Help!!!!!

[adamlodge14]

My new tank (15 gallons) is about 2 1/2 months old with a Yasha goby/ shrimp pair and a cleaner shrimp with some soft corals. I finished the cycle about 4 weeks ago but have had a spike of ammonia going to 0.55
I am going to do an immediate 20% water change and add more beneficial bacteria.
Should I do anything else?
The fish and shrimp seem fine and have actually been getting more confident (I have seen the goby/shrimp pair a lot more today.
Please help
I should mention that about 1 week ago my goby managed to jump into the filter compartment,meaning I had to take all the filtration out for about 30 min, would this affect the ammonia?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

My new tank (15 gallons) is about 2 1/2 months old with a Yasha goby/ shrimp pair and a cleaner shrimp with some soft corals. I finished the cycle about 4 weeks ago but have had a spike of ammonia going to 0.55
I am going to do an immediate 20% water change and add more beneficial bacteria.
Should I do anything else?
The fish and shrimp seem fine and have actually been getting more confident (I have seen the goby/shrimp pair a lot more today.
Please help

WOW - hope you are doing water change RIGHT NOW to keep your babies alive.

What caused such a high ammonia spike? What did you add? What is new? What is this "Beneficial Bacteria" you are adding? Some brands include ammonia...

Let things settle, and keep a close eye on that ammonia. if you have to keep doing water changes then do it.

 

[adamlodge14]

WOW - hope you are doing water change RIGHT NOW to keep your babies alive.

What caused such a high ammonia spike? What did you add? What is new? What is this "Beneficial Bacteria" you are adding? Some brands include ammonia...

Let things settle, and keep a close eye on that ammonia. if you have to keep doing water changes then do it.

The beneficial bacteria I am using is ark aquatics special blend. It is well known here in the uk. It is used for lowering ammonia and nitrites. ( my nitrites are 0) ( ammonia is 0.55 ppm) Last time I added something was over a week ago, a cleaner shrimp.
I have done nothing else to the tank so I have no idea what caused this spike!
I will do a 20% water change now and then tomorrow morning ( it’s already 8:30pm uk) I will test again and do another water change if necessary.
i am using api test kits and have just ordered a salifert ammonia test kit in case the api one is wrong

 

[Fish Think Pink]

The beneficial bacteria I am using is ark aquatics special blend. It is well known here in the uk. It is used for lowering ammonia and nitrites. ( my nitrites are 0) ( ammonia is 0.55 ppm) Last time I added something was over a week ago, a cleaner shrimp.
I have done nothing else to the tank so I have no idea what caused this spike!
I will do a 20% water change now and then tomorrow morning ( it’s already 8:30pm uk) I will test again and do another water change if necessary.
i am using api test kits and have just ordered a salifert ammonia test kit in case the api one is wrong

Keep us posted! Sending positive wishes for your salty babies!

 

[adamlodge14]

Keep us posted! Sending positive wishes for your salty babies!

Thank you! Should I do a 40% water change instead of a 20% will this help!?

 

[Gtinnel]

i am using api test kits and have just ordered a salifert ammonia test kit in case the api one is wrong

If nothing died in your tank, and you didn't do anything to add extra ammonia like dump a bunch of food into the tank then I'd suspect that your test is wrong.

Also, API is notorious for showing ammonia present when it isn't. A water change isn't going to hurt anything but IMO it isn't needed at all.

 

[adamlodge14]

If nothing died in your tank, and you didn't do anything to add extra ammonia like dump a bunch of food into the tank then I'd suspect that your test is wrong.

Also, API is notorious for showing ammonia present when it isn't. A water change isn't going to hurt anything but IMO it isn't needed at all.

Yes I have literally done nothing to the tank except normal feeding in which there is no food left over (once a day)
I am still gonna do a water change just in case and see what happens. A salifert ammonia test is on the way

 

[adamlodge14]

If nothing died in your tank, and you didn't do anything to add extra ammonia like dump a bunch of food into the tank then I'd suspect that your test is wrong.

Also, API is notorious for showing ammonia present when it isn't. A water change isn't going to hurt anything but IMO it isn't needed at all.

On the contrary my livestock has gotten much more confident over the last week and my goby/pistol have made a huge cave system. They don’t look unhappy at all. I hope the test is wrong because otherwise I’m really confused

 

[Gtinnel]

Yes I have literally done nothing to the tank except normal feeding in which there is no food left over (once a day)
I am still gonna do a water change just in case and see what happens. A salifert ammonia test is on the way

My tank is about 2 years old and if I test it for ammonia with API I get between .25 and .5. If your tank does have ammonia it would've had to come from somewhere. Also, if you have higher than normal ammonia you would start to see the effect it has on your inhabitants, does everything in the tank still look okay?

A water change is fine just don't do anything drastic based upon the test results of a known unreliable test that almost always reads high. I've never used a salifert ammonia test but I'm sure it will give acceptable results.

 

[Gtinnel]

I hope the test is wrong because otherwise I’m really confused

It will be the test. If you want to confirm do a search on this site or do a Google search for api ammonia test you will quickly notice a trend.
Also, if you have a lfs that can test the water with a different brand test that is also an option to verify if you have an ammonia problem or not.

 

[adamlodge14]

My tank is about 2 years old and if I test it for ammonia with API I get between .25 and .5. If your tank does have ammonia it would've had to come from somewhere. Also, if you have higher than normal ammonia you would start to see the effect it has on your inhabitants, does everything in the tank still look okay?

A water change is fine just don't do anything drastic based upon the test results of a known unreliable test that almost always reads high. I've never used a salifert ammonia test but I'm sure it will give acceptable results.

That’s the exact thing I am confused about, the inhabitants look in fact happier over the last few weeks and are getting MORE comfortable and eating well.
I am hoping it is the test that is at fault. Nothing has died because I see each inhabitant all the time (nassarius snail, Yasha goby, Randall’s pistol, cleaner shrimp)

 

[adamlodge14]

It will be the test. If you want to confirm do a search on this site or do a Google search for api ammonia test you will quickly notice a trend.
Also, if you have a lfs that can test the water with a different brand test that is also an option to verify if you have an ammonia problem or not.

I actually work at my LFS but I’m only 15 so had to stop due to the pandemic, I’ll see if they can test my water and tell me about the ammonia.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

It will be the test. If you want to confirm do a search on this site or do a Google search for api ammonia test you will quickly notice a trend.
Also, if you have a lfs that can test the water with a different brand test that is also an option to verify if you have an ammonia problem or not.

IF the test is right, you should do water change, no harm in doing water change.

If you can change 40%, then do so but at least do your original planned 20% right now

Fact that fish are fine right now is great. .055 is HIGH How sad will we all be if we blame kit, do nothing but fish are dead in morning... <very sad> Fingers crossed its just a bad test kit

For my QT, I have API ammonia test strips. They have never read anything but I do 10-20% water changes when using QT every 1-3 days when QT is running. Its only ever told me I have none... now I'm wondering WAS there ammonia and it was faulty test... sigh...

 

[adamlodge14]

IF the test is right, you should do water change, no harm in doing water change.

If you can change 40%, then do so but at least do your original planned 20% right now

Fact that fish are fine right now is great. .055 is HIGH How sad will we all be if we blame kit, do nothing but fish are dead in morning... <very sad> Fingers crossed its just a bad test kit

For my QT, I have API ammonia test strips. They have never read anything but I do 10-20% water changes when using QT every 1-3 days when QT is running. Its only ever told me I have none... now I'm wondering WAS there ammonia and it was faulty test... sigh...

I have been doing weekly 20% water changes, I will do 20% now and 20% in the morning, as you said no harm in doing so. What I am so confused about is that I have no idea what could have caused it. Hopefully everything will survive abs that the bacteria and water change will help. Fingers crossed that the test kit is faulty

 

[adamlodge14]

Should I get ATM colony?
It gives a layer of protection to fish from ammonia

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I have been doing weekly 20% water changes, I will do 20% now and 20% in the morning, as you said no harm in doing so. What I am so confused about is that I have no idea what could have caused it. Hopefully everything will survive abs that the bacteria and water change will help. Fingers crossed that the test kit is faulty

Fingers crossed!!

Couple months back someone else was saying ammonia at 8, fish were fine... 2-3 hours later fish were dead... his ammonia turned out tied to using TAP water to mix saltwater... all sorts of nasties potentially in tap water... Tap water is for humans not fish <wink>

 

[adamlodge14]

Fingers crossed!!

Couple months back someone else was saying ammonia at 8, fish were fine... 2-3 hours later fish were dead... his ammonia turned out tied to using TAP water to mix saltwater... all sorts of nasties potentially in tap water... Tap water is for humans not fish <wink>

I use our RoDi filtered water. I just tested the pure ro water for ammonia and it is coming up at 0.25 but that’s impossible... I’m still going to go ahead with all of the water changes, and everything else listed above but hopefully this means the test is faulty
Still very worried tho, it’s my first reef tank

 

[Gtinnel]

IF the test is right, you should do water change, no harm in doing water change.

If you can change 40%, then do so but at least do your original planned 20% right now

Fact that fish are fine right now is great. .055 is HIGH How sad will we all be if we blame kit, do nothing but fish are dead in morning... <very sad> Fingers crossed its just a bad test kit

For my QT, I have API ammonia test strips. They have never read anything but I do 10-20% water changes when using QT every 1-3 days when QT is running. Its only ever told me I have none... now I'm wondering WAS there ammonia and it was faulty test... sigh...

I completely agree that there is no harm in doing a water change if it makes the OP feel better about it. An ammonia reading of .055 is not much at all, I am assuming you meant .55 which is too high for a tank but not HIGH. Also if the tank is cycled the bacteria would process the ammonia quickly. There is no source for the ammonia and the livestock in the tank are doing well. There is no reason for the OP to panic about the ammonia reading, by you stating that their inhabitants may die overnight.

Also, I went ahead and test my nearly 2 year old tank and here are the results:

Do you suspect my fish may die overnight also?

 

[adamlodge14]

I completely agree that there is no harm in doing a water change if it makes the OP feel better about it. An ammonia reading of .055 is not much at all, I am assuming you meant .55 which is too high for a tank but not HIGH. Also if the tank is cycled the bacteria would process the ammonia quickly. There is no source for the ammonia and the livestock in the tank are doing well. There is no reason for the OP to panic about the ammonia reading, by you stating that their inhabitants may die overnight.

Also, I went ahead and test my nearly 2 year old tank and here are the results:

Do you suspect my fish may die overnight also?

That is almost the exact colour as my test! Also yes it is 0.55 ppm.
And yes I have a good colony of beneficial bacteria in the tank that breaks down the food, I also have a nassarius snail that eats leftovers.
I can’t seem to find the source of ammonia which makes me think a spike isn’t happening. I am going ahead with the water changes just in case and see what happens.
I tested my ro water btw and it came up as 0.25 ammonia which is impossible

 

[Cell]

If all livestock is perfectly fine, its probably a bad test. You can use some Prime if you are concerned, but absent any other symptoms other than an API ammonia test, I wouldnt worry too much.