added fish and get ammonia spike, please help

karlyhui · 09/02/2007, 07:41 PM

Hi

I have 6 clowns and a small blue tang in a 120 gallon. I added a juvi blue face and got a ammonia spike at .25 as probably i feed a little too much also.

I have took all the fish out of the tank, as I always have a 30 gallon tank cycle water ready. I am not worry about the rocks as is Fish only tank. a

Should i leave the tank alone? and the mini cycle takes it place.
or change water? would changing water delay the mini cycle?

The nitrate is only 20 though, and the 0 nitrite. (seachem test)

thank for reading my post, any opinion will help.

Mare100 · 09/02/2007, 08:06 PM

We just had a bit of an ammonia spike in our 120 also. I found a bunch of bristleworms dead. I heard they are very sensitive to water params (especially ammonia). All fish and corals seem fine though. We left everybody in the tank. We were recommended to do small water changes every day/every other day to remedy it. We've done 2 so far....and as of testing today, our ammonia is 0. Nitrites are .25. Hopefully this "mini-cycle" is working it's way through now.

Mare100 · 09/02/2007, 08:08 PM

Oh.....when you added the new fish.....did you pour the fish store water into your tank with the fish? Maybe this caused the ammonia?

M

Roger928 · 09/02/2007, 08:17 PM

The spike is not abnormal on a newly estabished tank. Don't fret about this, but do a partial water change and keep testing. You also don't need to remove the fish. This will only stress the fish more. DO monitor your feeding as this is adding fuel to the fire.
This spike should be short lived.

Water changes do not delay the cycle.

Mavrk · 09/02/2007, 08:55 PM

what kind of clowns do you have? I find it amazing that you can keep 6 of them in the same tank.

Sk8r · 09/02/2007, 09:03 PM

10 percent water change will immediately lower nitrate: also run carbon, will help ammonia.

karlyhui · 09/02/2007, 09:56 PM

Hi thanks for the help, I will do a few water changes then if it doesn't delay the mini cycle.

After searching the rocks now it does seem like I got some 1 dead flesh in the water. Is either a dead worm or a dead snail in the sand.

But created a sand storm moving the rocks and searching for dead flesh in the sand.

Thanks, hopefully the ammonia will go away soon.

P.S I added the 6 false clowns (all at once) when I set the tank, it might helped because of the small size and the large tank. They will chase each other but nothing scary.

09/02/2007, 07:41 PM	#1
karlyhui Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 157	added fish and get ammonia spike, please help Hi I have 6 clowns and a small blue tang in a 120 gallon. I added a juvi blue face and got a ammonia spike at .25 as probably i feed a little too much also. I have took all the fish out of the tank, as I always have a 30 gallon tank cycle water ready. I am not worry about the rocks as is Fish only tank. a Should i leave the tank alone? and the mini cycle takes it place. or change water? would changing water delay the mini cycle? The nitrate is only 20 though, and the 0 nitrite. (seachem test) thank for reading my post, any opinion will help.

09/02/2007, 08:06 PM	#2
Mare100 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Becket, MA Posts: 382	We just had a bit of an ammonia spike in our 120 also. I found a bunch of bristleworms dead. I heard they are very sensitive to water params (especially ammonia). All fish and corals seem fine though. We left everybody in the tank. We were recommended to do small water changes every day/every other day to remedy it. We've done 2 so far....and as of testing today, our ammonia is 0. Nitrites are .25. Hopefully this "mini-cycle" is working it's way through now. __________________ "No, no, yes, no, I tried that, yes--both ways, no, I don't know, no again. Are there anymore questions? Good." - Xena Current Tank Info: 55 Gal. FOWLR; 120 Gal. Reef - since 1/07

09/02/2007, 08:08 PM	#3
Mare100 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Becket, MA Posts: 382	Oh.....when you added the new fish.....did you pour the fish store water into your tank with the fish? Maybe this caused the ammonia? M __________________ "No, no, yes, no, I tried that, yes--both ways, no, I don't know, no again. Are there anymore questions? Good." - Xena Current Tank Info: 55 Gal. FOWLR; 120 Gal. Reef - since 1/07

09/02/2007, 08:17 PM	#4
Roger928 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 296	The spike is not abnormal on a newly estabished tank. Don't fret about this, but do a partial water change and keep testing. You also don't need to remove the fish. This will only stress the fish more. DO monitor your feeding as this is adding fuel to the fire. This spike should be short lived. Water changes do not delay the cycle. __________________ Always quarantine. You never know where that fish has been. Current Tank Info: 90 and 120 mixed reef

09/02/2007, 09:03 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	10 percent water change will immediately lower nitrate: also run carbon, will help ammonia. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/02/2007, 08:55 PM	#5
Mavrk Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: California - South Bay Area Posts: 2,775	what kind of clowns do you have? I find it amazing that you can keep 6 of them in the same tank.

09/02/2007, 09:56 PM	#7
karlyhui Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 157	Hi thanks for the help, I will do a few water changes then if it doesn't delay the mini cycle. After searching the rocks now it does seem like I got some 1 dead flesh in the water. Is either a dead worm or a dead snail in the sand. But created a sand storm moving the rocks and searching for dead flesh in the sand. Thanks, hopefully the ammonia will go away soon. P.S I added the 6 false clowns (all at once) when I set the tank, it might helped because of the small size and the large tank. They will chase each other but nothing scary.