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Unread 03/28/2011, 03:18 PM   #1
potterjon
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Cloudy ammonia spike

About one week ago, I tore down a 55 gallon FOWLR tank and used all the water and rock that was in it to establish a new 90 gallon tank in its place. The tank had one yellow tang, a blue damsel, an ebli angel, and two oceallaris clownfish. I took the ebli angel to the lfs because the idea was to go in a reef direction. Because the new tank had to go in the exact same location as the old tank I really didn't have the option of putting the fish anywhere else. This tank had been running for years and was overstocked and under filtered. I added about 20-25 lbs of live rock to the existing rock and replaced the old nasty gravel with some sand that I believe may have had some die off in it because it had been in a bag for about a week just sitting there wet. I rinsed the sand multiple times (I'm not sure how many to be exact but I rinsed it until it rinsed visibly clean). When I set up the new tank it all happened in one day. I added about 45 gallons of new saltwater and and used the existing 55 gallons of water that was from the old tank. Today there is an ammonia spike and the water is cloudy. Because I don't really have any other place to put the fish, I am wondering if I would be better off using a product like amquel during this spike or if I should just be doing diligent water changes on a daily basis to help keep the ammonia down until the tank cycles. I expected a small ammonia spike but I did not expect to see it spike so much that the water would be cloudy. There is approximately 40-45 lbs of established, cured live rock. Some from my 150 gallon 5 year old reef tank and some that was already in the old 55 that was torn down. It is my gut feeling to just let the fish ride out the ammonia spike and hope for the best, because it is my understanding that you need the ammonia to generate the bacteria to be able to establish the bio load. But I have to admit, this is not my tank and I feel somewhat responsible for the cloudiness in it and I am wondering what some of you more experienced reefers would do in this situation. I really do not have any where to quarantine these fish during this cycle so my question is would you use a product to help control the ammonia until the bacteria catches up, or would you do water changes every other day or so until the bacteria catches up?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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Unread 03/28/2011, 03:36 PM   #2
Tank Time
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Is the cloud the a sand or new water cloud? I would run as much filtration as possible changing floss regularly, run carbon and prime the tank to help with the ammonia.

As for the ammonia needed to generate bacteria statement, you already have bacteria on your rock from your 55G so ammonia at this point is not a good thing, but normal after a move like this. Your fish are fairly hardy, so theres a good chance they will make it, but keep an eye out.


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Unread 03/28/2011, 03:41 PM   #3
duncantse
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Do a couple of water changes until your ammonia is down to 0.


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Unread 03/28/2011, 03:43 PM   #4
potterjon
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I thought that there may be a small ammonia spike as I stated before but I really didn't expect to be able to see it. Ammonia is running somewhere between .25 and .5 by API test kits. I never really test for ammonia in my 150 gallon tank, therefore I have API. The tank we are discussing has a yellow tang, a blue damsel, and two ocellaris clowns. The cloudiness is not from the sand because that was my first thought when I got the call. But when I went to look at it, the water was just plain cloudy and there was a slight green film algae on the glass. The film wasn't there that morning and I had just left the tank about 6 hours before I got the call. This is a maintenance account that I just took over so I don't really know the history of the old 55 gallon that was there before, but I will tell you that it was really, really, really dirty.


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Unread 03/28/2011, 03:47 PM   #5
Tank Time
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Wow thats fast for algea, does sound like the tank is cycling. How old are the bulbs? Like duncantse said a water change is not a bad idea, but clean the glass before it.

It is possible that you are having a bacteria bloom. I have never expereienced but white clouds and high ammonia are a sign. Are the fish breathing deeply? Is there a skimmer on the system?


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Unread 03/28/2011, 08:00 PM   #6
potterjon
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There is not a skimmer on the system yet. It is only one week old and there aren't any corals in it yet so I didn't see the need for the skimmer yet. Bulbs should be ok. It is a used set up but the bulbs are only a few months old.


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Unread 03/28/2011, 08:36 PM   #7
bertoni
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If there's any ammonia present, I would dose some Amquel. The ammonia will still be available to bacteria, and the live rock should be fine, as stated. Water changes are a good idea, too, but a lot of work.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 06:11 AM   #8
potterjon
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I have to admit, I have never used amquel before and I don't understand the chemistry behind it. But I will give it a go this morning. Thanks for the help.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 08:49 AM   #9
potterjon
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So I visited the tank this morning and use a stress zyme at half the recommended dosage. My concern is depleted oxygen levels from using a product that will bind the ammonia, for what it is worth. I also tossed a bag of lignite carbon in the sump and will be ordering a reactor sometime today or tomorrow along with a skimmer. I am having a hard time telling whether it is an algae bloom or a bacteria bloom as I have never seen a bacteria bloom before and the lights are now metal halides. Before they were your standard t-8 bulbs over the old 55 gallon. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have used any of their old water from their 55 gallon, but transporting 90 gallons of water was a bit too much of a task, considering my vat only holds 60 gallons and I had to tear the old tank down and plumb and install the new one within a day and put the fish directly in the new tank. Live and learn I guess.


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Unread 03/31/2011, 03:28 PM   #10
Tank Time
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Update?


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