Ammonia!! What is Wrong?

[schnebbles]

Ok, so I have now lost nearly every fish Very upset.

As you probably read the other day, my anem was dying I believe which caused ammonia to spike. Several fish died. I pulled the anem and did a 16-17 gallon w/c very early Monday morning on a 40g. Ammonia was 0.

Didn't check it again, thought all was ok since anem was gone and that's about my typical wc.

Tonight after work I realize my 2 clowns are dead now. ***? So, I check ammonia and it's spiked again up over 1, probably closer to 2.

Forcing me to do another 15g water change just now.

What could be going on?

 

[pfan151]

How old is the tank?

 

[schnebbles]

I started the beginning of October but it's been running perfect. It's cycled, all fish and corals were doing fine until the anemone issue.

 

[Ou8me2]

You sure you got everything out of the tank that died? There has to be something in the tank causing that high of an ammonia spike.

 

[pfan151]

I'd dump some prime in and do daily waterchanges until things stabilize

 

[schnebbles]

I've done 2 huge water changes, it's still 0 this morning. I'm not finding any fish remains. One is unaccounted for but I can't find it. I'm going to be testing 2x a day at least until I know it's ok.

I couldn't have thrown it into a new cycle could I?

It was a crazy high spike. I feel terrible, my clowns were fine and I thought it was ok after the 1st wc and then it happened again and killed them.

The peppermint shrimp and crabs are great and bringing dead fish to my attention and they don't have anything I haven't pulled out.

 

[TokiHacker]

i'd dump some prime in and do daily waterchanges until things stabilize

+1

 

[Sk8r]

Anemones not only produce ammonia through decay, they release stinging cells (nematocysts) as they die and come apart, which can do additional damage. They're spring-loaded and don't depend on the critter being alive to go on stinging. And nems are highly mobile, with an affinity for powerheads and outflows. This is why we recommend anemones wait until your second year---and definitely keeping a reef with an anemone is risky. Put a 1 micron filter sock on the tank to catch any floaty bits, and let it get through its ammonia snit and do a mild recycle. Your bacteria aren't dead. It'll correct itself.

 

[schnebbles]

ok, my mom keeps insisting I've changed out WAY too much water. I don't agree. I should have listened and not gotten the nem. I feel bad or it as well. It was still alive when I had to remove it. Not doing great maybe, but it was alive. I won't get another one. I did like it but it's not worth the risk.

 

[rajilnaja]

ok, my mom keeps insisting I've changed out WAY too much water. I don't agree. I should have listened and not gotten the nem. I feel bad or it as well. It was still alive when I had to remove it. Not doing great maybe, but it was alive. I won't get another one. I did like it but it's not worth the risk.

Yeah they can be risky, I only have the mini carpet and it scares me. It felt the urge to move the other day and I couldnt find it before I had to leave for work. The amount of stress it caused me until I was able to get home and find it was awful. It had just pulled itself all the way through the rock it was on and was just on the other side thankfully.