Pico 5g tank - 8 ppm Ammonia spike

[potatocouch]

Hi All,

I am a new owner of Pico 5G tank, which is currently in 1st week of cycling mode.

I have a slight concern on 8 ppm Ammonia spike, tested with API Master Kit yesterday evening.

At first, I thought perhaps it's a defective test kit but i was proven wrong. Tested using RODI water and Ammonia is 0 ppm.

Few information on the tank:
- 5g Pico tank with trickle filter & return pump.
- 53g circulation pump.
- 4.4 lbs LR & shallow Aragonite LS.
- Temp: 83.
- Ph 7.8.
- Ammonia 8 ppm.
- Nitrite 0 ppm.
- Nitrate 0 ppm.

What should I do with the tremendous Ammonia spike?

Been doing research on few forums and there are split ideas of:
- Leave it as is and let mother nature takes over.
- Change 50% | 100% water, although I heard that doing water change during cycle means that I will be starting the cycle all over again.

I would appreciate any feedback from you.

[hijinks]

You leave it till you get high nitrates then you do your water change. The bacteria will take care of the ammonia

[RatReef]

Ammonia spike> Ammonia comes down/Nitrites go up> ammonia and nitrites drop to zero>nitrates go up>water change to bring nitrates down/cycle complete.

8ppm is pretty high, not sure what to tell you there, I imagine that will be hard to control in a tank that small, but I think I would want enough bacteria to handle that type of bio load in a tank that small just in case something happens once you have livestock.

[potatocouch]

Yeah, I am just hoping that 8 ppm ammonia is not unusual when cycling a reef tank.

I am sure hoping that 8 ppm will comes down at some stage & hoping for some presence of Nitrite.

Anyone here ever experience 8 ppm ammonia during cycle?

[Reef Frog]

Details about your cycle? What did you use to start the cycle? Dead shrimp,

Just watch for a decrease in ammonia and the appearance of nitrites and you will know for sure that you are on the right track.

[potatocouch]

Originally Posted by Reef Frog

Details about your cycle? What did you use to start the cycle? Dead shrimp,

Just watch for a decrease in ammonia and the appearance of nitrites and you will know for sure that you are on the right track.

I just used Live Rocks & RODI water. That's all.

[potatocouch]

I don't use any fish food, nor brine shrimp nor dead shrimp nor artificial Ammonia stuff.

Just Live Rocks, Aragonite Sand & RODI Water. That's all.

On day 2, I tested Ph & Ammonia. Ph being 7.8 and Ammonia was at 2.0 ppm.

On day 5, I tested Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate. Ammonia was at 8.0 ppm, Nitrite = 0 & Nitrate = 0.

[Percula_Clown]

If you are still seeing 8 ppm ammonia tomorrow,

Buy a cycle accelerator from most LFS.

It is bottled bacteria. Generally less then 10 dollars. Add a small dose once JUST ONCE.

If your ammonia isn't dropping you don't have a culture going. The bottled bacterium will start your cycle.

[Percula_Clown]

They are also labeled nitrate reducers, phosphate reducers etc.

Just make sure its bottled bacterium.

[potatocouch]

Thanks Percula_Clown.

I don't mind waiting but just wanted to find out if I am on the right track and whether 8 ppm ammonia is something unusual when cycling a reef tank.

I was just thinking inside my head, we all know that the ammonia spike is caused by die-off from Live Rocks.

Is it possible the die-off is caused by not enough flow circulation?

If I introduce another circulation pump, do you think there will be less die-off, hence ammonia should drop?

Is the above theory making any sense or am I just crazy? haha

[Reefmedic79]

While 8ppm is high, it's not completely unheard of during the initial cycle. You are also probably looking at a fairly long cycle too. That being said, I also don't suggest adding any type of accelerator product.
IMO&E, they don't really work i.e. it will still take 6-8 weeks to complete the cycle.

More circulation won't really cause less die off, as the die off occurs when the rock is out of the water during shipping. Once back in the water most of the die off stops, and the stuff that is already dead on the rock is what starts decaying, starting the nitrogen cycle.

[potatocouch]

I thought I post some of the Live Rock pictures just to know if you see any odd & unusual stuff happening during this cycle.

[IMG]http://i58.*******.com/v8lswi.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i62.*******.com/o74vmh.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i58.*******.com/153v2jb.jpg[/IMG]

Didn't test anything yesterday because I don't think anything would have changed much from the other day. I got a feeling that Ammonia would still be at 8 ppm

I am thinking of getting 2nd opinion on the Ammonia; what is the best Ammonia test kit out there? or perhaps, I should rephrase the question to: what is the most popular Ammonia test kit out there? or perhaps, what Ammonia test kit do you use?

[Reefmedic79]

I use Salifert test kits. Never really liked any of the other brands.