. Carpets being cleaned. Preventative bug spray etc. Family members, young and old who might not realize what they’re doing. Maids etc. good luck.

 

[bstone026]

do nothing, at all, you have a false reading from a non digital test kit. it is impossible for that system to have a sustained ammonia spike, not possible, even from a dead fish. notice how all the tank is fine, no symptoms? misread, added here:

Sustained Ammonia spikes are misreads

The reason you think your reef tank can’t control its ammonia is due to false training from old cycling science. That and you don’t own a seneye on the tank in question: if you did, you wouldn’t ever think your ammonia was out of control...

www.reef2reef.com

I did a control on my other tank and it read 0ppm plus my fish are acting weird and not eating

 

[brandon429]

don't add prime, don't add bottle bac, simply take no action. here's how to manage your cycling parameters for the rest of this tank's life

do not run any more ammonia tests, it can't drift out of spec. Don't run any future nitrite tests. Simply look at your fish; if they die due to a disease (ammonia will never be the cause) then remove them, you can see they're missing from swimming in the water column, this is how you manage a multiple fish kill disease event. If one fish dies, nothing is going to happen even if you can't get it out. You do NOT have an ammonia issue in this aquarium, we can see in the pic.

your system uptakes any free ammonia added within 5 mins, it's gone, but your cheap tester is easily fouled by things kicked up during water changes we see over and over again, and it's not true ammonia. this is a misread.

notice in our study thread; all peers agree with the poster who posts an ammonia alert/the bacteria are always in deficit somehow in these posts but nobody who owns a seneye ever posted one, and we've never seen a single pic of a symptomatic tank either. for eight pages.

 

[brandon429]

bstone

that control has no bearing on your matter. I'll leave you to work your chemistry challenge, I know you won't believe anything I tell you/neither did anyone from the study thread. your kits are mislead by compounds that get stirred up during water changes, those compounds aren't in drinking water, we wouldnt think your tests would show positive ammonia in drinking water. Your tank is a false ammonia read; there's literally nothing wrong with your tank and peers are about to have you in a state of permanent fear here but that's ok, we need something to study in pattern.

 

[Biglew11]

Question about Prime/Fritz Complete..Does this stuff really lower ammonia? bottle says in emergencies you can triple dose

They do not lower amonia, but bind to free amonia locking it up into non harmful amonia. Most test kits measure total amonia, so the amonia will still show up on the test kits.

You need a test kit that measures only free amonia.

 

[Garf]

I did a control on my other tank and it read 0ppm plus my fish are acting weird and not eating

Ammonia alert badges are useful because they measure free ammonia and are relatively cheap. This will confirm or refute the results from your total ammonia test. I wouldn’t fall for the “digital is best” cods wallop. Folks just calibrate the accuracy out of them till they get a result they like, making them pointless.

 

[bstone026]

don't add prime, don't add bottle bac, simply take no action. here's how to manage your cycling parameters for the rest of this tank's life

do not run any more ammonia tests, it can't drift out of spec. Don't run any future nitrite tests. Simply look at your fish; if they die due to a disease (ammonia will never be the cause) then remove them, you can see they're missing from swimming in the water column, this is how you manage a multiple fish kill disease event. If one fish dies, nothing is going to happen even if you can't get it out. You do NOT have an ammonia issue in this aquarium, we can see in the pic.

your system uptakes any free ammonia added within 5 mins, it's gone, but your cheap tester is easily fouled by things kicked up during water changes we see over and over again, and it's not true ammonia. this is a misread.

notice in our study thread; all peers agree with the poster who posts an ammonia alert/the bacteria are always in deficit somehow in these posts but nobody who owns a seneye ever posted one, and we've never seen a single pic of a symptomatic tank either. for eight pages.

Thank you I did a bit of research and I am leaning your direction

 

[Cell]

Cloudy water indicates bacteria bloom, which lowers O2, which can cause fish to become lethargic. Increase surface agitation. Have you added anything new lately?

 

[bstone026]

Ammonia alert badges are useful because they measure free ammonia and are relatively cheap. This will confirm or refute the results from your total ammonia test. I wouldn’t fall for the “digital is best” cods wallop. Folks just calibrate the accuracy out of them till they get a result they like, making them pointless.

I will look into this. Thank you for your today

 

[brandon429]

I fully believe that cloudy water happens independently of any cycling issues, bc blooms, we see it routinely. it's neat you beat water clouding back to that clear above/that really looks laser clear and quite a delicate, balanced reef setup there really that's a stellar setup!

the plant balance in that tank alone would remove that ammonia, and then there's the giant rock stack dead center very quality rock, very high surface area, ammonia just oxidizes within 5 mins in that fine system.

 

[bstone026]

Cloudy water indicates bacteria bloom, which lowers O2, which can cause fish to become lethargic. Increase surface agitation. Have you added anything new lately?

nothing new for at least a month

 

[brandon429]

*hey can you do us one favor pls: post the reading now from the ammonia kit so we can see the actual vial + indicator card in clear light. we need this to track the impacts of non digital testing on cycle challenges / need the pics in pattern to show the readings that cause these concerns

 

[bstone026]

I fully believe that cloudy water happens independently of any cycling issues, bc blooms, we see it routinely. it's neat you beat water clouding back to that clear above/that really looks laser clear and quite a delicate, balanced reef setup there really that's a stellar setup!

the plant balance in that tank alone would remove that ammonia, and then there's the giant rock stack dead center very quality rock, very high surface area, ammonia just oxidizes within 5 mins in that fine system.

Thank you I wanted something different besides coral, there are so many types of good algae that quite beautiful. Plus they absorb lots of other things as a benefit

 

[Reefer Matt]

I think most people missed the point of this not being a reef tank. It is a fowlr tank for algae growout.