Is this leather dying, could this be affecting my ammonia.

Ive had this leather for a while now, it was going great for a while and then got pushed back between some rock and now looks like its bleaching in some parts, very stiff looks kinda dead.

I was reading and some people said a dying leather can be affecting your ammonia, Ive been having some traces of n04 and trying to find cause, i cut back on feedings, cleaned sand and everything more, been doing water changes every week 20% and still have traces.

thank you in advance for any help

 

Looks like a leather that is just waxed over. Probably not dying just needs some good flow and some time. It does not look like it is dying enough to contribute to a positive value for ammonia IMO.

 

yes this photo was taken about 30 hours since i relocated it and no growth or change in color or movement. so back to figuring out the source.

 

If your cleaning your sand bed more than usual then maybe your stirring up something there...

 

sorry no Im not stirring the sand bed like that just trying to remove any extra detritus that i saw piled up, or on rocks. Just trying to keep sand bed looking clean.

all my params seem fine except for the n04.
sg 1.024 ph 8.2 alk 6 cal 420 ammonia no3 0 no4 .01-.1 nitri 0 nitra 10 ppm
temp 77-78
tank is six months old 120 gallon

 

No way that little leather is going to contribute to an ammonia level of any kind in a system of 120 gallons. I would looks else where for the source. Double check your test kit and make sure you are not reading the value too long after the directions say to read it.

 

okay so i went out and bought a nutrifin test kit this morning, did the tests again and now im having a much larger reading of nitrates today, it has jumped to 40-50 ppm. with a.1 of total ammo.

the only thing i added recently was this base rock tower i purchased, i went to the oakville reef gallery, which Ive been going to for a while and this place knows there stuff. the tower itself he said was made out of a mixture of aragonite and ceramic. he uses this stuff in all his tanks and they look fantastic, now. the piece i bought off him had been used prior so it was already rid of excess silica and such. but from these readings could adding this piece started a new cycle?

 

Sounds like the die off from the previous use of the tower kicked into another cycle to me.

 

great... so i have used prime, and am making water as we speak, but am i going to experience a full cycle, i have over 15 different types of coral and a carpet anemone, and 3 tangs and some damsels. I dont want to lose anything so what should i be expecting?

 

If my tank presented itself with ammonia, I would do a large water change and use Ultimate or Amquel+. I also love to use carbon. It's my "Windex", if any of you have seen "My Big fat Greek wedding".