amonia levels ?

[jck9]

why are my ammonia levels going up but my nitrite and nitrate have not changed? trite is 0 and trate is <10? cant understand this. if ammonia goes up shouldnt the others react? what can i do? im doing a water change now

 

[chkra_hp]

Do a quick water change. ammonia should drop eventually and then nitrite go up then drop too. that how mine go.

 

[jck9]

i know thats how cycleing goes but my tanks been set up for about a year.

 

[chkra_hp]

oh a water change should do the job. Update us with how it go after the water change

 

[Henry Bowman]

You may want to look at how old your test kits are. You can get false readings after they age. Salifert tests are regarded as some of the best. Some of the "kits" seem to be a better deal but when it comes to the environment that you are trying to keep your pets in, you are better off using tests that are known to produce accurate results.

FWIW

 

[loves saltwater]

Missing any livestock ? How long has the Am been high ?

 

[jck9]

a couple days that ive noticed. i added a sump instead of my canister filter a little over a week ago and after that things got a little weird. my xenias died and my rbta is all shriveled. im guessing its cause of the ammonia but why the change in levels?

 

[bertoni]

I'd verify the test kit, first. Some AmQuel will help the animals temporarily, although it'll confuse most test kits.

You removed the canister filter? Did it have biological media in it? If so, that would be a likely cause of an ammonia spike.

 

[Icefire]

Did ou use silicone in the sump? if so which one?

 

[danceswithfish]

What is in your sump? I am thingking that there might have been alot of bacteria in your canister filter that were "eating" amonia and changing it into nitrite. These bacteria might not be present at levels enough to get nitrite. Maybe your tank just needs a little time to get these bacteria back that were lost with the canister filter?

 

[jck9]

yes i used silicone. i asked on here in the diy section and i was told by a few people to use the ge brand door and window silicone. it says 100% silicone on it. should i add any biospira or anything like that to get the bio filter back up if removing the canister filter got rid of some of it

 

[Zestay]

if that silicone says " bio guard " or mildew resistant it will kill your tank.

 

[danceswithfish]

I don't know if I would add any stuff that is supossed to build up beneficial bacteria. I am not sure how effective it is. How many pounds of live rock do you have and how many gallons in your tank?

It might take a bit of time for your tank to ajust to losing the bacteria in your canister filter and the bacteria need a place to grow. Thats why I have lots of live rock. It is kind of like your tank is cycling again maybe? I would give it some time and see how it goes. I bet your nitrite and nitrate will start raising in awhile. It also might be a good idea to make sure there is enough water flow in your tank so that the there is no dead spots and that the water is flowing over the rocks.

Might be a good idea to do some water changes if amonia gets really high, pretty sure living stuff dosn't like it high.

 

[Icefire]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9503154#post9503154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jck9
yes i used silicone. i asked on here in the diy section and i was told by a few people to use the ge brand door and window silicone. it says 100% silicone on it. should i add any biospira or anything like that to get the bio filter back up if removing the canister filter got rid of some of it

Which did you get? GE I or II?

 

[jck9]

ge I i believe but it does say bioseal. what should i do. everything else seems ok. should i redo it? or will it be ok? ive been running carbon will that help?

 

[jck9]

bump. im really nervouse now. i dont want to kill everything in the tank. lookig for advice.

 

[bertoni]

I'd remove the sump until you're sure about the mildew killer. More carbon, Amquel, water changes.