Ammonia Problems

F

fullmeal88

New member
Ok so I just set up another tank and am running into some problems I didnt run into on previous tanks. The 180 gallon tank has been cycling for well over a month now and I still am reading nitrate levels over 1.0ppm. I have done many weekly water changes ranging from 40 to 100 gallons and I am still getting an ammonia reading.
I have some snails, hermits, and sand sifting stars in the tank and they are doing fine, but when I put a fish in they last maybe 24 hours.

My question is what can I do to fix this? Do ammonia removal kits work? What are my options?
 
1ppm nitrate isn't bad. What test kit are you using that gives this precision? Do you know what the accuracy of the kit is? Did you mean 10ppm perhaps?

Since you're reading ammonia though, you have a bigger problem -- sounds like you haven't given your tank a chance to cycle because of those massive water changes you're doing. Stop doing water changes until your ammonia and nitrites are zero. Measure ammonia, nitrite and and nitrate every other day and chart them to see how you're progressing.

Don't try to fix this problem with chemicals. If you want, you can throw in some biospira, though there is debate as to whether or not this speeds up the cycling process.
 
You're more than likely still seeing the side effects of organisms slowly dieing off the rock. Adding fish is slowing the cycling process since they are dieing thus creating more ammonia. It will go down, just be patient.
 
No offence intended but there is nothing magical about cycling a tank ... just takes patience.

Suggest you quit making water changes and otherwise fiddling with the tank and let mother nature do its work.

While your tanks cycling and your looking for something to do ... setup a quarantine tank and put a fish in there .. by the time the fish is out of Qt your show tank will be cycled.
 

Don't try to fix this problem with chemicals. If you want, you can throw in some biospira, though there is debate as to whether or not this speeds up the cycling process.
Click to expand...

I agree just wait, you jumped the gun a little early
 
I said it had been over a month, prolly two months if not more. I did not put anything in until just recently.
So basically if I do NOTHING the situation will resolve itself?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12413135#post12413135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fullmeal88
I said it had been over a month, prolly two months if not more. I did not put anything in until just recently.
So basically if I do NOTHING the situation will resolve itself?
Click to expand...
Basically, yes. It's not uncommon for a cycle to take many weeks and it sounds like you've just prolonged the cycle by performing large water changes and introducing life. Some people advocate doing small water changes during a cycle, others say only to do it if your ammonia rises to a certain level, and yet others take no action at all.

Ideally, your tank should be void of life (well anything that didn't come with the LR or LS) during the process IMO. If you have a separate tank, or a buddy, or a friendly LFS, I'd get them out of the tank. Your ammonia might still yet go up, then you'll start seeing nitrites raise. Your tank is cycled once your ammonia and nitrites are not measurable. After that, you should be concentrating on getting your nitrates to undetectable levels, though there isn't harm in adding livestock slowly once you've completed your cycle and your nitrates are acceptable (say, less than 10 for a reef; higher for a FO/FOWLR).

Just my two cents. Plenty of resources online for cycling a tank, the nitrogen cycle, and plenty of conflicting opinions as always :)
 
I don't know how much ammonia, nitrite or nitrate snails and hermits can handle. I guess though if I were in your situation I'd just get out the fish and hope for the best.

What are you reading for nitrites and nitrates?
 
No don't take out the snails and hermits. Not neccessary. What is your filtration? Unless I am missing something I didn't see it. Is it live rock your cycling? Is there a skimmer? Are you running a fuge? Do you have a cannister filter or hang on the back going?

When I set my 150g up I got the fuge running for about a week with some live rock in it and ran the lights 24/7. Transfered everything from 50g and added 3 fish evert couple weeks for a couple months and never got a spike. Also you can add a cannister filter and run it for about 6 months. Will help speed up the cycle but will add nitrates. After 6 months remove once the tank has become established and let the fuge do the rest. If this is mostly a fish tank I would suggest running a wet/dry and fuge combo. The wet dry will help keep ammonia in check while the fuge will help with the nitrates. Good luck and happy reefing.
 
As of now I am running a standard sump, I had a skimmer on it but unhooked it to put on another tank until I get a new one. I have a Fuge but it is not running yet. Right now I am cycling some rock and old sand.
 
With nothing to help the ammonia removal process it will take a while and probably kill off alot of your live rock. Throw a cannister filter if you have one or a couple of hang on the backs to help remove the ammonia.
 
Put some bio-balls into the water column.

Not submergred, but in an open-air container, like a typical wet/dry.

That'll bring your ammonia down in a hurry.
 
Ok I have Gallons of Bio Balls, I have NEVER used them as I read they can be nightmares however, in this situation if I put Bio balls in my filter sock will that suffice for the "open water column"?
 
Just be patient. Stop doing water changes and let the tank cycle. Thats all there is to it.
 
An ammonia spike has the potential to grow exponentially before it gets better.

As ammonia rises, it kills more organisms. Algae, coral polyps, etc.

As these organisms die, they add more ammonia to the water. As more ammonia is added to the water, more organisms die, and on, and on, and on.

While its true that you will eventually cycle regardless of how many organisms die as a result of the ammonia spike, the damage done to the tanks inhabitants, and the rusulting increase in nitrogenous waste could create many problems down the road.

I am a believer that there is definitely a place for bio-balls in the water column, in spite of the bad press that they get as "nitrate factories".

You may want to read more on my argument for this case here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1378586

and here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1378015

Read the facts and make up your own mind!
 
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