Adrienne
Well-Known Member
For an unknown reason my tank has had an ammonia spike. I did add a new fish (copper band) the week before this happened to my tank (Red Sea Max C-250) and the week before the copper band a piece of live rock. I first noticed this 5 days ago (Friday) when testing after my weekly 12% w/c. As the LFS had suggested having some ammolock on hand I added this. I noticed about an hour later that my bubble coral and frogspawn had closed up a bit.
Saturday I was away all day - no chance to test or do anything but I did not that the frogspawn and bubble coral were still not fully opened.
Sunday - Tested pm. My test kit showed .6 ammonia. W/C 20 - 25% and added a half dose of ammolock. Frogspawn and bubble coral not opened, others appeared ok.
Monday (yesterday). Tested am 1.25 ammonia W/C 20-25% - this time none of my corals fully opened apart from the carpet xenia and one of my trumpet corals. Tested pm 2.5% ammonia so another 20-25% w/c.
I phoned the reef shop in the South Island. He said to stop the ammolock as he felt the test kit was picking up the converted ammonia rather than the actual ammonia level in the tank and to observe the fish behaviour. He felt the corals, while not happy, may have been reacting to the ammolock.
W/C again this morning 20-25% and test still as high as yesterday.
Too early to tell if the corals are going to open up as the lights don't come on for another two hours.
Note: My fish are showing no reaction at all - I have cleaner shrimp, picasso clowns, pyjama cardinal and copper band butterfly.
Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Also, should I have removed my carbon before using the ammolock?
Saturday I was away all day - no chance to test or do anything but I did not that the frogspawn and bubble coral were still not fully opened.
Sunday - Tested pm. My test kit showed .6 ammonia. W/C 20 - 25% and added a half dose of ammolock. Frogspawn and bubble coral not opened, others appeared ok.
Monday (yesterday). Tested am 1.25 ammonia W/C 20-25% - this time none of my corals fully opened apart from the carpet xenia and one of my trumpet corals. Tested pm 2.5% ammonia so another 20-25% w/c.
I phoned the reef shop in the South Island. He said to stop the ammolock as he felt the test kit was picking up the converted ammonia rather than the actual ammonia level in the tank and to observe the fish behaviour. He felt the corals, while not happy, may have been reacting to the ammolock.
W/C again this morning 20-25% and test still as high as yesterday.
Too early to tell if the corals are going to open up as the lights don't come on for another two hours.
Note: My fish are showing no reaction at all - I have cleaner shrimp, picasso clowns, pyjama cardinal and copper band butterfly.
Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Also, should I have removed my carbon before using the ammolock?