Ammonia

You will need to give a lot more details to get any kind of valuable answer.

What size tank?
How much live rock?
How much live sand?
What is the bio-load?
How long has the tank been up?
What are your nitrates and nitrites like?
Do you have a refugium?

Something is creating the ammonia in your system. Decomposition is a prime source for ammonia. It is better to address the source rather than the result.

John
 
I'm guessing your tank is fairly new. Ammonia is something that typically isn't a problem in older tanks due to the large bacteria populations. If the tank is new I would say give it time or you can reduce it though water changes. If you have an older tank and are having problems with ammonia, I would look for some sorces of decomp. like large ditritus piles, or dead snails..
 
ok,ill wait little longer...i have 2 days,and its a new tank duec :)
this are the readings right now...
ok guys,tell me if this sounds good...
Nitrite "0"
Nitrate "2.5"
Alk "1.7 - 2.8 . on the card it says normal..
Ph. "8.2"
Ammonia looks bad i think.. its 0.25
 
patience is the name of this game. The waiting was the hardest part of setting up my tanks.

How long has the tank been up and running?

Best of luck,

John
 
ummm i put water in on wednesday night... like how long it takes,so i know if everything its fine or maybe i need to do something about it...can i do something to help ammonia go to 0?
 
OK the tank needs to cycle. There will be stuff in the sand and rock that will die off to start the Nitrogen cycle. Once the tank has cycled you should avoid adding uncured rock, but even with cured rock you could get a small ammonia spike. I would do all your rock work before ever adding any coral to the tank.

My reef tank took 3 weeks to cycle, and it was grueling.

John
 
ok...so for now just keep checking water readings and should i buy more live rocks? keep changing water ones a week or maybe twice a week till its cycle?
 
Let it cycle, give it atleast 3 weeks, WHEN everything reads 0 for like a week, then you can add small things once at a time once a month.
 
Im liking this, good info so far guys :) My suggestion would be if you think you may want more LR down the road.. DO IT NOW. Any substrate for that matter. Everytime you add an unlive substrate, and especially that beautifull coraline and coral covered rock that comes in transhipped and is "uncured" as this will be producing alot of Ammonia such that a new system wont be able to keep up and more than likely crash into another cycle to start over again. That lesson will burn for me till Im done:rolleyes:

Hey maybe just in time for Santa to bring you a damsel :idea:

-Justin
 
That isnt a good idea, you dont know what is in that water.

I have done it before with Johns water at yourreef, But I know john is on top of his stuff.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8714970#post8714970 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tiburone9162003
would it be bad to mix waters,like mix the one i have now with the one from the lfs have for sale?
Click to expand...

With the tank just curring, and no livestock in it, I don't see any problems with that. Once the tank is going and you have corals and fish it is always best to check and match calcium, alkalinity, and pH levels between saltwater changes. However with just rock and sand in there, nothing to hurt...
BTW...I gave my tank a good month to cure befor putting in any livestock...
 
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