Ammonia Nitrite Ph

[newreef1]

Quick question guys. My ammonia, nitrite, was zero, nitrates were in the usual range, ph a little low. Did WC, added ph buffer to bring ph to 8.2 , ammonia 0, nitrite 0. Added 4 new fish. The ammonia increased to .25, fish were doing fine, I was adding fritz turbo 900. The nitrite was still 0, nitrate normal range. Ammonia still stayed the same. Did a small WC (20 gallons) while cleaned the sump (rearranged biomedia and tried to siphon out dirt) smelled bad figured it was due to the turbo because added that to the media in the sump along with DT. Tested just now, ammonia seems slightly higher, I now read nitrites at .25, ph is also low at 7-7.5! Planning on doing another WC in the morning. Any suggestions on what’s going on, I finally have some nice fish in the tank and don’t want anything to happen to them, they seem to be doing fine now but want to make sure the tank is stable.

 

[Propane]

What size is the tank

 

[newreef1]

What size is the tank

200 gallon

 

[Propane]

If the fish were added right after the cycle a quick ammonia spike would be normal. Perhaps something ended up in the water column with the cleaning. I would keep an eye on things and not do too much more with the tank or bio media for a while. Do your water changes and go light on feeding. There’s a ton of factors at play but if the fish aren’t stressed I wouldn’t worry too much.

 

[Propane]

Are you using an API test kit

 

[newreef1]

If the fish were added right after the cycle a quick ammonia spike would be normal. Perhaps something ended up in the water column with the cleaning. I would keep an eye on things and not do too much more with the tank or bio media for a while. Do your water changes and go light on feeding. There’s a ton of factors at play but if the fish aren’t stressed I wouldn’t worry too much.

Thanks! I have been feeding LFS to the new fish. Two of them are shy to come out of the rocks so only eat what’s in front of their rocks so I’ve been feeding more hoping they’ll get some food too since they don’t come out for it. I have some food left over for the past couple days. Plus I turned off my skimmer as I added fritz turbo hoping to reduce ammonia. I had also just used a mesh filter sock. I put back my filtration pads, chemipure in the tank. Tried thrning on skimmer but it went crazy, will try again in the morning. Hopefully it will help remove the excess ammonia.

 

[newreef1]

Are you using an API test kit

Yes, I know they’re not the most accurate but I also put a Seachem ammonia badge to detect any levels of ammonia. It was at the .25 a couple days ago and I can’t really tell what it is right now.

 

[Propane]

Thanks! I have been feeding LFS to the new fish. Two of them are shy to come out of the rocks so only eat what’s in front of their rocks so I’ve been feeding more hoping they’ll get some food too since they don’t come out for it. I have some food left over for the past couple days. Plus I turned off my skimmer as I added fritz turbo hoping to reduce ammonia. I had also just used a mesh filter sock. I put back my filtration pads, chemipure in the tank. Tried thrning on skimmer but it went crazy, will try again in the morning. Hopefully it will help remove the excess ammonia.

What sort of time span are you doing this in

 

[newreef1]

What sort of time span are you doing this in

Sorry I don’t understand

 

[Propane]

Sorry I don’t understand

Are all these things being done over the course of a few days or a few weeks

 

[newreef1]

Are all these things being done over the course of a few days or a few weeks

My tank was fallow and some old fish in QT.
Few weeks later, added fritz turbo start, ammonia, nitrite tested 0. Ph around 7.5.
a week later added my old fish back. Ammonia and everything was fine. Filters in, skimmer on. A week later (a few days ago) added 4 new fish. Added fritz turbo, turned skimmer off, removed extra filters just kept mesh socks. Also added brightwell aquatics bio brick and nitrate brick. For the next 2 days dosed mircobacter. Ammonia was testing at .25. That didn’t reduce ammonia so Sunday did a 15 gallon WC, added fritz with skimmer and filters off. Was feeding LFS food since adding new fish. Just replaced filters back, carbon still out by purigen is in along with chemipure. Will try the skimmer in the morning. Will also do a WC in the morning, maybe reduce feeding and alternate between LFS and frozen SFB?

 

[newreef1]

My tank was fallow and some old fish in QT.
Few weeks later, added fritz turbo start, ammonia, nitrite tested 0. Ph around 7.5.
a week later added my old fish back. Ammonia and everything was fine. Filters in, skimmer on. A week later (a few days ago) added 4 new fish. Added fritz turbo, turned skimmer off, removed extra filters just kept mesh socks. Also added brightwell aquatics bio brick and nitrate brick. For the next 2 days dosed mircobacter. Ammonia was testing at .25. That didn’t reduce ammonia so Sunday did a 15 gallon WC, added fritz with skimmer and filters off. Was feeding LFS food since adding new fish. Just replaced filters back, carbon still out by purigen is in along with chemipure. Will try the skimmer in the morning. Will also do a WC in the morning, maybe reduce feeding and alternate between LFS and frozen SFB?

Hope this wasn’t too confusing.

 

[Propane]

Hope this wasn’t too confusing.

If it were me I would slow down on changing things overall. There’s been a large bio load put on the tank and things need to balance out. Every time you add or subtract a factor things change. If the fish are doing ok I would leave things alone. I would leave the skimmer off unless someone here says you need it. Slow down on the feeding for sure. Even if all the food is consumed it will still end up as nutrients in the water column. Go slow.

 

[Propane]

Clean your filter sock often though

 

[newreef1]

If it were me I would slow down on changing things overall. There’s been a large bio load put on the tank and things need to balance out. Every time you add or subtract a factor things change. If the fish are doing ok I would leave things alone. I would leave the skimmer off unless someone here says you need it. Slow down on the feeding for sure. Even if all the food is consumed it will still end up as nutrients in the water column. Go slow.

Noted. Will test again in the morning. Feed less and maybe tomorrow night do a WC and then wait for things to balance out. Thanks!

 

[biom]

I would turn skimmer on. It will help to rise pH but more importantly will aerate the water. The fish will need more oxygen.
Definitely go slow with feeding. It looks like the cycle was not finished and you have added new fish too soon after the old ones.
Is the sump still smell like rotten eggs?

 

[newreef1]

I would turn skimmer on. It will help to rise pH but more importantly will aerate the water. The fish will need more oxygen.
Definitely go slow with feeding. It looks like the cycle was not finished and you have added new fish too soon after the old ones.
Is the sump still smell like rotten eggs?

No not anymore, it smelled a little bit like the fritz and I’m guessing the detritus under my biospheres. I put my biospheres in media bag so I can move and kinda rinse them in sump before WC next time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Quick question guys. My ammonia, nitrite, was zero, nitrates were in the usual range, ph a little low. Did WC, added ph buffer to bring ph to 8.2 , ammonia 0, nitrite 0. Added 4 new fish. The ammonia increased to .25, fish were doing fine, I was adding fritz turbo 900. The nitrite was still 0, nitrate normal range. Ammonia still stayed the same. Did a small WC (20 gallons) while cleaned the sump (rearranged biomedia and tried to siphon out dirt) smelled bad figured it was due to the turbo because added that to the media in the sump along with DT. Tested just now, ammonia seems slightly higher, I now read nitrites at .25, ph is also low at 7-7.5! Planning on doing another WC in the morning. Any suggestions on what’s going on, I finally have some nice fish in the tank and don’t want anything to happen to them, they seem to be doing fine now but want to make sure the tank is stable.

No need for a water change.

The nitrite is no concern, and water changes are never a good solution to low pH.

Buffers also are not ever a good solution to low pH. They are just alk supplements with a small pH boost.

Have you measured alkalinity?

 

[newreef1]

No need for a water change.

The nitrite is no concern, and water changes are never a good solution to low pH.

Buffers also are not ever a good solution to low pH. They are just alk supplements with a small pH boost.

Have you measured alkalinity?

No I have not, I never had a ph problem before in my tank, usually it’s on the low side but still between 7.5-8 which I believe is a good ph for FOWLR? My LFS gave me the buffer this time when I brought my water before picking up my fish. I shouldn’t go a WC even with the ammonia slightly higher then .25? You think the tank will be able to sustain while the bacteria processes it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No I have not, I never had a ph problem before in my tank, usually it’s on the low side but still between 7.5-8 which I believe is a good ph for FOWLR? My LFS gave me the buffer this time when I brought my water before picking up my fish. I shouldn’t go a WC even with the ammonia slightly higher then .25? You think the tank will be able to sustain while the bacteria processes it?

My expectation is that the 0.25 ppm that it is stable at is test error, and I wouldn't do water changes because of it.

pH is determined only by alkalinity and CO2. I'd determine the alkalinity before doing anything about pH, which may or may not also be accurate.