need help now, set up new tank-ammonia spike

[james1990]

I broke down my 9gal nano, and set up my 30gal. I transferred over my 20gal sump with the fuge and existing water, but used new mixed water using reef crystals that i had sitting in a brute container mixing with a heater for a few days in the 30gal display. salinity is a perfect match. but now there is a spike in ammonia sitting at 1.0ppm. all other perams are perfect. Is this a mini cycle? I used the same Liverock and everything. Also went barebottom so i didnt kick up any stuff from the sand bed.

Im assuming it is not safe to add my livestock at this point in time?

I have a hand full of corals, my clown pair, and mandarin in a 5 gallon with small filter, heater, and power head. Can I leave them in there till tomorrow when I get out of work?

what do I need to do here!? :Yikes::Yikes:

 

[james1990]

I added 3oz of startsmart complete live bacteria

again, 30gal main display, and eshopps rs100 sump which is about 20-25gal

 

[nyprdr]

sand holds alot of bacteria so by going bare bottom you lost all that... everything should level off in a few days.. just give it time

 

[peteyboyny]

sand holds alot of bacteria so by going bare bottom you lost all that... everything should level off in a few days.. just give it time

+1. Sounds like a mini cycle.

 

[james1990]

I figured it was a cycle. But having hundreds of dollars of livestock in 5 gallons of water is driving me crazy.

Is the livestock okay in 5gals until the mini cycle is done?

 

[peteyboyny]

If that's where it has been already, I would say probably. Really depends on what type of livestock.

 

[james1990]

Is there anything I can do besides wait it out?

 

[tosiek]

Since your waiting for bacteria to grow and reestablish itself in the tank then yes all you can do is wait. The smartstart will help. You need to give it a few days though. Depending on how much livestock you can probably transfer your coral in when the ammonia drops. Then add the rest of the livestock slowly so you don't shock your tank.

Also, the livestock will be fine in the 5g as long as you keep it stable. Keep testing the bucket because its only 5 gallons of water. Salinity, heat, ect will change drastically. Do top offs daily, and don't overfeed. Spend the time so theres no extra food in the bucket.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

It's a new cycle and DO NOT put any live stock in there now. Keep the 5G stable. If need to, you can use small amount of Amquel Plus in the 5G

 

[james1990]

Ok great. The amquel is the same as PRIME right? I should dose that to the 5gal? Should I also add it to the new tank as well

 

[james1990]

Is it true that PRIME will give a faulty ammonia reading because it masks the ammonia while converting it to nitrite and nitrate? I added it today and my ammonia instantly went to 0, im not sure if I can trust the reading.

 

[thirty6]

I would wait and test again in a day or so to be safe

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Usually Prime will give a false high reading. Why are you testing your ammonia after you added prime. Just let it do it's job

 

[Reef Fixations]

make sure you keep you ph and other parameters stable in the 5g as well

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Most of the liquid test kit test for total ammonia not FREE ammonia which are the stuff kill your animal. Amquel plus binds the free ammonia with something else to kind deactivate them and let the bacteria to convert them into less toxic stuff. However, since ammonia is still present, the liquid test kit which test the total ammonia will still be reading present of them. I am not sure about prime but I suspect to be similar with the detoxify method.