Ammonia problem!! Please help!!!

L

LuvMyPiggies

Reefing newb
Okay...

A friend could no longer care for her SW aquarium and asked me to take it. I was more than happy to, but concerned as well. I wouldn't normally recommend putting fish into a new set up immediately. I always recommend to my customers that they get the skimmer and filter running, add their live rock and allow it to run like that for a week before adding anything! However, that was not an option for me as the tank was given to me with fish, etc. I was given an algae blenny, damsel, 2 clowns, long-spined urchin, a feather duster, and about 6 hermit crabs. I set up the tank 2 nights ago, rinsed my filter media daily due to the stirred up sand, and decided to test it this evening to see where it is at. My levels are all fairly normal, nitrite is 0, nitrate is about 3 so still pretty good, and my PH is 8.0. My ammonia is through the roof! It was 80! I am not sure what to use to lower the ammonia levels in the tank before it starts killing everything. I have API Ammo Lock which I bought for my FW tank. Would anyone recommend this for my SW tank? I need to do something ASAP. Please help!

On a minor level, the tank also came with a lovely infestation of bristleworms. Any recommendations on how to get them out of my tank?? I have done a little research but I would prefer to hear what has worked first hand with some of you.

Thank you.
 
bristleworms are good for the tank, leave them. as for the ammonia, i wouldnt put anything made for a FW tank in a SW tank. and if possible tomorrow take all your fish and everything living in the tank to a fish store and tell them to hold them for you until you get your ammonia under control. and if you just set this tank up 2 days ago ammonia that high is normal due to a cycle but if its cycling i dont know how you have ammonia that high with no rites but you have a rate reading of 3.
 
If the tank is only running 2 days, the ammonia spike is pretty normal. During the cycle, Ammonia starts to go up usually and for me it went pretty high too the first few days.

I agree with dustin, remove the fish and put them somewhere safe (like your LFS) they will not make it thru something like this. Good luck and keep us updates.
 
kent makes an ammonia detox that will get rid of it for a bit but the only thing you can really do is start doing water changes
 
Like already stated.You need to get those fish out of there.Moving the tank has kicked off a cycle,so theres not much you can do but let it finish.
BUT,With ammonia that high,you should already be seeing stress in the critters.So before you do anything,have another store test the water parameters.Could be that you bad kits.
And leave the bristle worms alone.They make a great clean up crew.
BTW
Welcome to the site.
 
Moving the fish are not an option for me. My boss will not allow any outside fish in her tanks, so is there anything else I can do? I don't want anything to die. Fish here are outragiously priced so replacing them will be expensive.

As for the bristleworms, the infestation is extreme! There are thousands of them and I would prefer them gone or at least some way to keep them from multiplying so fast. If there a way to at least control the population of them?
 
test the water every day and do a 50% water change than after that just do 20 to 30% every day and keep the ammonia under 1ppm and it will cycle but will take longer and the levels wont be to bad for the fish but by no means good for them either.
 
I would buy a 10 gal tank and get good water from the LFS and move all the fish in there until cycle is done. Don;t know what kind of fish you have no but i really wouldnt risk hem dying which they probably will.
 
Most of the smaller wrasses will also eat bristle worms.
But dont worry about the worms untill the ammonia is under control.
 
Bristleworms are harmless and excellent cleaners for your tank. One of the best cleaners you can have. A total infestation of bristleworms will cure itself once you get the tank healthy, if there are so many in there, it's because they have so much food and are reproducing like mad. Get their food source under control, and the population will thin itself out. It all comes down to water quality.

As for the ammonia, if no one will hold the fish for you, you will need to do some big water changes. Doing water changes will lower the ammonia levels, but will prolong your cycle, which is also stressful to the fish. It's picking the lesser of two evils -- a quick, strong cycle, or a longer, weaker cycle. Your fish will probably withstand the latter better.

Your inverts are much more sensitive to water parameters though, so there's no guarantee that they will live, unfortunately. All of the fish you named are relatively hardy, and have a good chance at surviving.

You can also pick up a product called AmQuel to help your ammonia levels. It's only recommended to be used in an emergency, as there are always risks to adding any sort of medication or chemical to the tank. So it's up to you if you want to try it out. Most people say it works well.
 
The only ammonia detoxifier available where I am is API Ammo Lock. The bottle doesn't specify though if it is for FW or SW. Can I use this just to help with the process?

Believe me, if I could remove the fish from the tank, I would not hesitate. But for the one who suggested setting up a 10 gallon, I think it would be extremely stressful to cram everything I have in such a small tank. Plus a 10 gallon tank is $200 due to what it costs us to bring them in. I am in a very small town and for some reason, we can't get tanks shipped in with our regular orders from suppliers. We have to have them brought in by a special courier service which costs a fortune.

However I will keep searching for options...maybe I can find someone in town that will hold the fish for me, although I am iffy about other people's water quality as well. In the meantime, I will make sure my test kit is good. I will borough the one from work and test my tank again, as well as do a good water change for now.
 

Similar threads

Mike
We're Back!
Replies
0
Views
747
Mike
Mike
J
PULLING-OUT MY HAIR!
Replies
0
Views
2K
Jeff P.
J
Sashimi
75 gallon LPS 2.0 suggestions
Replies
0
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi
75G LPS 2.0
Replies
2
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
M
Novice needing advice!!
Replies
0
Views
1K
montgrl99
M
Back
Top