Ammonia Spike

[tiabakshi]

Hey everyone,
So I started up a saltwater tank not too long ago. I added some water from another tank which has had fish in it for months to get the cycling going. Even though I knew I wasn't supposed to add many fish at once - I got too excited and did anyway. I am testing the water every day and already see a bit of ammonia which is good for the cycling process to occur, but what should I do to prevent my fish from dying? Should I do a water change since I'm seeing some ammonia at this point? The ammonia is present but it's still in the "safe" zone, there is a bit of nitrate also in the "safe" zone and no nitrite. Please let me know asap.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hey everyone,
So I started up a saltwater tank not too long ago. I added some water from another tank which has had fish in it for months to get the cycling going. Even though I knew I wasn't supposed to add many fish at once - I got too excited and did anyway. I am testing the water every day and already see a bit of ammonia which is good for the cycling process to occur, but what should I do to prevent my fish from dying? Should I do a water change since I'm seeing some ammonia at this point? The ammonia is present but it's still in the "safe" zone, there is a bit of nitrate also in the "safe" zone and no nitrite. Please let me know asap.

Tank isn't cycled. Adding water from a cycled tank won't cycle a new tank.

Two choices,

One, re-home the fish till the tank is fully cycled.

Two, add some bottled bacteria, but be forewarned it may take up to a week to cycle with bacteria, depending on the brand of bacteria and fish load.

I'd re-home them if you could, but if not, watch the ammonia as even a small amount can cause irreversible damage to gill plates, shorting life span. Add bacteria as soon as possible, do a water change if the ammonia climbs till you can get some.

 

[tiabakshi]

Tank isn't cycled. Adding water from a cycled tank won't cycle a new tank.

Two choices,

One, re-home the fish till the tank is fully cycled.

Two, add some bottled bacteria, but be forewarned it may take up to a week to cycle with bacteria, depending on the brand of bacteria and fish load.

I'd re-home them if you could, but if not, watch the ammonia as even a small amount can cause irreversible damage to gill plates, shorting life span. Add bacteria as soon as possible, do a water change if the ammonia climbs till you can get some.

What kind brand of bacteria would you recommend?

 

[Flippers4pups]

What kind brand of bacteria would you recommend?

Dr. Tims one and only, FritzZyme 9, instant ocean BIO-Spira......

 

[Wolf89]

What kind brand of bacteria would you recommend?

Fritz turbostart9000 is known to cycle a tank in a matter of hours, but it is expensive and most places won't carry it. Biospira would be the next best option. If you have a reefing buddy get some live rock

 

[tiabakshi]

Fritz turbostart9000 is known to cycle a tank in a matter of hours, but it is expensive and most places won't carry it. Biospira would be the next best option. If you have a reefing buddy get some live rock

I’ve had live sand and live rock in the water for a while before any fish went in. Does that help ?

 

[Oscar’s25Gal]

Hi, the tank unfortunately does not cycle just from putting in used water. Your tank was still probably going through the cycle when you added fish. The ammonia spike might be from the sudden addition of multiple new fish, especially if the tank isn't cycled. I would get some bottled bacteria in there and that should help. Like someone else said, it would be best to re-home the fish or give it to a friend while your tank cycles for a few weeks. Good luck

 

[Cell]

Dose Prime.

 

[brandon429]

and post pics

if you added true live rock it never did spike.

*everyone assumes live rock spikes ammonia when moved. we can thank non seneye ammonia reading for that takeaway. it rarely does and it smells bad outside the tank when its a real spike. things die. there isn't a mid level ammonia ability, its crash or run fine as the option for ammonia/ at least on seneye machines. if this tank has had fish from sunday-now its fully cycled.



post tank pics. the position of fish in the picture also confirm whether or not you are cycled (all huddling on top, near death vs swimming low zones, able to breathe due to no gills burned by ammonia)

tank pictures are the best tool for ammonia tracing, not test reads.

 

[brandon429]

you've sustained fish for several days, multiple fish, and you haven't reported a single loss.

and no enduring cloudy water

and no obvious smell

cycling has no midground, tanks never ever hold in the tenths ppm ammonia, though API and red sea and sometimes salifert might have us believe. ammonia holds in the thousandths, or it climbs to a crash level, when a multi fish bioload is present.

can't wait for pics here.

 

[tiabakshi]

and post pics

if you added true live rock it never did spike.

*everyone assumes live rock spikes ammonia when moved. we can thank non seneye ammonia reading for that takeaway. it rarely does and it smells bad outside the tank when its a real spike. things die. there isn't a mid level ammonia ability, its crash or run fine as the option for ammonia/ at least on seneye machines. if this tank has had fish from sunday-now its fully cycled.



post tank pics. the position of fish in the picture also confirm whether or not you are cycled (all huddling on top, near death vs swimming low zones, able to breathe due to no gills burned by ammonia)

tank pictures are the best tool for ammonia tracing, not test reads.

I can take pictures when I get home. All the fish have been eating, no deaths. We have had live rock and sand in the tank for several weeks and we have added fish since 2 weeks ago. The ammonia is sitting at about a .50 ppm after we did a water change a few days ago. The only fish that has been looking odd is our scopas tang which seems a bit pale - not ick, and he is eating really well.