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03-02-2008, 10:45 PM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Fremont, CA Age: 32
Posts: 287
|  Ammonia Spike..can't get it down
I have a sudden spike of Ammonia (0.022ppm) and can't lower it. Tomorrow I'll be doing a major water change to see if it takes care of it. If not, what do you guys recommend.
I think I've pushed my bioload beyond the limit. I have a 46 Gal tank with these fish:
1 yellow tang, 1 sand sifting goby, 1 coral beauty, 1 pink skunk clown, 1 six line wrasse, 2 ocellaris clowns, 1 coral beauty.
And these inverts: 2 cleaner skunk shrimps, 9 Nassarius snails, 4 blue leg hermit crabs, 1 emeral crab, 2 sally feet crabs and 1 red foot conch.
Currently running carbon in canister filter, remora skimmer and UV sterelizer 24/7. I've been feeding everyday. If I can't get the ammonia to drop with the water and carbon change tomorrow, what do you guys recommend I do? How long can I go without feeding the fish without killing them.
I will also be adding Seachem's Purigen, Prime and Stability.
My fish are not showing signs of stress at all.
Thanks for the help.
Last edited by clownfish; 03-03-2008 at 01:13 AM.
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03-02-2008, 11:26 PM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Peppermint Shrimp
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 410
Karma: 164
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Are you feeding flakes or frozen? Also, move the tang to a bigger tank. If he hasn't outgrown the tank then he will soon. Tell us how it goes after the water change. It should definitely lower the ammonia.
_________
55gal,260 watt PC(2x65 actinic,2x65 10k daylight,8 lunar LED) 45#LR, 45#LS, 3 maxi-jet 900's on a natural wavemaker timer,phosban reactor, 5 gal fuge (built out of standard 10 gallon tank) with chaeto, grape, and feather caulerpa, sealife systems protein skimmer, wet/dry, 4 blue/green chromi, 1 skunk cleaner shrimp, 1 coral beauty,1 true perc, 5 mexican turbo snails, assorted dwarf blue leg hermits, astrea snails, and nerite snails | |
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03-02-2008, 11:33 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Feather Star
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Groningen, The Netherlands Age: 25
Posts: 756
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Hey! As a quick remedy you can try one of the Seachem filter medium: deNitrate. It is made of highly porous material that is coated with ammonia/nitrite/nitrate adsorbants! | |
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03-03-2008, 01:11 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Fremont, CA Age: 32
Posts: 287
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I'll be usin Seachem's Purigen, it's supposed to do the same as deNitrate. I'll order some deNi anyway. Tomorrow I'll be putting Seachem's Matrix Carbon, Purigen and Phosguard. Their carbon's supposed to be better, Purigen according to them, will take care of ammonia and the phosguard...well, to get my phosphates low.
About the yellow tang...he still a baby..pretty small guy...as soon as he grows in the next couple of months, I'll be taking him back to the LFS. | |
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03-03-2008, 06:58 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Gnarly Old Codfish
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Silverdale, Washington Age: 59
Posts: 4,788
  
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 - That is a large bioload for that sized tank.
Not that big a deal if you are will willing to take steps to manage it.
Increase amount and frequency of water changes. May even need to do couple of times a week.  Keep close eye on.
Only good longterm solution to a large bio-load. Hopefully biofilter will eventually catch up.
Decrese food amount as mentioned.
Reduce number of fish?
Good luck. _________ AG "125," AquaC EV 180, 30 gal sump, "SCWD", 80 lbs LR, CoralSeaLife "Moonlite" Hood, PFO 250W HQI Mini-Pendant (SPS HQI 14000k bulb)
12 Gallon NanoCube - 24w stock PC 50/50 light "...nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank, only bad things happen fast..."
- MIKE PALLETTA - (2008 Reef log) ("OmarD"/"Scott") | |
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03-03-2008, 08:15 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Meriden, Connecticut Age: 43
Posts: 3,941
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WOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEE...slow down a bit! Don't panic and start doing all these things at once in such a short period of time as you run the risk of over doing it causing more problems, and possibly much more dramatic ones at that!
First off, I would perform a 25-30% water change and see what that does!
Do you know if you have something that died in your tank recently, or did you add more inhabitants to your tank recently?
See how the water change works before going on to the next step!
Let us know _________ 125gal.w/Mag9.5 return(dual megaflow)>Mag7 pump Aqua Cev180skimmer.Wave2k Hamilton Reefstar(2)250watthqi(mh)pend.a Yellow, Naso Tang Red Lip Blenny Percula Clown Demoiselles Niger Trigger F. Wrasses Ceriantharia Orn.Shrimp and Stars Hermits Queen Conch asst. snails> Stars Zoos shrooms Montipora Brains Gorgonians Favia Turbinaria(large+small polyp) Acropora Xenia Tridacna (CroceaMaximaSquamosa) Leathers <35+75gal.reef tank as well> 
"IF THE PHONE DOESN'T RING...IT'S ME"  jb  | |
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03-03-2008, 08:25 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Gnarly Old Codfish
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Silverdale, Washington Age: 59
Posts: 4,788
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Yep, missed that.
Leave out those additives.
Better to do a number of smaller back to back water changes, then large ones (40-50%)
Make sure skimmer is working with max efficiency.
May want to invest in a larger one right away...
Test, Test, Test! | |
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03-03-2008, 11:29 AM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Fremont, CA Age: 32
Posts: 287
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My skimmer is for 75 Gals. BUT, now that you mention it....I bought the pre-filter for about a week ago...a couple of days later...the ammonia went up..could be related.
I'm doing a 40% percent water change today. I'll let you know how it goes. | |
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