ammonia in QT

[lovelylinda]

My friend bought a gorgeous purple tang from Majestic, and I put him in my QT since she doesn't have one. It's a 35 gallon with 2 hang on filters and a powerhead. Set up for over a year with 1 inch and a 2 inch damsel. The damsels went into my sump, and I added a large piece of rock from my tank, about 6 pounds. (bought new rock from Rob to put in the MT because it looked empty- lol) So now I have .5 of nitrite and a hint of ammonia in the QT. Have done 2- 10 gallon water changes and added cycly. Is this dangerous for the fish? Anything else to do besides water changes? The tang is eating seaweed and looks ok.

 

[mmgm]

Any ammonia readings in a tank are dangerous..... I would remove whatever is dying/causing the ammonia spike in your tank. Sounds like the rock you put in has not cured yet and you may be getting die off from the rock..... The tank has been up for a while and should be cycled so if you remove the source of ammonia spike your issue should be solved...

Good Luck......

 

[lovelylinda]

The rock has been in my 125 for months, so I'm sure it's cycled- now I have no ammonia and .5 nitrites- doing 10 gallin water changes daily- but what could be dying on the rock?- I checked it and rinsed it in warm salt water prior to putting it in QT- no snails on it or anything.

 

[mmgm]

Something in your tank died...... Hopefully you are over the spike at this point.....

Let us know how you make out.....

 

[lovelylinda]

So, I took out the rock and put it in a bucket with heater & powerhead- I was hesitant to put it back in the 125 and, sure enough, the tang has ich- probably brought on by water problems. I took the sponge from the baffles of the 125 sump and added it to the QT filter. I'm using copper, and have no ammonia. All this for a friend's fish. Yeesh!

 

[kscrimshaw]

Had you used copper in that tank before? Just a thought, but if there was residual copper in your QT, it may have killed whatever was on/in the rock. If so, don't put that rock back in your main tank!

 

[lovelylinda]

The QT never had copper before- I've used hyposaline but not medications. I, of course, took out the rock prior to medicating the tank, and it's in a big tub in my guest bath. I'll leave it there for a month or so, then put it back in my tank. Still fighting ammonia in the QT- fortuanately the tang looks good and is eating.

 

[owsi]

not that it matters now, was the rock on the sand bed in main tank? I f so changeing positions to QT might have exposed dead and dieing material on rock in QT tank. Tang and Ich, go hand in hand, feed lots of calaupera, Formula Two if you have any.

 

[lovelylinda]

He's doing well now- eating like a pig, no spots- finally no ammonia for last few days- and yes, the rock was on the sand a little. One more week of copper and the 2 weeks of rest, then off he goes to his real home, and I'll sleep easier.