Join me for a strange one...

[kcress]

My tank is too tall for that H20ENG. Even lowered! You recognized Z's arm. LOL

DWZM; Inoculated last night.

Right after my last post I gave up trying to find Ammonia. Not one of our pharmacies has it. Not even the compounding ones. The world has changed. I used to be able to get pharmacy grade high concentration ammonia at most pharmacies but now, none of them have it.

So, I threw in 3 large prawns.

Today, the tank is growing cloudy and there are wisps of corruption in the air. The ammonia level? No change! So I expected to see the nitrate climbing out of zero. No! It's zero still. $^%@#^%@!!!! So I suppose the "cloud" is a bacteria bloom. Great. Just great.

Now what?

 

[H20ENG]

Turn on the pump and let those bacteria start doing their thing. Sooner the better. It will eventually settle out or stick to the walls and everything else.

Your ammonia will start to climb in a few days I'm sure as the prawns break down. Hopefully you stripped them of their beer batter breading first...

 

[kcress]

I was just going to dump them.. I'll keep them in there - on your say.

 

[terahz]

kcress, good stuff! Tank looks really nice. Regarding the cloudy water, I just restarted my tank a couple of weeks ago and it was murky for 4-5 days (dry rock, dry sand and salt water, nothing else). I'm sure it will be fine in a few days.

On a side note, the sand looks awesome, however don't plan on keeping any sand sifting gobies, pistol shrimp or having high flow. I had the marco fine sand and 4 months later started siphoning it out. Sand storms every day. Real PITA. Hope your's doesn't do that.

 

[kcress]

Hi terahz. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm a little concerned because the tank already went thru the sand storm and cloudiness phase which had settled out for about 2 days. This looks subtly different..

Following dwzm's live rock addition comment, I just added a feather duster and algae covered rock to the tank. Lets see if the dusters keel over or live.

You're saying the sand won't work for a golby and shrimp team? I figured the crushed coral my old tank is running wouldn't work but that this finer stuff would. Did you have a golby that filed a complaint?

 

[terahz]

I did also add a couple of live rocks at some point. I'm sure that helped, but I'm also sure it will be clear in a few days. Don't waste your water to do water changes. Just IMHO.

As for the goby/shrimp pair, I'm sure any sand will work. The shrimp just constantly works on its home and that was the problem. Every time he decided to change something, it was a day of cloudy tank + "snow" on everything. Maybe my sand was just way too fine. It was the fine one here http://www.marcorocks.com/sand.aspx

I ended up sucking out as much as I could and put in Tropic Eden Reeflakes. Couldn't be happier, and the shrimp and goby didn't seem to care either way. Shrimp got to work right away, just this time there were no sandstorms . Happy days.

 

[terahz]

I did also add a couple of live rocks at some point. I'm sure that helped, but I'm also sure it will be clear in a few days. Don't waste your water to do water changes. Just IMHO.

As for the goby/shrimp pair, I'm sure any sand will work. The shrimp just constantly works on its home and that was the problem. Every time he decided to change something, it was a day of cloudy tank + "snow" on everything. Maybe my sand was just way too fine. It was the fine one here http://www.marcorocks.com/sand.aspx

I ended up sucking out as much as I could and put in Tropic Eden Reeflakes. Couldn't be happier, and the shrimp and goby didn't seem to care either way. Shrimp got to work right away, just this time there were no sandstorms . Happy days.

 

[kcress]

Ah OK no problem with my sand other than potential sand storms. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[H20ENG]

Plus as the bacteria take hold and cover everything the sand sticks together a little better. You've got enough tank height that you can still have a ton of flow while keeping it lighter down by the sand. A balance between no storms but keeping detritus suspended for sure. Throw a couple scoops of your existing tank sand in there along with a rock or three.

 

[kcress]

The ammonia has gone NO where. The shrimp just SIT there smirking at me! They should be rotting or something. It's so hard to wait around for this to happen.

Does anyone know where I can buy pure ammonia? Walgreens? Home Despot? Paint stores?

 

[terahz]

You put a raw shrimp right?

I don't think you'll get much of a spike in your tank from 3 shrimp. It's not like salt water decomposes stuff that quickly and I think you have enough volume to dilute any ammonia that might show up.

Do you have an Ace Hardware around you? It should have pure ammonia. Peeing is always an option

 

[O2Surplus]

Kcress,

Look for Pure "household Ammonia" at your local grocery store. It's found in the cleaning supply Isle. I used to dose planted tanks with it, be careful though a little goes a very long ways.

 

[richfavinger]

http://store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution_p_190.html

 

[Radix]

Wow that look amazing, I'm liking the furniture you added inside. I now have inspiration for another tank!

 

[Jamie9169]

I get my pure ammonia from Ace Hardware, it is in the janitorial supplies section.

 

[Lazylivin]

I did the same as you starting with a sterile tank. I used MB7 and Prodibio BIO DIGEST to put the right kind of bacteria in the tank. I wouldn't put any live rock in the tank unless you absolutley know it is nusiance algae free. What I found is that typical live rock has lots of organisims and that creates a balance. Starting with a Sterile tank one type of algae or organisim will have no competion and flourish. So either keep it sterile and only introduce what you should or be very cautious in the piece of live rock you add.

 

[kcress]

You put a raw shrimp right?

I don't think you'll get much of a spike in your tank from 3 shrimp. It's not like salt water decomposes stuff that quickly and I think you have enough volume to dilute any ammonia that might show up.

Do you have an Ace Hardware around you? It should have pure ammonia. Peeing is always an option

Raw? No. It was breaded and deep fried. :fun2:

Kcress,

Look for Pure "household Ammonia" at your local grocery store. It's found in the cleaning supply Isle. I used to dose planted tanks with it, be careful though a little goes a very long ways.

Hi O2; No grocery store around here has it. What they have is violated with lemon scent.

http://store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution_p_190.html

Thanks for the link. If I don't come up with any this weekend I'll order that.

Wow that look amazing, I'm liking the furniture you added inside. I now have inspiration for another tank!

Hey, thanks! Glad you're tagging along.

I get my pure ammonia from Ace Hardware, it is in the janitorial supplies section.

You're the second to suggest Ace. I'm heading over there because the Ammonia test I just did still shows no difference. (lazy good fer nut'in slacker shrimp)

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Booyah!! Ace had ammonia. $2.99 for a quart. Thanks terahz and Jamie!! So I slopped some into the sump two hours ago. I need to do a test now.

I did the same as you starting with a sterile tank. I used MB7 and Prodibio BIO DIGEST to put the right kind of bacteria in the tank. I wouldn't put any live rock in the tank unless you absolutley know it is nusiance algae free. What I found is that typical live rock has lots of organisims and that creates a balance. Starting with a Sterile tank one type of algae or organisim will have no competion and flourish. So either keep it sterile and only introduce what you should or be very cautious in the piece of live rock you add.

Thanks Lazy. You're right on with the competition scene. I've seen exactly that about a dozen times in my systems. But, I just don't run a sterile system. I add everything and the biosphere itself has to sort it out. I occasionally toss in 5 gallons of fresh sea water from down the street. It often brings something interesting. So far I've been lucky and its not brought something nefarious. When this tank gets fully loaded I probably won't take that chance.

 

[kcress]

Yes indeed a little went a LONNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnnNNnng way. I put about a tablespoon of ammonia into 220 gallons and it blew the ammonia clear off the chart.

The nitrifying bacteria have something to work with now. :eek1:

 

[terahz]

Good to hear you found it and it works. But isn't all that bacteria going to die when they're done with the ammonia? Or are you planning to move a bunch of livestock immediately?

 

[kcress]

They don't die off in droves. They just throttle way back. Those that do die become ammonia and cannibalization takes care of that.

Future ammonia pulses are addressed rapidly because of the uniform distribution of surviving bacteria and that snappy 20 minute fission period. But yes, I will be moving in my small gang as soon as the existing ammonia is gone.