ammonia!

johnnynatfan · 01/14/2014, 03:12 PM

My 29 gallon biocube had an ammonia spike last week. I did water change after water change and stopped feeding. Today I broke down the live rock and discovered two dead snails. I removed them and put the rock back with a large water change but the ammonia is still extremely high. I don't get it. It's almost all new water. Any thoughts.

thegrun · 01/14/2014, 03:35 PM

How long has the tank been set-up? How long ago did you complete the cycle? How many fish do you have in the tank? How much rock?

johnnynatfan · 01/14/2014, 03:55 PM

Tank finished the cycle a month or so ago. Probably 30 lbs of live rock or more. 5 fish and a clean up crew of snails crabs and a fire shrimp

johnnynatfan · 01/14/2014, 03:56 PM

Also a 3 inch bed of live sand.

Barro777 · 01/14/2014, 04:11 PM

Too much bioload for a 29 which just finished cycling thirty days ago. Your nitrifying bacteria can't keep up.

johnnynatfan · 01/14/2014, 04:12 PM

Thanks.

johnnynatfan · 01/14/2014, 04:14 PM

I'm still confused however why it would test high right after a large water change. Shouldn't it test low for a bit before it rises again?

Mandrew · 01/14/2014, 06:02 PM

With that many fish excreting waste in there it would build up fast. Just because you change the water doesn't mean you got rid of all the waste that's constantly disinigrating into ammonia.

FTDelta · 01/14/2014, 07:59 PM

Cut back on the feeding to every other day or 2.
Don't put too much food when feeding.

01/14/2014, 03:12 PM	#1
johnnynatfan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 29	ammonia! My 29 gallon biocube had an ammonia spike last week. I did water change after water change and stopped feeding. Today I broke down the live rock and discovered two dead snails. I removed them and put the rock back with a large water change but the ammonia is still extremely high. I don't get it. It's almost all new water. Any thoughts.

01/14/2014, 03:35 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	How long has the tank been set-up? How long ago did you complete the cycle? How many fish do you have in the tank? How much rock?

01/14/2014, 03:55 PM	#3
johnnynatfan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 29	Tank finished the cycle a month or so ago. Probably 30 lbs of live rock or more. 5 fish and a clean up crew of snails crabs and a fire shrimp

01/14/2014, 03:56 PM	#4
johnnynatfan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 29	Also a 3 inch bed of live sand.

01/14/2014, 04:11 PM	#5
Barro777 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 173	Too much bioload for a 29 which just finished cycling thirty days ago. Your nitrifying bacteria can't keep up.

01/14/2014, 04:12 PM	#6
johnnynatfan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 29	Thanks.

01/14/2014, 04:14 PM	#7
johnnynatfan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 29	I'm still confused however why it would test high right after a large water change. Shouldn't it test low for a bit before it rises again?

01/14/2014, 06:02 PM	#8
Mandrew Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 200	With that many fish excreting waste in there it would build up fast. Just because you change the water doesn't mean you got rid of all the waste that's constantly disinigrating into ammonia.

01/14/2014, 07:59 PM	#9
FTDelta Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Central NY Posts: 1,124	Cut back on the feeding to every other day or 2. Don't put too much food when feeding.