Chloroquine Phosphate and Ammonia in a 75gal QT

[Wen]

I am on day 3 of CP QT and worrying about ammonia. Fish are looking and acting fine, but I am seeing debris on the bottom.

Red Sea Ammonia test kit is reading .4, after adding Prime the reading is still .4. Is there an accurate way to test ammonia with CP present? Did the Prime take down the ammonia level?

I have enough CP to do 3 25 gal water changes, every 7 days.
Should I order more CP and do water changes every 3 days?

Details:
Cycled and seeded 75 gal qt. weeks before adding fish. It ran with a large skimmer and bubbler while I caught all fish (11 fish) which took over 2 weeks. I have been doing weekly 20 gal water changes. I have been feeding once a day and all fish started out with good weight. Prior to adding CP, I removed the skimmer and added a wavemaker. Bubblers still going. CP is from Diamondback (nicely packaged into 25 gallon 1 gram pkts). Fish include: pair clowns, pair flame hawks, 4 cardinals, 1 midas blenny, 1 royal gramma and 1 white tail bristletooth.

Questions:
Is there an accurate Ammonia test kit while using CP?
Should I increase my water changes to every 3 days? (11 fish in 75 gallon)

Thank you!!!

 

[Dan_P]

I am on day 3 of CP QT and worrying about ammonia. Fish are looking and acting fine, but I am seeing debris on the bottom.

Red Sea Ammonia test kit is reading .4, after adding Prime the reading is still .4. Is there an accurate way to test ammonia with CP present? Did the Prime take down the ammonia level?

I have enough CP to do 3 25 gal water changes, every 7 days.
Should I order more CP and do water changes every 3 days?

Details:
Cycled and seeded 75 gal qt. weeks before adding fish. It ran with a large skimmer and bubbler while I caught all fish (11 fish) which took over 2 weeks. I have been doing weekly 20 gal water changes. I have been feeding once a day and all fish started out with good weight. Prior to adding CP, I removed the skimmer and added a wavemaker. Bubblers still going. CP is from Diamondback (nicely packaged into 25 gallon 1 gram pkts). Fish include: pair clowns, pair flame hawks, 4 cardinals, 1 midas blenny, 1 royal gramma and 1 white tail bristletooth.

Questions:
Is there an accurate Ammonia test kit while using CP?
Should I increase my water changes to every 3 days? (11 fish in 75 gallon)

Thank you!!!

If Red Sea is measuring total ammonia, then it is using chemistry that will release ammonia from the Prime ingredient. I believe Seachem ammonia test meadures free ammonia, which would be what you are interested in.

 

[Shufflepig]

I am on day 3 of CP QT and worrying about ammonia. Fish are looking and acting fine, but I am seeing debris on the bottom.

Red Sea Ammonia test kit is reading .4, after adding Prime the reading is still .4. Is there an accurate way to test ammonia with CP present? Did the Prime take down the ammonia level?

I have enough CP to do 3 25 gal water changes, every 7 days.
Should I order more CP and do water changes every 3 days?

Details:
Cycled and seeded 75 gal qt. weeks before adding fish. It ran with a large skimmer and bubbler while I caught all fish (11 fish) which took over 2 weeks. I have been doing weekly 20 gal water changes. I have been feeding once a day and all fish started out with good weight. Prior to adding CP, I removed the skimmer and added a wavemaker. Bubblers still going. CP is from Diamondback (nicely packaged into 25 gallon 1 gram pkts). Fish include: pair clowns, pair flame hawks, 4 cardinals, 1 midas blenny, 1 royal gramma and 1 white tail bristletooth.

Questions:
Is there an accurate Ammonia test kit while using CP?
Should I increase my water changes to every 3 days? (11 fish in 75 gallon)

Thank you!!!

Whenever I test ammonia when using chloroquine I get a low level reading. That’s even when I know the qt was cycled. Seems like the chloroquine gives you a false positive with the test kits. I’ve heard the seachem ammonia badges will read accurately in the presence of chloroquine but have not tried them myself. I always ignore the low level ammonia reading, change the 50% of the water weekly and have never had a problem. Remember to add chloroquine to the new water at the proper dose when doing your water change

 

[Wen]

If Red Sea is measuring total ammonia, then it is using chemistry that will release ammonia from the Prime ingredient. I believe Seachem ammonia test meadures free ammonia, which would be what you are interested in.

Ok, thank you very much. I will pick one up.

 

[Wen]

Whenever I test ammonia when using chloroquine I get a low level reading. That’s even when I know the qt was cycled. Seems like the chloroquine gives you a false positive with the test kits. I’ve heard the seachem ammonia badges will read accurately in the presence of chloroquine but have not tried them myself. I always ignore the low level ammonia reading, change the 50% of the water weekly and have never had a problem. Remember to add chloroquine to the new water at the proper dose when doing your water change

Thank you. I will order more CP, so I can do a 50% change per week, and I'll pick up an ammonia badge too.