Ammonia question

Pearfish · 06/27/2015, 04:24 PM

Just tested my ammonia with seachem's test kit. It waited 30 min. My ammonia tested at .1 I did a 25% water change and added a little prime just to be on safe side. Is .1 dangerous?

20 gallon barebottom
8lbs live rock (adding a little more tues)
Refugium with sand... (Adding mangroves also tues)
Aquaticlife 115 skimmer
2 adult breeding clowns
Feed 3-5 times a day and siphon out excess food

Silly clownfish · 06/27/2015, 06:55 PM

Any ammonia is bad. How long has this tank been running? Is it fully cycled? If it hasn't cycled, a water change won't help. Did you repeat the test to make sure it was correct? It is unusual to measure ammonia in a cycled tank, barring something like a dead, decaying critter. Feeding 3-5 times a day is a LOT. Clowns will do fine with once a day, or even every other day.

I would:
- cut back in the feeding
- add the planned LR
- add some cheato to the fuge. I think it does a better job of nutrient uptake than mangroves in aquariums. I have both in my fuge

Pearfish · 06/28/2015, 08:35 AM

2-3 months. I believe it's fully cycled. Does gfo and. Cheato work together because my chaeto just died.

Ink · 06/28/2015, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly clownfish

Any ammonia is bad.

Are You sure?
I'm adding 0,3ppm ammonia per day in my SPS only tank. My only problem is nutrient deficiency... corals are too pale and have very scarce growth. Ammonia seems to not solve it, because they probably need organic food, but corals don't care the ammonia I add, and cyano and algea have dead despite my ammonia.

Luca

Pearfish · 06/30/2015, 03:50 PM

Could i be possible its not fully cycled? I addes about a pound of live rock today and mangroves and cheato. Also have nitrates of 5-10ppm

Pearfish · 07/01/2015, 09:22 AM

Talked to lfs and they said since some live rock waa cured some was not and there was also dead rock its probably not fully cycled. I forgot to mention would adding a product like biospira boost the process or cause poor problems?

scooter31707 · 07/01/2015, 09:55 AM

@ink, why are you adding ammonia to a cycled tank, with livestock in there? I am confused with this method. Any ammonia is bad. The results may not show up immediately, but it can cause long-term effects on the livestock, ie ammonia poisoning.

Ink · 07/05/2015, 03:21 AM

scooter,
because ammonia is the better source of inorganic nitrogen, without phosphorous or carbon. It can be useful in some specific conditions. Not for everybody or every tank.
I use bicarbonate ammonia.

Luca

06/27/2015, 04:24 PM	#1
Pearfish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 153	Ammonia question Just tested my ammonia with seachem's test kit. It waited 30 min. My ammonia tested at .1 I did a 25% water change and added a little prime just to be on safe side. Is .1 dangerous? 20 gallon barebottom 8lbs live rock (adding a little more tues) Refugium with sand... (Adding mangroves also tues) Aquaticlife 115 skimmer 2 adult breeding clowns Feed 3-5 times a day and siphon out excess food

06/27/2015, 06:55 PM	#2
Silly clownfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Southeast Pennsylvania Posts: 488	Any ammonia is bad. How long has this tank been running? Is it fully cycled? If it hasn't cycled, a water change won't help. Did you repeat the test to make sure it was correct? It is unusual to measure ammonia in a cycled tank, barring something like a dead, decaying critter. Feeding 3-5 times a day is a LOT. Clowns will do fine with once a day, or even every other day. I would: - cut back in the feeding - add the planned LR - add some cheato to the fuge. I think it does a better job of nutrient uptake than mangroves in aquariums. I have both in my fuge __________________ 75g mixed reef, 20g sump, ocelaris clownfish (20+yrs old), flame hawk, one spot foxface rabbitfish, green mandarin, Bicolor Blenny, Coral Beauty;30g sumpless with Spotcinctus pair with RBTA Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef, 20g sump, ocelaris clownfish (20+yrs old), flame hawk, one spot foxface rabbitfish, green mandarin, Bicolor Blenny, Coral Beauty;30g sumpless with Spotcinctus pair

06/28/2015, 08:35 AM	#3
Pearfish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 153	2-3 months. I believe it's fully cycled. Does gfo and. Cheato work together because my chaeto just died.

06/30/2015, 03:50 PM	#5
Pearfish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 153	Could i be possible its not fully cycled? I addes about a pound of live rock today and mangroves and cheato. Also have nitrates of 5-10ppm

07/01/2015, 09:22 AM	#6
Pearfish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 153	Talked to lfs and they said since some live rock waa cured some was not and there was also dead rock its probably not fully cycled. I forgot to mention would adding a product like biospira boost the process or cause poor problems?

07/01/2015, 09:55 AM	#7
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	@ink, why are you adding ammonia to a cycled tank, with livestock in there? I am confused with this method. Any ammonia is bad. The results may not show up immediately, but it can cause long-term effects on the livestock, ie ammonia poisoning.

07/05/2015, 03:21 AM	#8
Ink Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Milano, Italy Posts: 280	scooter, because ammonia is the better source of inorganic nitrogen, without phosphorous or carbon. It can be useful in some specific conditions. Not for everybody or every tank. I use bicarbonate ammonia. Luca