Ammonia will not go away!!

[Saltytortoise]

Hello everyone,

I set up a 55 gallon salt water tank in the beginning of December 2022, I started the tank with 50lbs of dry rock, 20lbs of live sand 100 gallon turbo start 900 and 2 clowns.

Trust me I have learned my lesson "fishless cycle going forward".

1st week I watched the ammonia explode to 1ppm then go down to 0, nitrites explode to 4ppm then go to 0 and nitrate be at 10 ppm.

I wanted to be sure that my tank cycled so I continued to test everyday and that's when the nightmare started.

My ammonia Spiked to .5 and hung out at .5 for 2 weeks. So I added more turbostart and watched my tank cycle again. To have the ammonia spike again, so more turbostart and it cycled again. To have the ammonia spike again.

I located a rock that seemed to be changing color to a really dark color and removed it from the tank. "No luck"

I added hermit crabs thinking maybe I'm feeding too much and need a really small cleanup crew 25 crabs. "no luck"

I did the stability by seachem and prime trick for 7 days just to watch my nitrite spike to 1ppm and go to 0 with ammonia still in the tank. "I've done this 2 times."

I've added maybe 3 bottles of turbostart over this tanks short time of establishment. I've done the stability trick twice.I have stayed vigilant and removed a odd looking rock and replaced it with new one. I do weekly 25% water changes and feed frozen. No tank loss other then 2 crabs.

I do not have a fancy filtration system I use a tidal75 over the back, with an added bag of charcoal and upgraded biomedia. Temp 78 salt level 1026. Nitrite 0 nitrate 15ppm and ammonia 1ppm.

Please someone help I'm so lost it's been almost 2 Months on 02/07.

Edit: Is it just a waiting game? Or should I do a massive water change? 90%

 

[DanyL]

Go to your LFS and buy a midsize live rock, do 40% WC and then put it in and let it populate your tank with bacteria.
No chemicals, no ammonia, no cycle. Just time.
Your welcome.

 

[Jekyl]

What test are you using? That I suspect is your problem. Ammonia in an established tank isn't an easy thing to accomplish.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What kind of test kits are you using?

I would suggest to stop adding that bottled stuff and consider your tank cycled. The fish have been there since early December, thats 2 months, they are still alive, to me thats cycled.

Enjoy your tank and slowly add more fish, one or two at a time, with several weeks in between each addition.

 

[Saltytortoise]

Go to your LFS and buy a midsize live rock, do 40% WC and then put it in and let it populate your tank with bacteria.
No chemicals, no ammonia, no cycle. Just time.
Your welcome.

Thank you will do.

 

[Saltytortoise]

What test are you using? That I suspect is your problem. Ammonia in an established tank isn't an easy thing to accomplish.

Redsea marine care & Api. Thank you for your help

 

[Saltytortoise]

What test are you using? That I suspect is your problem. Ammonia in an established tank isn't an easy thing to accomplish.

Redsea marine care & Api, Thank you for your help.

 

[Jekyl]

API is notorious for false readings. If you added bacteria and the tank has been up for over a month there's nothing to be concerned about. At this point both fish would have to die and be left in the tank for ammonia to be an issue.

 

[Saltytortoise]

Thank you so much for the reply, I was hoping I was just over reacting.

 

[Spare time]

Due to the nature of saltwater, those ammonia tests can be difficult to distinguish from 0. There is no way that by now you have ammonia or nitrite. You can tell because ammonia is "stuck" when you look at the color chart, but there is no nitrite, which takes longer than ammonia to be processed. API ammonia test isn't bad imo, its just extraordinarily not user friendly in salt water due to precipitation in the vial causing the color to appear off.

You can dump the rest of the cycling bacteria in if you want. No need to toss it or anything.

 

[Saltytortoise]

Thank you so much for the reply, I felt like a terrible keeper lol. But so many people like yourself have been so helpful.

Thank you again

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Hello everyone,

I set up a 55 gallon salt water tank in the beginning of December 2022, I started the tank with 50lbs of dry rock, 20lbs of live sand 100 gallon turbo start 900 and 2 clowns.

Trust me I have learned my lesson "fishless cycle going forward".

1st week I watched the ammonia explode to 1ppm then go down to 0, nitrites explode to 4ppm then go to 0 and nitrate be at 10 ppm.

I wanted to be sure that my tank cycled so I continued to test everyday and that's when the nightmare started.

My ammonia Spiked to .5 and hung out at .5 for 2 weeks. So I added more turbostart and watched my tank cycle again. To have the ammonia spike again, so more turbostart and it cycled again. To have the ammonia spike again.

I located a rock that seemed to be changing color to a really dark color and removed it from the tank. "No luck"

I added hermit crabs thinking maybe I'm feeding too much and need a really small cleanup crew 25 crabs. "no luck"

I did the stability by seachem and prime trick for 7 days just to watch my nitrite spike to 1ppm and go to 0 with ammonia still in the tank. "I've done this 2 times."

I've added maybe 3 bottles of turbostart over this tanks short time of establishment. I've done the stability trick twice.I have stayed vigilant and removed a odd looking rock and replaced it with new one. I do weekly 25% water changes and feed frozen. No tank loss other then 2 crabs.

I do not have a fancy filtration system I use a tidal75 over the back, with an added bag of charcoal and upgraded biomedia. Temp 78 salt level 1026. Nitrite 0 nitrate 15ppm and ammonia 1ppm.

Please someone help I'm so lost it's been almost 2 Months on 02/07.

Edit: Is it just a waiting game? Or should I do a massive water change? 90%

Have you added any ammonia additives like 'dr tims' to help cycle or none? Just wondering where ammonia spike may come from?

You also don't need to add any cuc, as these guys eat rubbish/ algae that builds up over time so I would not add any more
Also you don't need fancy filters until you want fancy fish and corals

 

[Saltytortoise]

No ammonia additives, I thought maybe I got a bad rock with a lot of dead organics on it.

But I pulled the rock and I still have issues.

I'm going to follow a post above and deep clean, then do a 40% water change and add a 5lb live rock. Just in case

Thank you much for the reply.

 

[Just John]

API is notorious for false readings. If you added bacteria and the tank has been up for over a month there's nothing to be concerned about. At this point both fish would have to die and be left in the tank for ammonia to be an issue.

this

 

[Saltytortoise]

Thanks Just John love the name.

 

[spawn79]

It's possible either your source water or one of the additives is registering as ammonia. I cycled some rock in a tub last year and had issues myself. I went through all the steps and watched the levels climb and fall but ammonia was stubborn even after a couple of water changes. what the heck was going on? Couldn't really figure it out. Ammonia even went up over time without any added source that I knew of.

Near as I can tell it was either my water (chloramines?) or an additive I used. At the time I only had RO and not DI. I tested the product water after the membrane and had ammonia. I added dual DI which took me to 0 TDS and ammonia, did a nearly 100% water change and my ammonia has been 0 ever since.

I've read that certain additives (like water conditioners and ammonia neutralizers) can interfere with ammonia tests. There is also a difference between NH3 and NH4. Most kits only test the combined amounts. This can be problematic as NH3 is toxic to livestock and NH4 isn't (at least at levels we see) so you have no idea what the real numbers are and if there is any actual danger.

 

[brandon429]

here’s the issue

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

post a picture of your reef tank for the easy fix

 

[brandon429]

It’s amazing this is the answer to your thread:

nothing is wrong with your cycle, it’s why your alert title isn’t referencing inability to carry animals it’s about the reading from a non digital ammonia test kit

no water change is needed, stop adding those dosers purchased as nothing is wrong with the tank. Given a digital ammonia test kit, you’d see passing not failing readings.


the second cause of your thread is old cycling science, which incorrectly told millions of reef aquarists that ammonia runs zero on non digital test kits in fully cycled reef tanks.


updated cycling science sees your tank oppositely. New cycling science knows there are no two month failed cycles in reefing. All cycling charts show ten days to ammonia control for a reason.

 

[brandon429]

I honestly believe this thread is the 500th instance of old cycling science reselling bottle bac too many times for a ghost condition

this was three extra bottles sold beyond need of the first bottle of cycling bacteria.

in my opinion it’s beyond consequence and into design, when bottle bac sellers teach buyers about potential stuck reef tank cycles.

this is a very very very convenient profit loop for bottle bac sellers


it’s why I don’t want to see bottle bac sellers speaking from the macna podium about stalled reef tank cycles, it creates a self-benefitting loop $

 

[Saltytortoise]

here’s the issue

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

post a picture of your reef tank for the easy fix

Thank you