High ammonia killed coral?

[Abugg]

Last weekend we took our water to our LFS and got it tested. Ammonia was 6.0, THROUGH THE ROOF! And since it is a new aquarium the boss told us it was just a spike. He gave us emergency mess to get it down fast. Since then we have been dosing stress coat and stress zyme. But now our mystery coral looks burnt on the tentacles, and has shrunken significantly, the other has been looking like it is peeling. The ammonia was at zero Monday, but not it is reading on the chart again. Any suggestions for keeping the corals alive? How do wee keep the ammonia down?

50 gal- hex, HOB filter, 48 lbs of live rock and sand. Several snails, and 2 hermit crabs. Ammonia- 1.0 nitrates- 0.0 nitrites- 0.0 ph- 8.2
Help, anyone?

 

[Abugg]

Meds* not mess

 

[carey]

You will have to do a water change every time there is an ammonia reading.

Did you cycle this tank and how? When did you set it up? What is your nitrate reading?

Those bottles of stress coat and zyme are pretty much not needed. I have no idea what they are supposed to do. Are you using ro/di water or tap? And lastly, have you tested the fresh water you use? Some people have ammonia or nitrates in their tap water.

 

[Abugg]

The tank was cycled for two weeks with the filter running, no fish, just LR, and live sand. Nitrate are at 0.0, there is lots of algae growth right now. I think my tank might still be cycling. We use tap, and everything was perfect as in water parameters.

So you think I should stop stress zyme an stress coat? And I forgot to mention, but I added a PH buffer a week an a half ago because the PH was a little low. I just don't know what is wrong?

 

[Abugg]

And we set it up about a month and a half ago.

 

[Mrc8858]

If your using tap water then then you need to make the switch to RO water..that will be your best bet at saving your corals along with regular water changes to keep readings at 0 but from the way things sound I'd agree that you are not cycled..do you have a skimmer and what is your filter rated for (a tank that size you really should opt for a sump/refugium with a skimmer)

 

[carey]

I also say you are not cycled completely. Typically you add an ammonia source to the tank so it can cycle. And the tap water will be your downfall, mark my words! LOL I started with tap too and had phosphates off the charts. Took several months of ro/di water changes to get it all under control.

I would also stay away from those buffers. They can just cause the readings to yo yo which is worse than having a low ph. lol My ph in my 125g runs at about 7.8, very consistently so I leave it be. My corals and fish are still happy too. Consistency is sometimes better than "the right" reading. My temperature in my biocube is always at 81, no matter what I do, but since it's stable I leave that alone too.

Sometimes less is more.

 

[Abugg]

The coral seems to be coming out now. But I was beginning to worry. And I think we might need to do a water change this weekend. Hopefully everything settles after that?