Suggestions on where to look

[djam]

I have a tank that has been up for a few months and running smoothly.
Am=0, Nitrate =0, Nitrite=<5ppm, ph ~8.0, Calcium between 400-440, salinity 1.024-1.025, temp 79, run my PCs about 9hrs a day.

Last week on Thursday it jumped to 20ppm almost overnight, I did a 10% water change, on Friday it was 40ppm, I did a 25% change and now it back to 20ppm yesterday and today. It is a 30gal reef tank with ~45lbs of high quality rock, 30lbs of live sand, a protein skimmer, and mechanical filter (only activated carbon).

I have strong / medium water flow throughout the tank. I dont believe I have lost any live stock, hard to tell with the hermits, but Ive seen 5 of the 6 small ones I have, but that is normal. I have 3 astria snails, 3 small other snails, and 5 fish (2x percula, a dwarf lemonpeel angel, mandarin goby, diamond goby), a frogspawn and a xenia.

The only thing I have changed is adding Kent Coral Accel to the tank at the directed amounts + some dried seaweed. Anyone have experience with Coral Accel? Or somewhere else I can figure out? I dont believe Im overfeeding because they always act hungry (feed 6x per week, 4 days of pinch of dried flakes and 2x week mytisis shrimp (frozen).

I'm going to do another 20% water change today.

 

[pgr11]

What are u asking?????

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[Molli]

I think he/she wants to know where the sudden ammonia came from.

Edit: For the record, fish will ALWAYS act hungry. Freshwater, saltwater, doesn't matter. Natural instinct tells them to eat because in the wild food is hard to come by. Lionfish will eat until they burst

 

[gumbii]

did you move the rockwork...?

 

[Skidazl]

I think Dave is talking about his nitrates. What is your skimmer rated for? Seems like a lot of fish for that sized tank so soon? Depending on the size of your skimmer, it may not be able to keep up, especially with adding the Coral Excel, which I have never used, but could probably do that. Try stopping the CE, and see where it goes from there.

Molli, fwiw, if his amm were that high, his fish would most likely be dead...

 

[wickedfish]

Ya missed I missed nitrite or nitrate. Sounds like another cycle. But also may be a dead snail or two. Those things will rot a tank. Amquel immediately. Skim super wet for now. Maybe even a poly filter. New carbon and the WC.


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[wickedfish]

I think Dave is talking about his nitrates. What is your skimmer rated for? Seems like a lot of fish for that sized tank so soon? Depending on the size of your skimmer, it may not be able to keep up, especially with adding the Coral Excel, which I have never used, but could probably do that. Try stopping the CE, and see where it goes from there.

Molli, fwiw, if his amm were that high, his fish would most likely be dead...

I have experience with this and sensitive fish will die pretty quick, the others will lose chunks of skin and will eventually die. Looks like their skin is peeling.


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[loscar79]

when was the last time u change ur coal?

 

[toromp]

bigger skimmer if you want to run the CE.

 

[Molli]

Molli, fwiw, if his amm were that high, his fish would most likely be dead...

Ya, I realize that now. I always just home in on ammonia I guess

 

[djam]

Rockwork

did you move the rockwork...?

Yes, I did move a little and sand. The sand shifter dug down to the glass in some spots.

 

[djam]

I think Dave is talking about his nitrates. What is your skimmer rated for? Seems like a lot of fish for that sized tank so soon? Depending on the size of your skimmer, it may not be able to keep up, especially with adding the Coral Excel, which I have never used, but could probably do that. Try stopping the CE, and see where it goes from there.

Molli, fwiw, if his amm were that high, his fish would most likely be dead...

Skimmer is rated for 60 gallon tank, the mechanical filter is rated 55-90 gallon.

 

[djam]

when was the last time u change ur coal?

About 2 weeks ago.

 

[djam]

Thanks for all the quick responses. I was wondering if it might be a combination of the rock move and the Coral Accel.

 

[wickedfish]

Thanks for all the quick responses. I was wondering if it might be a combination of the rock move and the Coral Accel.

Get another test kit. What brand are you using. Always good to cross reference.


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[djam]

I'm using API saltwater master test kit, I've checked them against another kit about a month ago (don't remember the name). The kit is about 4 months old.

I may have found the problem, I've been travelling 3-4 days a week for work and my wife has been going into the office to feed them. I watched her feed them Sunday and almost had a heart attack.. yes, like 3-4 times what I normally feed them. Had her stop that and with the latest 20% W/C i'm down to 5ppm on the test she ran for me today. Sucks having to travel.

She said, well they looked hungry and I felt bad for them... (yes, she does have PHd)

d

 

[wickedfish]

That will do it. My sister fed my tank while I was gone 3 times a week and I came back to a f'd up tank. All it takes is too much food and you end up with a sewer.

I recently did a WC on my cousins tank. He claims I haven't been there in 2 months. Well they have been feeding super heavy. Put it this way, my skimmer cup after 14 days of collecting, baked in the sun for 3 days in the Mojave, smells better than the water I removed from his tank. Putrid algae and just rotting food everywhere.


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[djam]

bummer for the fish!

I try to keep on top of my tank, skim hard and up until this event i had great water conditions and everything was growing like crazy, rocks are loading up with coralin and my two corals super extended and active happy fish.

I knew I should have setup the webcam for while I was travelling!@

 

[pgr11]

What are u asking?????

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Sorry for asking a dumb question. on my tapatalk all it showed was your parameters and nothing else, so i did not understand what you were asking. Now that im on my lap top it shows the rest of the message. :suicide: .

 

[BigDaddyStar]

yup...that will do it everytime...my wife likes some fat fish...my corals dont