High ammonia 8+!!!!

first of all i have a 90g reef tank. i did a 15g water change last thursday and for the first time used ro/di water and did my water parameters last friday and every thing was in check.
cal - 480
mag -1450
dkh -10
ammonia -0
nitrate -0
nitrite -0
phosphate -0
ph -8.2

today when i got home i noticed that my fish are stressed out and and hiding and most of my corals are closed. i did a quick water check and everything was in check except my ammonia which spiked at 8+ (API REEF MASTER KIT). i did not have any die off of corals nor fish. and if something has died i didn't think it would shoot up this high. i have had a fish died on me before and it took 3 days for me to find it and it didn't spiked this high.

my question is, i have a toadstool and a finger leather. will these two be able to release ammonia? my finger leather is all shrivelled up and covered in yellow powder and slimy. it was the same way when i first got it. and as for the toadstool, also shrivelled and sliming. are these signs of die off? i am still puzzled of the ammonia spike this high and did a quick 30g water change and i will do another 40g tomorrow.
anybody want to chime in on possible causes?

 

Ummmm wow! That is a hard pill to swallow there. Did your protein skimmer give out or tip over? Ammonia is pretty much only caused by fish waste and poop. Yes, if leathers die, they can contaminate the water majorly! Not as bad as anemones, but still pretty bad. I really actually have to answer to that! I have a tip though. Keep doing water changes and keep an eye on your leathers. They can be deadly! hahaha

 

Wow this is in a 90 gal??? I am sure it's been up for some time - do you have a DSB? did anything get disturbed? maybe something in the sump?

 

How long has the tank been up?

 

Tank has been up more or lessm18 months. Yes i do have a DSB. And a part of my bed was disturbed but i think nitrates would be the one to be jacked up if my sand is disturbed and not ammonia. I have noticed thag my skimmer was running wet last sunday and that was the time i figured something was not right. Skimmer was runnning wet for the whole day but now it is working fine. I have looked around and every thing is accounted for. This is a mystery for me. I have had ammonia spike before but never this high. I have used ammo lock but i don't know if some of my corals have died by now since i am at work. Bad part is i have delivery of nice dozen corals today.

 

I plan to do a big 45g water change later on. I already did a 40g change yesterday and the tube was still colored dark green. I know it is kot safe to replace this much of water but this is now an emergency, if only i have abigger mixing bin i would do a total 90g change. I know my livestock will be in shock and may result in losing some corals but i gotta do what i gotta do. I am really clueless to what might have happened since i am the only one takes care of the tank. I am already bracing myself of the worst case scenario of losing everything by time i get home

I do notice something unusual tho. My sand bed is encrusting with a green colored somewhat like detritus. Anybidy has a clue and like i mentioned on my first post thag my phisphate is 0 but i hqve algae bloom and in the most unusual place. I only have algae on the rocks where my powerheads are pointed at. I thought more flow would prevent algae growth?

 

Are you running a reactor with carbon? If not, start that as well as the changes. I'd also get another test kit just to double check.

 

I agree with your plan, you have to do the water changes. Elevated ammonia level will do more harm compared to the water changes IMO.

Sounds like the test kit is good as the fish looked stressed from something.

All pumps are working and nothing has been dried out. Seems like it would have to be the sand bed. You say all things are accounted for, but I have seen elevated ammonia levels in a stable tank that had a dying anemone, clam or when a larger serpent stars went missing.

Sure hope it clears up and you figure it out. Very strange indeed.

 

Yup i have 3 reactors. Carbon, gfo and denitrator. Always running except for the carbon which run for 4 weeks and 1 week off. All 3 reactirs are running at time of ammonia spike.

 

Test was confirmed by 2 more extra test. I mainly use API since it is the easiest one to use but this was confirmed by my salifertand seachem ammonia test.