Ammonia levels question

Hi!
I just got into the SW hobby a couple months ago. After doing a month or two of research and reading some books I decided to start a 55 Gallon SW.

Currently - I have a 55 Gallon FOWLR with 55 lbs of rock (about 50/50 was LR/Base rock when I started the curing process). After a month and a week of curing I tested the water and saw 0.25 ppm ammonia but decided to take a water sample in to the LFS to be tested as I was going there to check out the firefish I had my eye on anyways. They tested and said all of the levels looked good and that I was ready for a fish (yay!) So I got the firefish. (This was on Sunday)

Acclimated him, watched him, fed him (he ate, first try - some frozen mysis). Anyways, I tested the water today and the level of ammonia seems to be at 0.5 ppm!

Not sure why it has spiked, or why my original reading of 0.25 ppm was wrong. I've got a PWC (10%) ready for tomorrow when I get home from work, but I'd really like to know if I am doing something wrong or if anyone has any tips. Firefish looks very healthy, has established a territory (i think), and is always swimming around and being very active. Am I overworrying?

Some useful info (maybe):
-55 Gallon
-50 lbs of rock (50/50 LR/Base)
-1 Fish (firefish)
-AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer
-2 in. of aragonite sand
-Marineland 400 filter
-Testing kit is a Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Marine Test Kit (Chemical Test Kit)

Thanks for any help.

 

Could be that since your Ammonia was still at 0.25 ppm, your tank wasn't fully cycled yet. Then you added a fish that produces Ammonia, and the level rose slightly. Seems to me that the "Ammonia eating" bacteria colony hasn't grown quite large enough yet to process all of the Ammonia. If you have any Amquel or Amquel +, I'd use it just to be sure the Ammonia is made non-toxic, but still available for the bacteria to process it.

 

I forgot to mention that... I bought some amquel and used it when I got home... the 0.5 ppm test was taken about 3 hours after dosing. I didnt realize that it didnt extinguish the ammonia, only made it non-toxic...

any other ideas why the LFS test would say it was ok? Its reputable and I've been in a lot watching their operation... they know their stuff and seem to have very healthy stock.

 

Nope. Did they use a dip test, or was it drops (titration)? Those cheap dip tests are highly inaccurate. Or maybe knowing your setup, they felt it should be fine (close enough to zero).

 

Yeah, they used a dip test. That could be it. Think i will be fine as long as I keep the ammonia nuetralized with the Amquel? How often should i be administering the doses?

 

a 5 week old tank, will have developed a certain amount of bacteria but not enough to cope with the wastes of the new fish instantly
there is often a slight peak when fish are added but its compensated for so quickly by the rapidly increasing bacteria that its often missed, even if its tested for.

I believe your initial reading of .025 was probably correct or closer to being correct than the 0 given by the LFS strips
thus adding the fish, and the wastes produced by said fish has caused the level to increase again

Amquel - never used that product so cant offer advice on the dosing
but can advise signs to watch out for with your fish

spending a lot of time at water surface
developing red blotches on the body
milky white coloration on the eyes

these 3 are things often associated with poisoning, from ammonia and or Nitrites

I would repeat ammonia test with your kit daily, if its reducing, then you should be OK
If its increasing, best option may be to remove fish and allow the bacteria to develop to deal with the waste thats in there, and then replace the fish

Steve

 

Test strips dint have the resolution of liquid test kits. It's likely that your .25ppm reading was correct but the test strip can't resolve concentrations below .5ppm accurately (reads as either 0 or .5).

As for why it would increase, you started feeding the fish. Both the fish's waste and the uneaten food will add ammonia to the tank. Since you were running at .25ppm already the spike was more noticeable (and dangerous) than it normally would have been.

 

Thanks for the help. After reading a lot of other posts on proper food amount I found out I was over feeding :-/ - I stopped that, vacuumed, 10% water change, and added a diy hob fug with cheat and pods.

Ammonia and nitrite have held steady at zero for two days!