Crazy Ammonia spike

Betex

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Hey all,

This tank has been up for 1+ year and its been doing great with SPS, LPS etc. Today I had 1 sps peel out and I thought maybe it was the new carbon I changed out, went to rent out a par meter to make sure had them test the water just for ***** and giggles as I test it myself x2 weekly for NO3/PO4. Long story short the tested there came back with Ammonia of 3!!!!!

This last weekend I replaced my sump and everything had been looking good up to this point I just did a test myself with red sea ammonia and indeed it is 2+ I added a medium bottle of TurboStart 900 but I am at a loss here. Havent lost fish yet only a cleaner shrimp, emerald crab which have all been removed from tank.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated as I really dont want to loose everything I have in there.

When sump was replaced I did not reuse the same water due to detritus at bottom none was disturbed. Also had no rocks removed from tank,

Total water volume is 55ish gallons

Thanks,
Dave
 
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Quietman

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Assume test kit is good with loss of SPS. Do water changes until <.5ppm. Something might have gotten disturbed or perhaps some microfauna die off after sump change. Since mature tank, should be ok soon. Just need to protect the livestock until it recovers.
 
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Assume test kit is good with loss of SPS. Do water changes until <.5ppm. Something might have gotten disturbed or perhaps some microfauna die off after sump change. Since mature tank, should be ok soon. Just need to protect the livestock until it recovers.
Yeah I just tests all salt water I had from my AWC and it was going making fresh salt now might so 25g change/
 

brandon429

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False reading.

post pics ill show why, it’s where your fish are going to be shown. Not hovering near death at the top...thats what 3 true would cause

I can really use this thread it will be helpful tracing false readings among hundreds of other ones we’ve worked. There is no mechanism in reefing to allow naturalized ammonia non control, soon I’ll post a thread from the chem forum where folks dump it in full reefs as feed, and then use seneye to track its uptake rate (minutes) which your test kit cannot report whatsoever.


the reasons for coral loss are diverse, and unrelated to ammonia control of the system, you didn’t uncycle after a year.

this is a cycling issue claimed, but they’re done and locked in by thirty days max with the arrangements we use.

the strongest bac available was added which had no where to attach (current live rock does not take on more bacteria just because we’ve dosed it) but it swirls in the water a good while as extra carry should a massive true dose of ammonia come from somewhere

your false reading is among ten thousand google pages of false ammonia readings


-but I tested drinking water and got zero: that’s not actively nitrifying water to over report.

you have ammonia in the thousandths ppm, post tank pic.


-what if his ro system is damaged, leaking pure ammonia into the reef? Its not, post pics.

even if we removed your entire sandbed, and a third of your live rock all at once, you wouldn’t be lacking in surface area-we have pages of work on this.


the active surface area about to be shown in normal reef pics will never, never allow uncontrolled ammonia, even if you lose a fish


no reef tank has ever uncycled. If antibiotics were metered, and sustained then that’s a heckuva omission in opening descrip

final proof: the tank smells normal. 3ppm=skunk water.

any waste stores that are disturbed can be associated with quick loss, but not sustained ammonia it’s not possible

ammonia events resolve in an hour due to the power of live rock and sand.
 
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Betex

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False reading.

post pics ill show why, it’s where your fish are going to be shown. Not hovering near death at the top...thats what 3 true would cause

I can really use this thread it will be helpful tracing false readings among hundreds of other ones we’ve worked. There is no mechanism in reefing to allow naturalized ammonia non control, soon I’ll post a thread from the chem forum where folks dump it in full reefs as feed, and then use seneye to track its uptake rate (minutes) which your test kit cannot report whatsoever.


the reasons for coral loss are diverse, and unrelated to ammonia control of the system, you didn’t uncycle after a year.

this is a cycling issue claimed, but they’re done and locked in by thirty days max with the arrangements we use.

Redundantly, the strongest bac available was added which had no where to attach (current live rock does not take on more bacteria just because we’ve dosed it) but it swirls in the water a good while as extra carry should a massive true dose of ammonia come from somewhere

your false reading is among ten thousand google pages of false ammonia readings


-but I tested drinking water and got zero: that’s not actively nitrifying water to over report.

you have ammonia in the thousandths ppm, post tank pic.


-what if his ro system is damaged, leaking pure ammonia into the reef? Its not, post pics.

even if we removed your entire sandbed, and a third of your live rock all at once, you wouldn’t be lacking in surface area-we have pages of work on this.


the active surface area about to be shown in normal reef pics will never, never allow uncontrolled ammonia, even if you lose a fish

we have that tracked on seneye too, this is a false reading.

no reef tank has ever uncycled. If antibiotics were metered, and sustained then that’s a heckuva omission in opening descrip

final proof: the tank smells normal. 3ppm=skunk water.
What would cause a false positive reading like this across 3 different types of tests. As requested did a quick video here to show tank/fish/corals atm.

when I tested my salt mix it was no ammonia same with the awc water.

EDIT: Just tested RODI as well and no ammonia.
 

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brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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Try to post on youtube then link here


running a blank on non active water doesn’t calibrate the test, you have to run it on reef tank water from a known good reef.

ive learned not to even factor the test kits, non digital ones we can see have misreads on google, until we find the claimed source of input first. Who’s adding bathroom cleaner to the tank secretly

as soon as we find the source of ammonia input able to overcome a reef tanks ability to oxidize 5 ppm within an hour, and thats a lot of ammonia, then we can ask chemists about the test I have no idea why they do this. But one thing is for sure: if ammonia did unpredictable things then we could not run our skip cycle thread, the sand rinse thread, and my own reefs because I don’t own the kit as a matter of pride.
 
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brandon429

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That is an enviable ammonia free reef my gosh

u cart that thing to Macna and you’ll have a crowd standing around it. Heck of a one year tank my gosh man
 
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That is an enviable ammonia free reef my gosh

u cart that thing to Macna and you’ll have a crowd standing around it. Heck of a one year tank my gosh man
Thank you but I am still unclear how I am getting these and did have emerald crab/cleaner shrimp/hermit crab death atm. With exception of the GSP/Duncan everything else is open and looking ok at the moment, also not really seeing the fish breathe heavy I am doing video now.
 

brandon429

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Finding the test issues will answer what ten thousand people on google want to know.


But that tank lines up with a full page of predictions made before seeing it because ammonia nh3 is the single most predictable, reliable, never breaks rules parameter in all of reefing.

Today's test kits are this much of a let down. You lost some inverts, but keep the major ones, ammonia is never selective.

It's a:
 
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Betex

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Finding the test issues will answer what ten thousand people on google want to know.


But that tank lines up with a full page of predictions made before seeing it because ammonia nh3 is the single most predictable, reliable, never breaks rules parameter in all of reefing.

Today's test kits are this much of a let down. You lost some inverts, but keep the major, ammonia is never selective.

It's a:
 

brandon429

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That's simply beautiful. It's opposite from the upgrade disaster link where known sources of free ammonia were cast into the tank. Killed his fish agreed, but self resolved in an hour, that's nh3

Your nh3 will measure in the thousandths ppm if ran on a calibrated seneye. That's all gold there

I have no idea why ammonia test kits flatly make up stuff. It sure does help drive bottle bac sales though coincidentally

Corals will never open like that in free ammonia

Fish will have gills so burnt from backup they'll flop and hover where the highest 02 will be

All benthic creatures like brittle stars will flop out of the rock and climb up the glass to the top, you'll never require an ammonia test kit to see a massive event, and only a massive event matters.

All small ammonia events and even continual addition are easily handled by anyone's surface area
 

vetteguy53081

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There are several things that will cause a spike. As organic waste begins to break down, it releases ammonia.
These wastes include:
  • Fish breathing
  • Fish pee and poop
  • Uneaten fish food
  • Decaying algae
  • Dirty filters
We cant sit all day and watch this activity obviously. Water changes will be part of the remedy. As waste breaks down, it produces ammonia. Then 2. Good bacteria, called nitrosomonas, break down the ammonia into nitrites. Then a second bacteria, called nitrobacter, then feeds on the nitrites and produces nitrates. Nitrates are then removed from your aquarium each time you perform a water change.
Adding liquid bacteria at 1ml per 10 gallons daily for next 14 days will help. And lastly, here are some things you can do to help correct problems in ammonia levels right away:

  • Remove waste with a Protein skimmer. If you don't have one, it's time to invest in one.
  • Do a 20% water change with premixed saltwater and continue to do this every day or every other day until the ammonia level drops.
  • Test the water daily for ammonia levels. If they remain high, you'll need to change more water. You can also use Seachem Prime along with new water.
  • Keep good aeration in the tank to help develop bacteria.
  • Avoid using medications unnecessarily, as these kill bacteria cultures.
  • Don't feed your fish at all if your ammonia readings are high, as this will cut down on the ammonia that the fish produce.
  • Don't clean the sand or remove live rock. You want to promote bacteria and these are excellent location for this.

Hope this helps
 

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Can u post your actual ammonia reading right now as a pic we need that context
 
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Betex

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There are several things that will cause a spike. As organic waste begins to break down, it releases ammonia.
These wastes include:
  • Fish breathing
  • Fish pee and poop
  • Uneaten fish food
  • Decaying algae
  • Dirty filters
We cant sit all day and watch this activity obviously. Water changes will be part of the remedy. As waste breaks down, it produces ammonia. Then 2. Good bacteria, called nitrosomonas, break down the ammonia into nitrites. Then a second bacteria, called nitrobacter, then feeds on the nitrites and produces nitrates. Nitrates are then removed from your aquarium each time you perform a water change.
Adding liquid bacteria at 1ml per 10 gallons daily for next 14 days will help. And lastly, here are some things you can do to help correct problems in ammonia levels right away:

  • Remove waste with a Protein skimmer. If you don't have one, it's time to invest in one.
  • Do a 20% water change with premixed saltwater and continue to do this every day or every other day until the ammonia level drops.
  • Test the water daily for ammonia levels. If they remain high, you'll need to change more water. You can also use Seachem Prime along with new water.
  • Keep good aeration in the tank to help develop bacteria.
  • Avoid using medications unnecessarily, as these kill bacteria cultures.
  • Don't feed your fish at all if your ammonia readings are high, as this will cut down on the ammonia that the fish produce.
  • Don't clean the sand or remove live rock. You want to promote bacteria and these are excellent location for this.

Hope this helps
So a few things the sump I just replaced now has fleece rollers so filter isnt an issue and I also upgraded my skimmer as well so water should be good as far as NO3 goes I am at 10 and po4 at .04.

I am prepping up some water now to do more water change hoping to bring it down as for aeration currently have mp40s making tons of surface water agitation.

I've dosed turbo start 900 to give it a kick start since its live opposed to dormant. I also have MB7 which I was debating adding but thinking the multiple strains of bacteria might be more messy than just staying with 1.

Thanks,
Dave
 

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Send a sample to ICP maybe? Do they test NH4? I feel like they are the gold standard to figure out whats exactly in your tank...
 
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Betex

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Send a sample to ICP maybe? Do they test NH4? I feel like they are the gold standard to figure out whats exactly in your tank...
Yeah I send them off once a month ICP1999 than usually do ati or the expensive ones every 4 months just to be sure. latestest one looked all good so this is something new for sure but I will be sending it off.
 

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