First time I have found clown eggs.

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius
So today I am still fighting ammonia. I guess I don’t understand as I had t changed anything except an occasional feeding of baby brine. Could this be causing it.
I anticipated that adding the sponge from the DT sump would have provided a biological filter but ammonia again close to 1.2. I did another 4 gallon water change, going to let it sit a while and do another.

what else should I be looking at. I’m afraid I lost one of the babies as I only see three now, but it could be hiding.

Thanks
Kent

Unfortunately, the seeded sponge can do such much with any bioload. The ammonia source may be the brine shrimp water but also assure youre not getting false readings. You can safely resort to doing 1/2 - 1 gallon changes daily to keep ammonia at bay

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Unfortunately, the seeded sponge can do such much with any bioload. The ammonia source may be the brine shrimp water but also assure youre not getting false readings. You can safely resort to doing 1/2 - 1 gallon changes daily to keep ammonia at bay

I’m seining the shrimp, but maybe they are dying off. Just seems odd to have none the spike. I have changed 10 gallons between yesterday and today. No idea where it came from.

 

[reef_1]

I anticipated that adding the sponge from the DT sump would have provided a biological filter but ammonia again close to 1.2.

I failed many times with "adding a sponge to the DT" and then establish filtration with that in hospital tanks and after I looked into the topic further it seems like just because you chuck some filter media in a tank its not guaranteed bacteria population will grow exactly on it, there are many other surfaces in the tank and most surfaces are unused by bacteria, so its not like it desperately wants to spread.

As my bags of filter media for a year in another tank couldnt cycle a HT, in my latest tanks there is not even any filter media, no rocks, just gravel and plastic pipework, absolutely no issues with cycling everything happened in the same way as before. Also if you have a stable bioload why nitrifying bacteria would suddenly colonize new surfaces for example a sponge that you add to the tank, when it already covered enough surface areas to process existing bioload.

The only 100% sure way is bottled bacteria thats what I found.

 

[UltraKelius]

I failed many times with "adding a sponge to the DT" and then establish filtration with that in hospital tanks and after I looked into the topic further it seems like just because you chuck some filter media in a tank its not guaranteed bacteria population will grow exactly on it, there are many other surfaces in the tank and most surfaces are unused by bacteria, so its not like it desperately wants to spread.

As my bags of filter media for a year in another tank couldnt cycle a HT, in my latest tanks there is not even any filter media, no rocks, just gravel and plastic pipework, absolutely no issues with cycling everything happened in the same way as before. Also if you have a stable bioload why nitrifying bacteria would suddenly colonize new surfaces for example a sponge that you add to the tank, when it already covered enough surface areas to process existing bioload.

The only 100% sure way is bottled bacteria thats what I found.

I would use an ammonia locking product and keep up with the water changes until the bacteria have a chance to catch up with the bioload. Has this improved now? I’m a little late to the party as usual

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I would use an ammonia locking product and keep up with the water changes until the bacteria have a chance to catch up with the bioload. Has this improved now? I’m a little late to the party as usual

Yes after about two or three days of having ammonia and doing 3-4 gallon a day water changes it is now showing good on the badge. Haven’t tested since it returned to yellow. That being said I thought during the ammonia spike I must have lost one of my babies. However then I suddenly had four again. Today I only saw three while changing water and only saw three yesterday but hoping the 4 th is still there.
Bad luck in the second hatch, I only captured 4 as I waited too long and most must have been eaten. Of the four none survived.

 

[drolmaeye]

Yes after about two or three days of having ammonia and doing 3-4 gallon a day water changes it is now showing good on the badge. Haven’t tested since it returned to yellow. That being said I thought during the ammonia spike I must have lost one of my babies. However then I suddenly had four again. Today I only saw three while changing water and only saw three yesterday but hoping the 4 th is still there.
Bad luck in the second hatch, I only captured 4 as I waited too long and most must have been eaten. Of the four none survived.

Unlucky on the second hatch, but gad to hear you've likely made it to the other side of an ammonia scare with 3 or 4 still going. I've enjoyed reading the adventure. Hope these few from the first hatch keep going.