High ammonia = dieing new corals

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Sina5587

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Oct 3, 2011
Messages
31
Location
Holmes PA
I have a 30 gallon tank and just started adding corals into it. After adding a silver Xenia mushrooms and a Christmas favia my ammonia levels are up to 4.0 and my pH is at 7.4. My silver Xenia has been shriveled up for 24 hrs now and doesn't look promising. I've been adding ammo lock but my ammonia has been on the rise. And the favia looks alittle faded in color. Any suggestions?I added a picture of the Xenia and favia. Thanks for your help
 

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How long has the tank been set up sounds like its not cycled and the ph is way to low should be 8.2/8.3 what are your other readings trites trates.
 
Increase water circulation and do water changes (unless it's not cycled, then i would remove all livestock and let it cycle).
 
I did a water change sat before the tests and then went to that pet place in Lancaster PA and they said put in nite out II untill It goes down with a part water change today. Hopefully that'll work. Guess we'll see
 
Temp = 78. Calcium=440. KH 10. Phosphate .25. Nitrite 0. Ph 7.4. Ammonia 4.0. Nitrate 0. Salinity 1.025. Tanks been set up for 4 months and all levels were good before I added the corals
 
I lost a duncan to a 0.25 ammonia spike for two days. The zoa is still closed and I don't know if it will ever open up again. Do you know why your ammonia has spiked? It happened for me because I was changing filters and unfortunately the old filter broke before the new filter was fully cycled... if that's what you call it.
 
Not sure why it spiked. Only change was I added the corals and did normal water changes.
 
What kind of filter do you have, and have you cleaned it lately? I just cleaned my canister filter after two weeks and it was NASTY! From what I've read, the die-off from what gets caught in the filters can also cause an ammonia spike. Now, that's what I've read... don't know it from personal experience.
 
Phosphates are the least of your worries. Ammonia is what is killing things.
What livestock do you have in the tank right now?
How do you feed?
How did you cycle this tank?
 
I cycled the tank by adding saltwater. Seven days later added live rock and live sand when it came in. Started putting stress zyme in the tank. Eight days after LR and LS added snails and hermit crabs. Added shrimp after a month in process. Added fish 6 weeks after start when all levels were good. I did clean my filter out 2 weeks ago(maybe too good?). It's a genres overhang filter
 
I have 2 clown fish. 2 shrimp (1 know :(. Yellow tang. Goby. Emerald crab. Hermit crabs and snails. silver Xenia. Mushrooms. And Christmas favia.
 
So, your tank started it's cycle when you got the live rock and sand. Or maybe it never cycled. Their may not have been enough live rock or enough die off on the live rock to start a cycle at all. a month later you checked the levels and they seemed fine. Then you added fish and the ammonia slowly started rising.
How much live rock did you add? The live sand that's in bags isn't really live, so chances are that didn't help.

 
Added 75 pounds LR and ammonia skyrocketed after I put the corals in. It wasn't high until within a week of putting them in
 
I definitely think it's a coincidence. Corals do not make that kind of ammonia unless they are giant globs of rotting flesh.
 
Yeah the only other thing changed was a cleaning of the tank and a water change. Not sure what I did wrong. Hopefully I'll get it fixed. I'll keep you updated. Thanks for all your help
 
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