Hello all, I would like to ask your support, I did everything I know but I am not able to understand what is happening.
My tank was set up 102 days ago. It was cycled, I added the fish about 20 days from beggining and put the corals turning the lights on 60 days from the beginning. I am testing a lot and I use seneye to monitor NH3...and here is the issue..
After cycling, nh3 was always 0.001 ppm...sometimes going to 0.002 and 0.003, but then going back to 0.001. About 20 days ago, I dosed nopox to reduce nitrate and phosphate. I did it for no more than 1 week, and suddenly the nh3 started to increase. I stop dosing nopox, but since then nh3 starts to increase...And now the following is happening on a daily basis:
In the morning nh3 is 0.008...starts to raise at night achieving 0.018...when this happens, I use nitribiotic and nh3 starts to reduce very fast until 0.005 ppm. But then in the morning is 0.008 and starting to grow. I am trying to understand, and I would like to share some potential causes and some questions I have. Starting with the questions:
- Is it normal this nh3 increases? What is the limit I can handle without bacteria?
About the causes:
- Is this caused by the fish that are growing increasing ammonia? Should I take some of them out?
- Is it a normal phase and it is going to stop? So nothing to do here?
- Should I add more substrate or change bio media?
- Maybe the UV is killing some bacteria?
- The chaeto is getting almost all phosphate and the bacteria does not have enough to live? In this case should I take chaeto out?
Below the description of tank, equipments, fish and test results
Tank + sump 100 gal
Substrate 1 inch
Skimmer reef octopus 200 classic int
Bio media siporax and brightwell brick
Uv Filter
A few chaeto in the sump
One blue tang
One yellow eye tang
One purple tang
2 clowns
1 yellow coris
1 dottyback
1 file fish
My tank was set up 102 days ago. It was cycled, I added the fish about 20 days from beggining and put the corals turning the lights on 60 days from the beginning. I am testing a lot and I use seneye to monitor NH3...and here is the issue..
After cycling, nh3 was always 0.001 ppm...sometimes going to 0.002 and 0.003, but then going back to 0.001. About 20 days ago, I dosed nopox to reduce nitrate and phosphate. I did it for no more than 1 week, and suddenly the nh3 started to increase. I stop dosing nopox, but since then nh3 starts to increase...And now the following is happening on a daily basis:
In the morning nh3 is 0.008...starts to raise at night achieving 0.018...when this happens, I use nitribiotic and nh3 starts to reduce very fast until 0.005 ppm. But then in the morning is 0.008 and starting to grow. I am trying to understand, and I would like to share some potential causes and some questions I have. Starting with the questions:
- Is it normal this nh3 increases? What is the limit I can handle without bacteria?
About the causes:
- Is this caused by the fish that are growing increasing ammonia? Should I take some of them out?
- Is it a normal phase and it is going to stop? So nothing to do here?
- Should I add more substrate or change bio media?
- Maybe the UV is killing some bacteria?
- The chaeto is getting almost all phosphate and the bacteria does not have enough to live? In this case should I take chaeto out?
Below the description of tank, equipments, fish and test results
Tank + sump 100 gal
Substrate 1 inch
Skimmer reef octopus 200 classic int
Bio media siporax and brightwell brick
Uv Filter
A few chaeto in the sump
One blue tang
One yellow eye tang
One purple tang
2 clowns
1 yellow coris
1 dottyback
1 file fish