Majestic Angel in QT, need help

[boilermaker1]

I'm at a loss... I've had him since friday morning. He's eating, swimming, happy. He's in a 40 br. QT was running for 10 days before i got him, i pulled a couple rocks out of my sump and ran a sponge filter in my sump for a few days, then added it to the QT. I was doing 10-15 gallon water changes a day, syphoning out the food he didnt eat (i was overfeeding a bit because I wasnt sure what he would eat at first, as of now, he's eating nori, mysis and angel/butterfly frozen mix, so thats what I'm feeding him). Last night I did my nightly 10-15 gallon change (fresh instant ocean mixed to 1.023, I dont know the exact amount, I'm draining into a 5 gallon bucket and refilling from a rubbermaid tub), then tested the ammonia... test comes up 0.25. So I'm like crap. Fire up the RODI, I did another 30ish gallon change this morning, and another 5 gallon change tonight. So I've basically changed 50 gallons in a 40 gallon tank, ran the test again, bang, still reading 0.25. I'm at a loss.
I've got the RODI pulling another all nighter.
I'm debating doing the change in my DT, and draining the DT into the QT, and discarding the QT water... to get some established water in the QT. Yes? I do realize if I have anything in my DT (I dont think i do), it'll end up in the QT... but hooray for Prazi-pro!
If not I'm open to suggestions.
Im using an API kit, its about 6-8 months old. It read 0 on friday, saturday and sunday, and reads 0 on my DT, so I assume its still viable. There's no Amquel or Prime, etc... that would give a false reading.

 

[rachenbrazil]

You can use DT water in QT , but you may infect the majestic with any strain of ich that lives in your DT. This would be ok if your fish is now feeding well and healthy as it can recover from it fast and will be less prone to be infected again when in DT.
If you have some virulent form of ich in your DT , I would be more carefull to expose him to that (some tanks seems to have nuclear strains of ich) , with less water from DT and check him carefully before more exposition...
But if done carefully , using DT water would be fine. As your fish is fine , I would use it as more stable water than fresh prepared water ...
if your fish is not that fine, don't use the DT water yet...let's the fish gain strenght them use the dt water as most of time , using DT water will expose fish to ich strain ...


my 2 cents...

 

[tcmfish]

Using water from the display tank won't fix your problem. Have you tested the water you use for water changes for ammonia before using it in the QT tank? If it is at zero, and your display tank is at zero, you will still get a spike because something in the QT is causing it.

There may just not be enough bacteria to adequately support the bioload.

 

[flameangel88]

Any chance of something dying from the live rocks? As Tim suggested, I would also test the new batch of water to confirm zero reading. With that much WC I really don't see how you're still getting a 0.25 reading.

Sorry, not much help here.

 

[boilermaker1]

Just an update... I did another 15 gallons this morning with water from my DT (dont know if that mattered or not), but I tested it at about 1:30 this afternoon and got a 0 reading.
This rock has been in my sump for months, so I wouldnt think the rock to be an issue, but who knows. I didnt test the fresh mixed water; wouldnt have seen it as a problem. Going to test the tank again later when I get home and see where I stand, I'll test the new mix water too, I've still got another 20 gallons or so mixing in a rubbermaid.
So either the biofilter caught up over the last 24 hours, something in the rocks died and the system just took care of it.

 

[tcmfish]

Or your source water is high...

 

[problemfixer]

Are you doing a 15g water change for a 40g tank?
Maybe I read it wrong, but that's a very large water change at one time for a 40g system, which may be a problem.
Maybe I misunderstood what your saying?

 

[boilermaker1]

10pm update... still reading 0. I tested the rubbermaid tub (RODI + Seachem reef salt)... it also registered 0. I'll keep the situation under a close eye. It may have been the initial overfeeding that did it.
Yes, you read correctly 15 gallons in a 40g. I dont think thats too unreasonable in a QT.

 

[flameangel88]

I've a 40g QT myself and perform 15-20g WC every week (with new fish in) and more often after med/chem treatment. After treatment I perform 10g twice a week then once per week while the fish is in QT anywhere from 4-8 weeks there. I don't run a skimmer in the QT so I'm willing to do more WC to compensate.

 

[problemfixer]

If you have live rock in your qt I would think you would not need such large water changes.
I also place live rock from sump in 29g qt when I get a new fish, and run a hang-on skimmer. Haven't had a need to do large/daily water changes.