Ammonia Spike

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by Bangbang, Mar 18, 2003.

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  1. Bangbang

    Bangbang Plankton

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    Ok.......lets look at a hypothetical situation. The tank has been up and running for 7 months plus. It is a Fish Invert tank with no corals other than a few mushrooms. Nitrates, Nitrite and Ammonia has been 0 for five months. A fish is added and an Ammonia Spike occurs....wouldn't it be better to let the tank cycle and not do a water change so the biological filter can adapt to the change in the Bioload?
     
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  3. Wrassman

    Wrassman Peppermint Shrimp

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    It would be better to see if your tank can handle the spike. Otherwise, your tank is not going to be able to handle much of a bioload, is it? Your tank should be ready for the fish by now, if it is ever going to be ready for a fish.
     
  4. Bangbang

    Bangbang Plankton

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    [quote author=Wrassman link=board=General;num=1048011819;start=0#1 date=03/18/03 at 10:59:10]It would be better to see if your tank can handle the spike.  Otherwise, your tank is not going to be able to handle much of a bioload, is it?  Your tank should be ready for the fish by now, if it is ever going to be ready  for a fish.[/quote]

    The tank has had fish in it for 6 months..the spike did not occur untill a week ago when another fish was added. Till that time everything was 0.
     
  5. Wrassman

    Wrassman Peppermint Shrimp

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    Ok, Bangbang, how large is your tank? What kind of filtration are you using now? How high did the ammonia spike go? Does it look as though it might be tapering off now?

    Sorry for all the questions, but I can't help you unless I know a little more about your situation. :eek:
     
  6. Bangbang

    Bangbang Plankton

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    Ok.......it is a 29 gallon fish/invert with a few mushrooms. I run a Aquaclear 300 powerfilter,25 pounds liverock,and a skimmer. I have about 2 inches of aragonite for a sandbed. I am running an Eheim Powerball Pump for waterflow near the surface of the tank. During this spike I added another skimmer to remove more disolved solids,increase oxygen,and lower carbon dioxide. The ammonia level has risen to 1.0 from .5 in the last two days. Nitrates are 10. I have about 1 inch fish per 4 gallons.
     
  7. Wrassman

    Wrassman Peppermint Shrimp

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    Your ammonia will probably settle down in a couple of days, but you can look for elevated nitrate levels, probably around 15 from now on.

    My advise would be to add more live rock.  Do it slowly, so you don't have a mini-cycle going on.  Get a couple of pounds, and add it.  Next week, get a couple more, add it, and so on, until you've added maybe 10 more pounds.

    The reason I'm suggesting this, is that you are right on the line, dude.  You add one fish and get an ammonia spike.  That means you need more filtration going on in that tank.  The simplest way to get more filtraton going on is to add more live rock.  If you add 5-10 more pounds it is going to increase the amount of denitrifying bacteria in your tank, so that the next time you add a fish, nothing will happen (no spike, etc.).  Ok?? ;D
     
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  9. Bangbang

    Bangbang Plankton

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    I was thinking the same thing regarding the Liverock. I am on my way to get a couple pounds of cured rock now. Thankyou for not rippin on me and helping instead. I really appreciate it. I was catchin hell about not doin a waterchange and I was thinking that I would be defeating the purpose of a new cycle if I did that.
     
  10. Wrassman

    Wrassman Peppermint Shrimp

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    Sounds like good thinking, except for the fact that you had limited bacteria. The good thing is that you are getting new bacteria in your new rock that you are putting in your tank. Without that, you'd be just cycling over and over and over again. Which would be a real pain...
     
  11. CheckMateKingll

    CheckMateKingll Feather Duster

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    BangBang,,, [smiley=rifle.gif]
    Your Question about doing a water change, in my opinion, would be, no, unless your Ammonia was well above 2.0.
    By doing a Water change your also taking out good bacteria, moniter the Ammonia and if you have to, then do your water change.
    You also didn't mention how much and how often you feed the tank and Additives, like DT's....
    By the way, We don't rip no Arse here, ;D 8)
    HTH...
     
  12. stevem650

    stevem650 Astrea Snail

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    BangBang......You said that you have 1 inch per 4 gal. of fish. You might have to much fish in that tank. I would only keep about 4 fish in a 29gal. It will also depend on the size of the fish.