Amonia in my QT...why???

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

so my fish are in my 10 gallon QT because of ich. I have 2 clowns a royal grama and a small blue tang (about 2 inches). I've done water change 2 days in a row, (3 gallon) added a bottle of bio spira, and I'm still showing .25 amonia! API test kits...is this nnormal? Will the bio spira catch up? I put it in last night...

Any thoughts?

[Pigpen17]

I saw your other thread regarding filtration for your QT. What did you end up going with?

And as far as Biospira, it is not a magic ammonia remover. It just is a short cut to cycling your tank.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

I have a power filter HOB with a sponge media inside it. I'm treating with cupramine, so I dont have any carbon running. Will the biological catch up as the bio spira sets in?

[Kyle918]

API test kits frequently show 0.25ppm ammonia when it actually less. Try another test kit.

Prime would be better if you really do have ammonia as bio-spira will take some time to catch hold and the bacteria actually oxidize the ammonia.

[scuzy]

you have too much bioload for 10 gallons so your ammonia will rise

[igot2gats]

Originally Posted by Kyle918

API test kits frequently show 0.25ppm ammonia when it actually less. Try another test kit.

This

Originally Posted by scuzy

you have too much bioload for 10 gallons so your ammonia will rise

+ this.

API test kits are good for when you're cycling your tank, but that's about it.

[Spar]

Originally Posted by Kyle918

API test kits frequently show 0.25ppm ammonia when it actually less. Try another test kit.

Prime would be better if you really do have ammonia as bio-spira will take some time to catch hold and the bacteria actually oxidize the ammonia.

note that Prime + Cupramine/copper will KILL your fish! unfortunately, water changes and time are the only answers for ammonia in QT's when running copper.

my bets are on that your actual levels are < .25 as well.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Thanks everyone...so it looks like water changes every day. Will the ammonia eventually drop as the biological filtration gets established? I guess its going through somewhat of a cycle....

[shermanator]

What size filter do you have in there? Regardless, it's going to be hard to keep up with that bioload in a 10 gal. Maybe if you have an AC110 on there, but I doubt that is the case.

And do not add Prime to water with cupramine. It is safe to add cupramine to Prime treated water, but you have to wait several days after Prime is added. But the point remains that you cannot use Prime to control ammonia simultaneously with cupramine.

For what it's worth, I use CP to treat ich. It's compatible with Prime.

[shesacharmer]

I used TTM to treat Ich...less guessing. You should look for a bigger QT. Try Craigslist or yard sales.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Dam! So what should I do? My DT is empty except for my fire shrimp and snails. The 4 fish I have in QT is too big of a bio load, and I'm seeing ammonia around .25. I'm nervous that I'm hurting my fish by exposing them to ammonia and cant get another tank for QT. I guess 50% water changes every day? Will .25 ammonia levels hurt the fish?

[scuzy]

do more water change and go get another 10 gallon tank even a 29 gallon tote will work as a temp holding tank

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by shesacharmer

I used TTM to treat Ich...less guessing. You should look for a bigger QT. Try Craigslist or yard sales.

I always (now -- after an ich outbreak from a Diver's Den Gold Assessor) do TT as a prophylactic, but with an outbreak is it quick enough to help? CP can stabilize things relatively quickly (as can copper). Sometimes waiting 3 days for the first transfer can lead to a dead fish if the ich outbeak is bad enough.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by Sgt Jonny Cat

Dam! So what should I do? My DT is empty except for my fire shrimp and snails. The 4 fish I have in QT is too big of a bio load, and I'm seeing ammonia around .25. I'm nervous that I'm hurting my fish by exposing them to ammonia and cant get another tank for QT. I guess 50% water changes every day? Will .25 ammonia levels hurt the fish?

When my DT started leaking recently, I had everything (rock/fish/snails) in my salt water mixing trash can (Brute) until I could get enough tanks.

I now have everything that was in the 55 gal DT in three 20 gal tanks (each with a AquaClear 70) and that has been working well.

[jrozzi]

Has your tang had any white dots on it since your original post?

[bnumair]

keep in mind cupramine will also give false ammonia reading and you cannot use prime with cupramine. in fact there is no ammonia reducing agents that you can use with cupramine.
Add more surface area to QT by placing ceramic media and use seachem stability.

[m0nkie]

petco has 1$ per gallon sale this weekend. you can pick up a 20 or 30 gallon cheap

[Spar]

Originally Posted by m0nkie

petco has 1$ per gallon sale this weekend. you can pick up a 20 or 30 gallon cheap

thanks for the tip, i was needing to pickup a new 29/30g

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Ok...this makes sense that the cupramine can give false ammonia readings as I did a 3 gallon water change yesterday and another one this morning. Maybe this is what I am seeing.

Also, I don't see any white dots on my tang, but he has stopped scratching, I have a 2" PVC trap in the QT for them to hang around on and he isn't rubbing

[scuzy]

No ich just means they feel of him is still in the system

[dkeller_nc]

By the way, keep in mind that if you're referring to a blue hepatus tang, these fish get extremely large extremely quickly. Live Aquaria recommends a 180 gallon, 6-foot long tank as the minimum for this fish.

Something to think about - a 55 gallon will get very cramped very quickly.

[inetmug]

ARe you using sand? I run QT tanks with cuprimine, and I need to change water every third day as there is no biological filter in the system, only mechanical in a sponge. No carbon, no rock, etc.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

The QT is bare bottom with just a 2" PVC elbow

[Pigpen17]

Did these fish come from your tank?

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

yes they're from my tank...