Deadly AMMONIA killing spree

[commodorejoel]

Hey SCR,

Yup, Iv'e been struck with ammonia posioning. On Monday (1/9), I got home to a fan I was using to cool my lights/ballasts in the tank. Of course it was still plugged in. So I looked around my tank after unplugging it, and only one coral (largest coral, a green cap) was bleached white. I did a bit of research online (I'm not the first to have a fan fall in the tank I guess), and the talk was about ammonia levels. So I immediately tested my ammonia with quick strips , 0 ppm ammonia. Whew, what a relief I thought for the rest of the week.

That following weekend my blue jaw trigger was on the bottom (uh oh). So after a full check of levels and testing ammonia with drops...the ammonia is at 2 ppm! So I did a 45 gallon water change.

Everything seemed fine from this point until 1/24 when I checked my ammonia and it was at 1.5ppm. So I buy Amquel Plus cus I ran out of AmmoLock. Next morning my corals die.

There has been alot of upset stomachs between the above and where I am at now. Mainly because on Thursday (1/26) I did a 60 gallon water change, on Saturday (1/28) I did a 55 gallon water change, and Sunday (1/29) I did a 50 gallon water change.

I tested my ammonia level these past 3 days a few hours after the water changes and they've been reading 1.5-2 ppm.

I am clueless how to go about getting my tank back on cruise control.

I have lost ALL my SPS, Chalices, my favorite setosa , and polyps. Still have a dendro, a shriveled anemone, a shriveled leather, my sailfin, blue tang, yellow tang, clowns, new Coris wrasse I won at the SCRK meeting, cardinalfish, and lawnmower.

I am making another 50 gallons for a water change after work tomorrow...should I do it?

THANKS GUYS!:tit:

pS...Are there buybacks in the TRFS Contest? :faint2:

 

[commodorejoel]

RODI Water has ammonia of 0ppm
RODI w/Salt has ammonia of 0ppm

 

[ocpondpoacher]

Any change you shocked your system with all the water changes and removed to much of the bacteria that converts your ammonia? And it is causing your tank to start cycling again like it was just set up?

 

[djam]

Might want to try buying some of that instant cycle, worked great for me.

 

[jessesoto33]

Way to many water changes! dont do it! go get some bacteria fast!!!

 

[RexBrown]

Any change you shocked your system with all the water changes and removed to much of the bacteria that converts your ammonia? And it is causing your tank to start cycling again like it was just set up?

The bacteria should be in the rock and sand bed, right? Otherwise if the bacteria was all free floating than the use of a UV filter would also cause a spike in ammonia.

I doubt the water changes are elevating the ammonia, but I agree with the others that some bacteria supplementation may be a good idea.

 

[Molli]

The bacteria should be in the rock and sand bed, right? Otherwise if the bacteria was all free floating than the use of a UV filter would also cause a spike in ammonia.

I doubt the water changes are elevating the ammonia, but I agree with the others that some bacteria supplementation may be a good idea.

This is true. Run into the same notions in freshwater, but it's the same for both. Virtually no bacteria involved in the cycle are free floating. They colonize where they are happiest and that is not the water column. Only place you'd run into trouble with massive frequent water changes are parameter swings. If you matched everything it's more good than harm.

 

[Gsxr1000rider]

Just a thought, have u tried a diff amm test kit? Maybe urs is bad.. A month ago when I tested my nitrate, it said I was at 200ppm +, I was like WTF DIED!!! I grabbed some DT water and jammed to the fish store to get some nitrate remover & a bottle of live bacteria, had my lfs test my water before I bought the stuff and it came back 0ppm on his test.. I bought a new API test kit and went home tested water again and it was at 0ppm.. Just a quick story..GL hope u get the prob fixed!!

 

[commodorejoel]

Thank you all for your replies. The reason behind my madness of doing daily water changes is I read "dilution is the solution" to lowering ammonia. I purchased some nutrafin bacteria and did this three day treatment they suggested but the result is ammonia of 2ppm. Is there a bacteria that is readily available at most LFS that I can buy tonight? Saltwater is mixing, should I do a 50% water change (75 gallons)? Thanks for all the help and appreciate the suggestions. I just want to keep the fish alive in this white forest.

 

[commodorejoel]

I am fairly certain my ammonia test kit is accurate based on the readings I am getting of the new sw and rodi water.

 

[spanky]

the product Stablity from Seachem provides bacteria spores that will eliminate amonia quickly. I use it in my hosipital tank when I need to set it upand speed up the cycle time. Many stores carry this product.

 

[jbaeza83]

How big is ur tank?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[commodorejoel]

Tank is 150. I will try a different bacteria supplement, looking for more opinions on doing water change tonight and what bacteria everyone recommends.

 

[zigginit]

if you keep romoving the ammonia the bateria will never grow in large numbers to eat all the amminia. thus the cycle repeats it self instead of reaching levels that can handle the ammonia

 

[commodorejoel]

When I got home tonight I added Microbe-lift Special blend & nite-out 2...we shall see. I did not do the water change to tonight and have my skimmer & uv off. Ammonia was at least 2.0 tonight maybe a bit darker. Will provide updates.

 

[rayray]

Is your working hypothesis that the fan current injured your trigger, that eventually died and started a cascade of death and ammonia spikes? Then if you think your denitrifying bacteria are intact then your toxin is in the water column, as in free ammonia.

As people have stated, the nitrogen cycle bacteria are on surfaces, so they arent going anywhere. The water has other bacteria, plankton, etc and for the sake of coral its best not to disturb this as much as possible while trying to remove wastes by water changes. But now most of your coral is gone. So in order to get rid of a toxin in the water the best way is a 100% water change, while leaving the substrate alone.

But I would look into anything dissolving into your water such as fumes, chemicals, anything obvious like glass cleaner. Then I would take out anything that looks sickly or injured. This sort of thing also happens when people do hyposalinity treatment to 1.008 and essentially put the marine denitrifying bacteria in suspended animation.

Sorry for your headaches.

 

[commodorejoel]

Thank you for your help. I do not believe there to be any chemicals leaking into the tank. 100% water change is quite substantial, but if that's what's needed then I have no choice. I am on this Microbe-Lift chemical (mentioned earlier) right now and I am curious if this will knock the ammonia lower in a day or two or if I should do the water change tonight. Also i have turned off my protein skimmer for it to take effect.

 

[commodorejoel]

When the trigger died, I took him out right away. And last night I took out my snow covered forest.

 

[peter]

Have you tried instant ocean bio-spira?

 

[commodorejoel]

Update to my chaos: Monday - put in microbe-lift special blend and nite-out II ; Tuesday - ammonia was still at 2 so put in ammolock; Wednesday- put in 2nd dose of Nite-Out II as stated on directions of bottle. So I am guessing that I will put in another dose of ammolock tomorrow (as this bottle says every other day as well). All fish still alive but the few corals left look bad. I'm guessing I need to let the tank do its thing. Am I not being proactive enough, or is this the correct theory?