Ammonia at .50

[HABS#1]

So I tested today and everything is inline PH is at 7.8 temp is 76-78 all others tested fine but the ammonia it is sitting at 0.50 is this getting way to high?

[rustybucket145]

How new is your tank? Read up on cycling... If you have any fish/coral in the tank already it's likely that they will not make it... :(

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11138006#post11138006 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
How new is your tank? Read up on cycling... If you have any fish/coral in the tank already it's likely that they will not make it... :(

We have some blue legs and some snails. The system is over 2 weeks old now.

[richofoz]

.5pp is pretty high and i think your ph is a little on the low side too.
If your tank is still cycling its just part of the natural process.
If it's not cycling and you have any livestock at all I'd stop any feeding and do a 50% water change straight off, making sure to siphon out as much detritus as you can.
wait a couple of hours then test for ammonia again.
see what difference this has made.
It should drop your ammonia by a bit under half.
test again the next day and if you detect any ammonia again do another 25% water change. repeat the test / water change process until your kit won't show any ammonia at all.
Also, what kind of filtration are you using are there any pads or mesh that collect rubbish?

[Mini Me6]

Bring ur Ph above 8. IMHO ur ammonia is consistant with a cycling tank. My tank is 1 1/2 months and is still settling down. Don't rush the cycle. I wouldn't add any livestock until ur tank settles down. be consistant with water changes. Measure all parameters.

[richofoz]

sorry that last post wasn't there before!
I'm pretty sure your tank is still cycling if it's only two weeks old. It takes time for a balanced ecosystem to form in the confines of a tank.

At the moment your tank probably doesn't have enough beneficial bacteria to break down anything that has died (on live rock or sand).
It will develope over time though.

Some people say not to change the water whilst your tank's cycling, but IMO if you have living things in there you should. Otherwise your just as likely to have a hermit die, and if you can't see or get to it it's just going to break down and add even more ammonia to your system.

Just my2c hope it helps!
Rich

[rustybucket145]

Yeah, you're cycling. Fully expected for a 2 week old tank (which is VERY young btw) When the ammonia drops to 0 you will be ok to begin adding fish and/or corals.

DO NOT do any water changes. It will only prolong the increased ammonia levels. Let the tank naturally cycle and everything will be fine. Often the cycle will complete between 4 and 8 weeks.

Be patient and let the cycle run it's course. Adding chemicals will only harm your tank.

[HABS#1]

Thanks guys I added the hermits to do some lawn mowing on the liverock and the snails to get some of the green algea off the tank walls. All my tests were zeros till today. The PH dropped a couple days ago but I was told it was still well within the safe/normal parameters.

[HABS#1]

So I tested agin tonight and the ammonia has dropped it is now below 0.25 all other tests are at 0.

[dileggi]

I'm still a newbie here, but I'm thinking if the tank is only two weeks old, you may still be cycling if Amonia is at .50.

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11143994#post11143994 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
I'm still a newbie here, but I'm thinking if the tank is only two weeks old, you may still be cycling if Amonia is at .50.

Oh I am sure it is cycling but I like the fact that my ammonia spiked allready and is heading back down now.

[bertoni]

I'd do some water changes to help clear out any secondary metabolites and wait at least a few weeks before adding any other animals, including cleanup crew. Sounds like a normal tank. The low pH is a side-effect of the decay process.

[reefergeorge]

Your nitrites will be going up next. Keep up with you wcs.

[HABS#1]

Thanks guys I have not doen a water change or anything on this system I have pretty much left it alone other than putting in some poly filter and rowaphos into the canister filter.

[dileggi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11144053#post11144053 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HABS#1
Oh I am sure it is cycling but I like the fact that my ammonia spiked allready and is heading back down now.

It definitely sounds like everything is going smooth and heading the right direction, from what I know. Good luck with it!

[HABS#1]

Well the Ammonia is back to zero and nothing else has spiked yet. The PH is actually at 8.0 now also.

[dileggi]

If that's the case, you may be ready to go. How about your N02 & N03? Are they at zero? Especially the N02. I have never really been able to get my 03 to zero..close, but never 0! haha!

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11149876#post11149876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
If that's the case, you may be ready to go. How about your N02 & N03? Are they at zero? Especially the N02. I have never really been able to get my 03 to zero..close, but never 0! haha!

Both are sitting at as close to zero as I have seen them. The PH is back up to 8.0 so I hope this weekend sees even better numbers for the system.

[dileggi]

When I set up my 29 Bio Cube, I put in the live sand only. I used 30 lbs of live sand. My tank completely cycled in about two weeks. I'm sure the bio-balls helped as well.

As for my PH, I used the buffer to keep it at 8.2, which it has been steadily at now since Sept. I had some problems with my PH because I added the buffer too quick and when I added the LR, that raised my PH. I added Proper PH 8.2 and it fixed the problem in about a day or so.

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11150134#post11150134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
When I set up my 29 Bio Cube, I put in the live sand only. I used 30 lbs of live sand. My tank completely cycled in about two weeks. I'm sure the bio-balls helped as well.

As for my PH, I used the buffer to keep it at 8.2, which it has been steadily at now since Sept. I had some problems with my PH because I added the buffer too quick and when I added the LR, that raised my PH. I added Proper PH 8.2 and it fixed the problem in about a day or so.

We have crushed coral for substrate and fiji and tonga liverock about 27 pounds worth. I used a bit of ph balance to bring the PH up a tad today as it had been sitting at about 7.8 but it is all in line now and no further spikes I tested for Nitrite and Nitrate today and both are pretty much zero according to the colours for the test kit I have. I also have bio bals in my canister which I think has helped get things in order quicker.

[dileggi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11150372#post11150372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HABS#1
We have crushed coral for substrate and fiji and tonga liverock about 27 pounds worth. I used a bit of ph balance to bring the PH up a tad today as it had been sitting at about 7.8 but it is all in line now and no further spikes I tested for Nitrite and Nitrate today and both are pretty much zero according to the colours for the test kit I have. I also have bio bals in my canister which I think has helped get things in order quicker.

It sounds like you're ready to go, from what I know. Hopefully, someone with a little more experience may chime in, but I would give it a shot and try adding something to the tank, like maybe a green chromis fish or two and see how they do. Some people use Damsels, but they're very territorial and they make it tough to add other fish. I used 2 Green Chromis as my starter fish and they're both still alive as well as my two clownfish that I had added about two weeks after the Chromis.

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11150444#post11150444 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
It sounds like you're ready to go, from what I know. Hopefully, someone with a little more experience may chime in, but I would give it a shot and try adding something to the tank, like maybe a green chromis fish or two and see how they do. Some people use Damsels, but they're very territorial and they make it tough to add other fish. I used 2 Green Chromis as my starter fish and they're both still alive as well as my two clownfish that I had added about two weeks after the Chromis.

I am heading to the shop tonight to look into what they reccomend and to have them run tests on the water also just to confirm it is safe to go foreward.

[dileggi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11150459#post11150459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HABS#1
I am heading to the shop tonight to look into what they reccomend and to have them run tests on the water also just to confirm it is safe to go foreward.

That sounds great. Let me know how you make out!

Good luck!

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11150500#post11150500 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
That sounds great. Let me know how you make out!

Good luck!

Well they tested everything they tested for phosphates and ammonia and nitrate and nitrite and all were perfect and my PH was 8.1 and the salinity was 1.024. So I brought home 3 blue green chromis.

[dileggi]

That's pretty cool. Same thing I started with. How are they doing?

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11154071#post11154071 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
That's pretty cool. Same thing I started with. How are they doing?

They have been great very very active they seem to swim non stop. How often do you feed yours? I have just been putting in small ammounts of food 2 times a day for them now.