Ammonia

[l Morphine]

Hi guys

I have a 14g biocube reef. Tons of corals.

Stock:

2 occellaris (now 1, 1 just died)
1 blue mandarin (tiny about 1/2 inch)
1 purple pseudo

corals

bubble coral
green star polypa
long polyp leather
candy cane coral
frogspawn
hammer
torch
green goniopora
blue goniopora
sun polyp
blastomussa
2 mushrooms

I went to work at 9am all fish were fine. Came home at 10pm and one clownfish was dead. Testsd water and ammonia was 0.25ppm. Nitrites 0 and nitrates 0. Cant understand it..
I did a 2 gallon waterchange and im gonna do 2 gallons every day for a week.

I also have another biocube cycling. I tested that and the ammonia was 0.25ppm. Nitrites 0 and nitrates 0. Odd? Same results for an established 4 month old tank and a tank that is only 2 weeks. Is it the api test kit? Is there anything else I can do to help the ammonia? I have purigen and chemi pure elite in both tanks. Along with carbon and filter pads

 

[l Morphine]

Make that no mandarin either. Stock is now just clown and pseudo.

 

[Will]

You have a lot going on in a little tank..
A Mandarin is not really suited for that size tank..IMO. Also good luck with the
Goniopora..
As far as the ammonia, the only way to ck the test kit is to get another one and see if the results are the same.
Ammonia comes from waste...maybe you're putting too much food in the tank ??
Or maybe you need to step up the water change schedule??

 

[Dre]

Test a clean mix as reference and 2gal change is not enough. Do %50 that would put the ammonia at 0.125 that's if you're getting good readings...

 

[KathyC]

While you need to correct the ammonia issue, the pseudo might be killing your other fish. They are extremely territorial fish and one of the most nasty..especialy in a tank ypu size..there is no room to really 'make' it's own territory


How long has the pseudo been in the tank?


What kind of filtration is on this tank?


Any chance of posting a pic of the tank please?

 

[l Morphine]

I seeded the tank with 2000 live copepods for the mandarin guess it didnt help. It is alot for a small tank but I keep up on it. I do a 50% water change once a week and 1 10% change a week. I did a 50% water change on friday. Should I do another one? As far as the pseudo, he was the last fish I added. I added him in early november. Hes actually an awesome little fish. I know they are aggressive but he doesnt even bother my sexy shrimp lol but its possible . Filtration is the standard wet dry that came on the tank. I removed the bio balls and replace with 3 aquaclear 50 foam pads, chemi pure elite, purigen, phosban, carbon, biomax pellets. Also both tanks have 2 pads of poly filter

 

[l Morphine]

 

[l Morphine]

Also that is the reason im setting up another biocube. I plan to move alot of thw frags to the new tank when its fully cycled. Also at night my clowns used to sleep against thr back wall of the tank. They used to be vertical looking down
Ever since the one died hes been doing that non stop. Is he in some sort of fish depression? I dont want to add anymore fish until I figure out whats wrong. Even then I probably would only have 2 clowns and possibly gwt rid of the psuedo

 

[ctcorals]

Mandarin is not really good for that small tank,no food for it!ammonia is up could be some thing die behind the rock of your tank,later on u will detectthe no2 n no3 going up,major water changes is requir in this time.good luck with ur reef.

 

[reefer4eva]

You say your running purigen and chemi-pure together?what for?id only use one or the other they both do the same thing.with such a small tank all you need is die off to sky rocket your parameters not to mention the chemipure and purigen is most likely a band-aid for the ammonia and nitrate as they are probably higher without it.and as far as the mandarin I wouldn't even think about adding one in a 4 month old tank.

 

[l Morphine]

Well you guys make a good point. I usually also order 1000 live copepods a month for him but reefs2go screwed me over so I didnt gwt them

 

[l Morphine]

Would this stock be better? Removing the pseudo and keeping the clown and a pistol goby combo?