I still have ammonia!

[bex90]

Hi everyone. So I started my tank 3 weeks ago and started off with Dr Tim’s one and only. 5 days later I added 2 clown fish, then a week later 2 hermit crabs. I’ve been testing waters every day to keep an eye. My ammonia has gone up to about 1.5 at the most. I dose Prime and Stability every morning to keep ammonia non toxic. Why is my ammonia not going down? I did a 20% water change Monday but still no change. What can I do to get ammonia and nitrites down to 0?

 

[Icryhard]

Did you cycle the tank? The bacteria should eat convert the ammonia to nitrite and the other bacteria should convert the nitrite to nitrate. From what I am reading you are chemically suppressing the ammonia and nitrite.

 

[bex90]

Did you cycle the tank? The bacteria should eat convert the ammonia to nitrite and the other bacteria should convert the nitrite to nitrate. From what I am reading you are chemically suppressing the ammonia and nitrite.

I’m doing a fish in cycle. The fish are happy and obviously producing the ammonia. I have nitrites and nitrates. I have been advised to do this method. Is it wrong?

 

[bex90]

Bump

 

[cpschult]

What test kit are you using to test ammonia?

 

[bex90]

What test kit are you using to test ammonia?

They are the salifert brand x

 

[Dan_P]

Hi everyone. So I started my tank 3 weeks ago and started off with Dr Tim’s one and only. 5 days later I added 2 clown fish, then a week later 2 hermit crabs. I’ve been testing waters every day to keep an eye. My ammonia has gone up to about 1.5 at the most. I dose Prime and Stability every morning to keep ammonia non toxic. Why is my ammonia not going down? I did a 20% water change Monday but still no change. What can I do to get ammonia and nitrites down to 0?

Sounds like your system is not cycled or just starting based on nitrite.

The pH not Prime or any other additive is probably keeping your fish alive. What is the pH?

 

[bex90]

So ph is where it should be at about 8.4/8.6. I have nitrate does that mean that’s it is cycling it’s just doing it’s thing?

 

[Nano_Man]

Can you give us all your readings of your water please

 

[bex90]

Of course.
ammonia - between 0.5-1
Nitrite- 1
Nitrate - 25
pH- 8
Salinity- 1.025

 

[TheBear78]

What did you add with the Dr Tim's during the first 5 days?

 

[bex90]

What did you add with the Dr Tim's during the first 5 days?

Just the bottle of Dr Tim’s one and only and some food flakes as advised

 

[Nano_Man]

Can I ask if you have live rock in your tank . Are u putting in any extra bacteria solution in since you started the cycle . I think your bacterial load is trying to catch up .

 

[bex90]

Can I ask if you have live rock in your tank . Are u putting in any extra bacteria solution in since you started the cycle . I think your bacterial load is trying to catch up .

No live rock but I have live sand. I was worried about bringing hitch hikers to the tank. I’m dosing seachem stability daily as my bacteria

 

[Nano_Man]

In every tank I cycle I use a bit of live rock gets thing going. I let it cycle and all readings are ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0.10 .Then adding clean up crew for when the ugly stage comes . Then 3 weeks later I add one fish if I get a ammonia spike I put poly filter in my filter other people may use different methods to reduce ammonia there are plenty of them out there on the market. Tanks can take a long time to cycle some are faster ( live rock) if it was me and this is only my opinion . No more stocking feed little amount. And let it mature .And keep a eye on your fish at the top of the surface Rapid breathing . Hope this helps this is only my opinion and there are lots of well experienced reefer out there on r2r all the best with your tank . Keep doing your water tests .

 

[Freenow54]

I’m doing a fish in cycle. The fish are happy and obviously producing the ammonia. I have nitrites and nitrates. I have been advised to do this method. Is it wrong?

It was argued that your cycling method kills fish. Although clowns are very hardy I know this for sure

 

[bex90]

In every tank I cycle I use a bit of live rock gets thing going. I let it cycle and all readings are ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0.10 .Then adding clean up crew for when the ugly stage comes . Then 3 weeks later I add one fish if I get a ammonia spike I put poly filter in my filter other people may use different methods to reduce ammonia there are plenty of them out there on the market. Tanks can take a long time to cycle some are faster ( live rock) if it was me and this is only my opinion . No more stocking feed little amount. And let it mature .And keep a eye on your fish at the top of the surface Rapid breathing . Hope this helps this is only my opinion and there are lots of well experienced reefer out there on r2r all the best with your tank . Keep doing your water tests .

Thankyou appreciate the advice. The fish are very happy and eating very well. In your opinion should I keep the skimmer on or off with fish in the tank? Could that be slowing the process down having it on

 

[brandon429]

bex

based on these forty pages would you believe your test kit:

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

your cycle is done because no bottle bac required three weeks in Dr Reefs 100 page analysis

and because no ammonia line from any cycling chart takes three weeks


and because no calibrated seneye has ever been posted showing ammonia control to take longer than five days, much less three weeks

and because daily you’re feeding your fish and they’re normal and the tank isn’t crashing

all cycles in that thread are like yours, it’s a false nh4 stall

post the reading of your actual ammonia kit so we can see the color, adulterants have been added it won’t be a valid color render

also post a pic of the tank so we can check for unspoken variables

 

[Dan_P]

So ph is where it should be at about 8.4/8.6. I have nitrate does that mean that’s it is cycling it’s just doing it’s thing?

In the presence of nitrite colorimetric tests for nitrate is not possible.

If pH and ammonia measurements are correct, free ammonia is 0.1 ppm. That is an emergency, but with the caveat that meaduremenrs are correct.

If the ammonia measurement is correct, your system is not cycled.

 

[TheBear78]

Just the bottle of Dr Tim’s one and only and some food flakes as advised

I thought that the Dr Tims fishless cycle required ammonium chloride ie. instant ammonia. Something like a decaying shrimp would probably do it but flakes may take a while to decompose and start producing enough ammonia.
I wonder if your cycle was either delayed or made less effective by this.