amonia question

[pico1966]

i just ran some tests and my amonia is .50, my nitrates are 0 and nitrites are o phosphates are 0 and ph is 8.07.Im battling ich and have been feeding my fish twice the normal amount plus vitamins.They seem to look better but the amonia is up,do i have reason to be concerned?

[bertoni]

I would be worried, although the ammonia kit might have failed. If you have some RO/DI water, it should measure zero or undetectable with the kit. I would cut back on the feeding for the moment.

[pico1966]

Im currently not running ro water though it is filtered,im in the process of buy a ro system

[bertoni]

Well, I'd stop feeding and get a second opinion on the ammonia test kit. I might dose some Amquel into the tank, out of general cautiousness, too.

[spw4949]

+1 on the amquel, it can't hurt.......also agree about watching the amount of food in the tank. What are you keeping the temp at in the tank? if you raise the temp you will shorten the life of ich......

[pico1966]

the tank is at 80,i had it up to 85 but i was told that raising the temp only speeds up the cycle?i didnt remove the fish out of the display tank as to not cause them anymore stress.

[pico1966]

i did a water change yesterday also 20%

[bertoni]

I don't think the temperature will make any noticeable change in the ammonia level, and it doesn't do anything for marine ich. Personally, I'd set up a treatment tank for the animals and transfer them when it's ready, but that'll take a while.

[pico1966]

sorry the reason i changed the temp back was the fact that all these changes would affect the corals and the fish,just to leave the tank as it was,check the paramiters and feed often

[pico1966]

im going to run another test

[spw4949]

I meant raise the temp for ich, not ammonia......raising the temp will absolutely shorten the lifecycle of marine ich.....

[pico1966]

if my amonia was up wouldnt my nitrates be up????

[jenjen]

.5 for ammonia is quite high. I agree with previous posters - add some amquel just incase, and either get a second opinion on your test results or double check you results.

Is this your 90gal? How long has it been running? What fish do you have? How much & how often are you feeding?

[spw4949]

In a word, no. You can have ammonia in the tank from uneaten decaying food, especially in a newer tank.....

[pico1966]

well im off to get amquel,thank you

[Sk8r]

Run carbon pretty continuously, changing it out once a week: tiny tanks are a real challenge in that department. Age will improve this situation.
The irritation in the water and your fish's troubles are not unrelated. An irritated skin is an invitation to problems. Try to get that ammonia to 0.

[wooden_reefer]

Originally Posted by pico1966

i just ran some tests and my amonia is .50, my nitrates are 0 and nitrites are o phosphates are 0 and ph is 8.07.Im battling ich and have been feeding my fish twice the normal amount plus vitamins.They seem to look better but the amonia is up,do i have reason to be concerned?

0.5 ppm is already bad for many fish. Some fish may live thru it apparantly but later suffer from internal parasitic problem.

There is a good chance that frequently the health of the fish you get from LFS is based much on the history of sub-lethal exposure to ammonia in transit and holding tanks. The method of capture is another issue.

Changing 20% water in QT without nitrification does little, in general. Going from 0.5 to 0.4 ppm does little. Besides, poops and uneaten food may decay quickly, not linear with time, to cause ammonia surge.

Starting a cycle now in a separate container should be the upper limit in duration of endurance, yours and the fish's.

Cycling with water dripping on the medium using ammonia source and bacteria seed will take about three weeks.

Of course, you should have done so in advance of getting any fish and QT all fish so you would never be in this situation, may be not again ever.

[loosecannon]

Originally Posted by bertoni

Well, I'd stop feeding and get a second opinion on the ammonia test kit. I might dose some Amquel into the tank, out of general cautiousness, too.

Water change is better the any quick fix! these magical curl alls are more truble then there Worth.

[wooden_reefer]

Originally Posted by loosecannon

Water change is better the any quick fix! these magical curl alls are more truble then there Worth.

The extent of truth is obvious, a bit rhetorical , but WC is a lot of work. and expensive.

Moreover, if WC does not also remove poops and uneaten food, there is a elusive cause for sudden surge of ammonia.

I have done many 100% water change in regard to QT for fish from the early to mid-1980's. I actually transfered fish by hand (those that are known to be harmless to me) to a second QT (or just another container) with 100% new water. If the salt is very fresh, free running without lumps, the salt will desolve quickly to predictable and acceptable ph. I have never had a problem with fish with 100% water change this way. Of course, I made sure that the temp and parameters match.


Most of the WC in QT can be prevented if one plan ahead.