trouble with water

[jelley fish]

hi i cant seam to get my water the way it should be , am haveing trouble with ammona fist its ok then it goes back up , only thing new in the tank is 2 small clowns and some live rock , i have changed the water 2 times any one have any ideas its a 30 gal tank it has live sand and live rock and 2 small clowns and 3 hermits

[bertoni]

How much live rock is in the system, and how much water have you been changing? How long has the tank been running? Also, what's the ammonia reading?

I would dose some Amquel or Prime into the system for the time being, since ammonia can cause long-term damage to fish.

[jelley fish]

hi the tank has been up for over 5 years i have never had trouble like this before the ammona reading is 0.50

[bertoni]

I wouldn't necessarily trust the ammonia kit. They often fail and read small amounts of ammonia like that in everything. I would dose some Prime or the like, though, and get a second opinion on the kit. Testing some RO/DI water might be useful. It's a bit strange that the kit is inconsistent, though. Any changes in the feeding schedule recently?

[downbeach]

What was the condition of the LR that you just added? There may have been some die off that started a cycle. What kit are you using to test? What are your other parameters?

[jelley fish]

the live rock is fine it has purple growth on it , all of the other levels are in the safe range ,what is prime i am not sure what that is , i for got to tall u i had a small frag in there to it was doing pretty good but now it dont look to good looks like its growing some kind of green moss maybe i should just get rid of it ,i am running led lights on the top if it makes a differince need help

[jelley fish]

allso the kit i use is a master kit for saltwater has it all in there ph is 8.4 temp 82 the kits name is mars fishcare

[jelley fish]

How much live rock is in the system, and how much water have you been changing? How long has the tank been running? Also, what's the ammonia reading?

I would dose some Amquel or Prime into the system for the time being, since ammonia can cause long-term damage to fish.

hi am not sure what prime is tell me so i can get some and try it plzz

[Dapg8gt]

Prime is a water conditioner made by seachem. Sold pretty much everywhere.

And just because a rock is purple doesn't mean it's good. I you transported It dry to your house it would have had a substantial die off. And cause the cycle you are experiencing. Not sure if I'm buying the tank being 5 years old if you say fuzzy stuff (most likely green hair algae)LOL JK ..kinda ..could be wrong so no offense:-) ..Besides the point I would definitely get a second opinion on the testing from a LFS or a friend with a different brand kit. And I have never heard of the kit you have but you might want to consider getting a reputable kit API being the cheapest or red sea, salifert on the higher end and in my opinion more accurate. Good luck hope you get it figured out.

Also should post a full parameters list of results. Cal,alk, mag, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia , phosphate and PH.. I know you have already posted some but not others. Also filtration, do you use RODI for top off , ETC.. Have you changed anything recently food , filter media, less more water changes.

[jelley fish]

yes i did change and clean one of the filters , thank u i will look in to a different test kit it could be not a good one the price was not cheap , also what do u think about canister filters are they better then the hang on the back i have 2 wisper 400s running they seam ok am looking in to a skimmer i had one but it got broke

[Dapg8gt]

I would stay away from canister filters. Harder to clean and kinda out of sight out of mind thing. With the back Pack style filters just make sure you clean the sponges at least weekly or they will just pump nitrates thru the water column. They are not the best but it will work with the proper maintenance. And you should def look into getting another skimmer tht will help with overall tank health and water quality and help to keep a more stable PH by oxygenating the water. And I advise to change ou the carbon at least monthly since that is really your only means of export. That and cleaning of the sponges regularly. Check craigslist for a used skimmer or the classifieds here on RC. You can find some good deals.

Prob doesn't apply to you but I read a thread where a guy was getting ammonia spikes in his tank and it turned out to be a cat litter box next to the tank. Prob a long shot but just thought I would throw that out there.

[jelley fish]

thank u for the info i did not know u had to clean the filters that much i will start keeping better track of this

[jelley fish]

i have a question to my wife to be has a 85 gal hex that she wants to change over to salt water how long u think this may take to cycle she wants to put coral and seahorses in there

[MarineSniper]

Seahorses are very hard to maintain. They're really not something you want to start out with. They require very precise water conditions and a mature tank. I would wait at least a year, researching their needs and learning the skills of keeping your tank stable before considering them. There are some corals that can be kept with seahorses but they require cooler water temperatures than most corals

Cycling a tank can take anywhere from a month to two, dependent on several factors. Even when my tank has cycled through, and mine usually doesn't due to using water and rock from my other tanks, I don't add anything before 6 weeks. Time is stability in this hobby and what seems to be a ready tank can be thrown into chaos with the addition of any bio load

[jelley fish]

ok thank u was not sure how long it would take and as far as sea horses i have never tryed them but she wants to try them will see

[Dapg8gt]

Honestly I would stay away from seahorses. They are not an easy thing to keep. They need pristine water and a specific habitat to take care of them. I would highly recommend you read some of the stickies on RC about basic reef keeping and the basic chemistry of reefing.There's a lot that goes into a reef tank and or a seahorse tank. You would need a low flow environment specially constructed to them .low flow with not pristine conditions and equipment means algae soup and dead animals. You need to invest in good equipment and know the basics to have success. Do a lot of research before buying something just because she or you likes them or thinks there cool. It's not fair to the animals..

Some of your questions kinda lead me to believe that your tank is not as old as you state it is. I'm not trying to be rude but your questions, livestock, and set up to me sounds like its a new tank. Most new reefers first fish are clownfish just sayin... And to ask how long a cycle will take to me from the outside looking in seems like a new to the hobby question. A cycle takes how long it takes. Some are faster than others. It's pretty much up to the individual tank itself. Some wait as much as two months to add anything other than a clean up crew. Others cycle with fish , shrimp or anything that will start the nitrifying bacteria to establish. Basically it's done when your tests say its done. And again I am just stating what I think and not trying to be a jerk so don't take it that way.

The best way to get the answers you seek is with proper info. Good luck with your tank and your cycle and read those stickies at the top of the specific forums. You wont regret it And it will help you in the future if issues arise in your tank or also to help out other people here on RC when they ask a question you know the answer to. :-)

[MarineSniper]

Honestly I would stay away from seahorses. They are not an easy thing to keep. They need pristine water and a specific habitat to take care of them. I would highly recommend you read some of the stickies on RC about basic reef keeping and the basic chemistry of reefing.There's a lot that goes into a reef tank and or a seahorse tank. You would need a low flow environment specially constructed to them .low flow with not pristine conditions and equipment means algae soup and dead animals. You need to invest in good equipment and know the basics to have success. Do a lot of research before buying something just because she or you likes them or thinks there cool. It's not fair to the animals..

Some of your questions kinda lead me to believe that your tank is not as old as you state it is. I'm not trying to be rude but your questions, livestock, and set up to me sounds like its a new tank. Most new reefers first fish are clownfish just sayin... And to ask how long a cycle will take to me from the outside looking in seems like a new to the hobby question. A cycle takes how long it takes. Some are faster than others. It's pretty much up to the individual tank itself. Some wait as much as two months to add anything other than a clean up crew. Others cycle with fish , shrimp or anything that will start the nitrifying bacteria to establish. Basically it's done when your tests say its done. And again I am just stating what I think and not trying to be a jerk so don't take it that way.

The best way to get the answers you seek is with proper info. Good luck with your tank and your cycle and read those stickies at the top of the specific forums. You wont regret it And it will help you in the future if issues arise in your tank or also to help out other people here on RC when they ask a question you know the answer to. :-)

+1. There's nothing wrong with being new to the hobby and you'll learn more being straight forward. We all started out with little to no knowledge of the many little things that can only be learned through experience. One of the best things about this hobby is the people in it. You'll go through nothing alone and this, and other forums are here to help. You're unlikely, highly unlikely, to run into any problem that someone here hasn't dealt with before. Best advice, even if you've acquired a 5 year old tank, is to go slow, treat it like new as it really is; if it's been moved, avoid rapid changes of any type and learn all you can. Someone is always here to help