Ammonia spike

[cnjcpb]

I have a 26 gallon AIO. I did a 20% water change this weekend with water that had been stored in a food safe bucket for a week. I brought it up to temp and agitated with a powerhead prior to change. I also cleaned 1 filter sponge and threw the other away. I added filter floss in place of the sponge I tossed & I added chemipure elite carbon. After doing all this I checked my salinity and it had dropped from 1.24 to 1.021. I think the salt water I bought had low salinity. I didn’t check prior. So, I turned off my ATO and let evaporation raise it to 1.024 over night. Now my water is slightly cloudy with ammonia of .25. I lost a red fromia star. What do I do? Should I do a 50 % water change? I’m concerned there is a bacterial bloom with the haziness.

Inhabitants
Mated pair of clowns
Starfish - died
3 turbo snails
Blood shrimp


Parameters: these all jumped up over night
Ammonia .25
Nitrate 20
Phos .25
Salinity 1.024
Temp 79

It’s hard to tell in the photo, but the water is Definitely cloudy.

 

[fishguy242]

i'd let it be, ammonia caused by dying starfish, should cycle out in a few hrs . JMO

 

[brandon429]

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

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

ammonia of .25.

Not sure about the haziness, but an ammonia reading of 0.25 is not a concern (in fact, some test kits can't read lower than that). I honestly wouldn't start getting worried unless it keeps rising beyond 0.5.

The red fromia dying may be due to parameter swings, but I'd guess it's more likely starvation/bad health.

 

[Dom]

I have a 26 gallon AIO. I did a 20% water change this weekend with water that had been stored in a food safe bucket for a week. I brought it up to temp and agitated with a powerhead prior to change. I also cleaned 1 filter sponge and threw the other away. I added filter floss in place of the sponge I tossed & I added chemipure elite carbon. After doing all this I checked my salinity and it had dropped from 1.24 to 1.021. I think the salt water I bought had low salinity. I didn’t check prior. So, I turned off my ATO and let evaporation raise it to 1.024 over night. Now my water is slightly cloudy with ammonia of .25. I lost a red fromia star. What do I do? Should I do a 50 % water change? I’m concerned there is a bacterial bloom with the haziness.

Inhabitants
Mated pair of clowns
Starfish - died
3 turbo snails
Blood shrimp


Parameters: these all jumped up over night
Ammonia .25
Nitrate 20
Phos .25
Salinity 1.024
Temp 79

It’s hard to tell in the photo, but the water is Definitely cloudy.

Cloudiness in the water is likely a bacterial bloom.

Also, removing the sponge removed media in which nitrifying bacteria can colonize. But you seem to have ample live rock to support the tank.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If you don't have a skimmer, then try to agitate the water surface more for more oxygenation. Bacterial bloom can lower the oxygen level, and I see your fish right up at the water surface (although it might coincidental and not related).

 

[cnjcpb]

If you don't have a skimmer, then try to agitate the water surface more for more oxygenation. Bacterial bloom can lower the oxygen level, and I see your fish right up at the water surface (although it might coincidental and not related).

The fish has definitely been something I noticed. It’s been up there since yesterday. The other fish is low. I have the skimmer running wide open & the return agitating the surface as well as a wave maker.