need a quick answer...

[here fishy fishy]

I'm having an ammonia spike (over-feeding...thought I might be). Doing partial water changes through the weekend, but picked up some API ammo-lock...is this okay to use? AMmonia is at 1.0 ppm.

thanks!

[Scott Riemer]

The only thing that actually removes ammonia from water is removing water. I'd suggest continuing with larger water changes and passing on the chemicals. That's just my opinion though.

 

Edit: To clarify, nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria also convert ammonia. My comment was intended to reflect the fact that your ammonia seems to be increasing faster than your bacteria can process it.

[here fishy fishy]

The only thing that actually removes ammonia from water is removing water. I'd suggest continuing with larger water changes and passing on the chemicals. That's just my opinion though.

 

Edit: To clarify, nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria also convert ammonia. My comment was intended to reflect the fact that your ammonia seems to be increasing faster than your bacteria can process it.

 

With the crud I just cleaned out of my filter, I'm not surprised...ewwww....

[Scott Riemer]

With the crud I just cleaned out of my filter, I'm not surprised...ewwww....

Excess food?

[clifford513]

It won't hurt to do larger water changes. But, if you go that route and continue to do whatever is causing the problem, your tank will be in perpetual cycle mode or crash when you neglect to do a couple water changes.

[Scott Riemer]

It won't hurt to do larger water changes. But, if you go that route and continue to do whatever is causing the problem, your tank will be in perpetual cycle mode or crash when you neglect to do a couple water changes.

I agree except if she's overfeeding (and that's the source of the ammonia) and stops then the ammonia should not be a problem any longer.

[clifford513]

My point, exactly

[chaostactics]

Fresh(salt water) in moderation is often the best thing to cure what ails ya (or your tank). Funny this thread says 6 replies but 0 views, any one else notice that.

 

kris the other problem with ammo lock is while it may make it "not harmful" when you go to test again it can some times give you false positive on your test kit.

[Scott Riemer]

Fresh(salt water) in moderation is often the best thing to cure what ails ya (or your tank). Funny this thread says 6 replies but 0 views, any one else notice that.

The views do not update as often as the replies.

[here fishy fishy]

I got a nano serpent star and a little red brittle star in my sea life inc order, and was having a little too much fun feeding those guys...knew it was likely too much cause they are bigger chunks of squid and scallops, and while I would see them take it and slither away, I wasn't sure how much the fish were swiping from them. I would see my wrasse swimming around with a big chunk hanging out of his mouth.

 

What those goofy fish don't know is that if they keep taking the stars dinner, they will BE the stars dinner.

 

Gonna cut down the star feeding to once a week instead of every other day

[here fishy fishy]

Excess food?

Excess food, yes.

[The Propagator]

Do not use ammo-lock for saltwater aquaria especially a reef system.

Ammonia is a bad thing BUT in a new system that is going through its cycle ammonia is not a bad thing it is a sign that your new aquarium is cycling naturally and that beneficial bacteria will soon be present to knock out the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If you use ammo lock and remove the ammonia you will stunt the natural process and your system will not have a natural balance it needs for a complete cycle.

It will constantly be on the cusp.

 

Just continue on with water changes, and lighter feedings until the natural bacteria catch up to the bio load and you will be fine. But I HIGHLY suggest performing 2-3 large water changes over the next week to bring that ammonia down as much as you can. It is a myth that large water changes will remove good bacteria along with the bad. Good bacteria live mainly in and on the rocks and sand bed. Not so much in the water column its self. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates however are more abundant in the water column because they feed on the waist coming off of decay in a cycling or over fed system.

The decay in the sand bed as a biproduct of the good guys breaking it down and that breaks free and floats around in your aquarium feeding ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates.

Which again, is why you have to let the tank cycle fully, and add slowly. So that the good bacteria can build its self up slowly to mach the waist being produced.

Again, simply performing lager then normal water changes will not deplete the good bacteria that is already present. That is a myth ( providing of course that your salinity, temp, alk and ph are close to the water your changing out ). It will however deplete the amount of trites, trates, phosphates and ammonia present.

 

Always remember that every thing is actually there in balance after a cycle. Equal proportions of both good and bad bacteria. It is so because they all fee don each other and in the process create a micro eco system in which your tanks inhabitants can live. When you add a larger bioload, say a new fish..., you have to give that micro eco system time to adjust to the amount of new waist being introduced. It does so by multiplying both good and bad bacteria to accommodate consumption of the new found waist until a new balance has been reached.

If you completely remove one ( ammonia in this case ) The rest will spin out of control via over population of one or more types of bacteria.

 

That makes sense in my head but doesn't always come out correctly in type.

I hope you at least get the idea of what I am talking about any way LOL!

 

Weather it says it is safe for saltwater use or not just don't use it.

The stuff was designed for goldfish bowls and that's about it.

[here fishy fishy]

Thanks for the info...my tank is established and I had the ammonia spike from over-feeding some last week. Did a partial yesterday and brought it down to .25 ppm, am doing another partial this afternoon or tomorrow. I had gotten some frozen food that was new to me and found myself consistently looking at TOO much food floating in the tank, as well as feeding a couple small stars larger pieces.

 

Thanks for the ammo-lock info, I wasn't sure about it! I'm not a big fan of chemicals of any sort.

 

I appreciate the time and thought you put into your response! Its members like you who have made nano-reef such an informative and helpful site. I have learned so much here and it has helped me set up a tank that I really love.

 

Kris

 

 

Do not use ammo-lock for saltwater aquaria especially a reef system.

Ammonia is a bad thing BUT in a new system that is going through its cycle ammonia is not a bad thing it is a sign that your new aquarium is cycling naturally and that beneficial bacteria will soon be present to knock out the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If you use ammo lock and remove the ammonia you will stunt the natural process and your system will not have a natural balance it needs for a complete cycle.

It will constantly be on the cusp.

 

Just continue on with water changes, and lighter feedings until the natural bacteria catch up to the bio load and you will be fine. But I HIGHLY suggest performing 2-3 large water changes over the next week to bring that ammonia down as much as you can. It is a myth that large water changes will remove good bacteria along with the bad. Good bacteria live mainly in and on the rocks and sand bed. Not so much in the water column its self. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates however are more abundant in the water column because they feed on the waist coming off of decay in a cycling or over fed system.

The decay in the sand bed as a biproduct of the good guys breaking it down and that breaks free and floats around in your aquarium feeding ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates.

Which again, is why you have to let the tank cycle fully, and add slowly. So that the good bacteria can build its self up slowly to mach the waist being produced.

Again, simply performing lager then normal water changes will not deplete the good bacteria that is already present. That is a myth ( providing of course that your salinity, temp, alk and ph are close to the water your changing out ). It will however deplete the amount of trites, trates, phosphates and ammonia present.

 

Always remember that every thing is actually there in balance after a cycle. Equal proportions of both good and bad bacteria. It is so because they all fee don each other and in the process create a micro eco system in which your tanks inhabitants can live. When you add a larger bioload, say a new fish..., you have to give that micro eco system time to adjust to the amount of new waist being introduced. It does so by multiplying both good and bad bacteria to accommodate consumption of the new found waist until a new balance has been reached.

If you completely remove one ( ammonia in this case ) The rest will spin out of control via over population of one or more types of bacteria.

 

That makes sense in my head but doesn't always come out correctly in type.

I hope you at least get the idea of what I am talking about any way LOL!

 

Weather it says it is safe for saltwater use or not just don't use it.

The stuff was designed for goldfish bowls and that's about it.

[The Propagator]

Its beautiful ! Good job thus far !

[here fishy fishy]

Its beautiful ! Good job thus far !

 

Thanks!

[The Propagator]

eez alight !