Need help

[Slimkasey]

I need some expertise here.

2 days ago I did a major water change, about 50percent, because of a ammo spike that's off the charts, and that was the second one. I had introduced some new corals into the tank and then promptly removed them to a quarantine tank. Then did this water change.

Now 2 days later without the coral the ammo is off the charts again. I'm using ammo lock to neutralize the toxins, but I need to know what is causing this spike. All my inverts are accounted for and show healthy, form the Nossarius snails to the emerald crabs and the blue legs, everything shows healthy.

I have been having an issue with green hair algae again, and have turned off the lights to kill it off and scrub. Could this be it?

 

[Smitty]

It may be a bad test kit...especially if your inverts are doing well. Have the lfs double check your levels. If it isn't your kit, make sure you're using ro water, and aren't disturbing the sand bed when you do your water changes.

 

[Slimkasey]

Did disturb the sand a little bit while checking on the inverts, the kit is fine, as I got good reading on my quarantine tank.

Any other thoughts?

 

[little_fish]

That is odd, personally i would remove the inverts and let the tank recycle. Adding those "chemical lockers" are just going to prevent the bacteria from processing those wastes and growing their populations which will allow for this to keep happening. And are you sure everything is alive and accounted for? Sounds like something died in there to me

 

[Slimkasey]

Thank you, but all is there, could the dying green hair algae create this?

 

[little_fish]

it could be, but its not likely

 

[Slimkasey]

So my question to you is...API Ammo lock, is it not for neutralizing the toxin of ammonia, not the bacteria itself?

 

[little_fish]

it does neutralize the ammonia, but its through chemical means, it doesnt introduce bacteria into your tank that would normally process the ammonia

 

[Slimkasey]

So am I about to do another major water change?

 

[little_fish]

I would put what you can in the QT tank and let your tank deal with the mini cycle it has going on

 

[Ulta]

That is odd, personally i would remove the inverts and let the tank recycle. Adding those "chemical lockers" are just going to prevent the bacteria from processing those wastes and growing their populations which will allow for this to keep happening. And are you sure everything is alive and accounted for? Sounds like something died in there to me

Ammo lock just bonds to the ammonia making it not so toxic to the critters. Pretty sure the bacteria will still be able to break it down once they get cought up.

I agree with lilfish, get what you can in the quarantine and let your tank cycle.

Is your tank an older tank? If so I would look something causing the ammonia spike...

But most likely is seems like your tank did not do a very good cycle, so best bet is to let your bacteria populations get cought up.