Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > General Interest Forums > New to the Hobby
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01/19/2006, 11:23 PM
Thakr21 Thakr21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 13
Ammonia

Day 3 of cycling and my Ammonia test reads that it is at an alarming point. I've had an SW tank before and never had probs with it, but had to take it done because of moving for school. So since its been awhile I cannot remember how to bring my ammonia down or even how it was caused. Im assuming either my water I used to mix the salt isn't good enough or the sand I placed in it is bad. The sand had been sitting in my garage for about 6 months prior to opening it. Can anyone help me out? Thanks!
__________________
Thakr21@hotmail.com
  #2  
Old 01/19/2006, 11:41 PM
Bagz Bagz is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: cali
Posts: 362
it will go down automaticly, or the sand has sillicates in it. try a water change
  #3  
Old 01/20/2006, 12:56 AM
PatMayo PatMayo is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,818
Thakr21,
How long as the tank been up? What is in the tank? Do you have live rock? What type of substrate?

Lets start there and maybe we can give you some more direction.

Regards,

Pat
__________________
90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06)
120 Lbs. Liverock
EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer
2 X 150 MH
2 X 96 watt PC Actinic
2 Clarki Clowns (27 months old)
1 Niger Trigger (Owned 2 months)
2 Tunze 6055 PH
  #4  
Old 01/20/2006, 02:35 AM
bertoni bertoni is offline
RC Mod
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Foster City, CA, USA
Posts: 35,743
Do some water changes. That should help.

What is in the tank?
__________________
Jonathan Bertoni
  #5  
Old 01/20/2006, 09:13 AM
Thakr21 Thakr21 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 13
All that is in the tank is my sand. It has been going to 4 days now.
__________________
Thakr21@hotmail.com
  #6  
Old 01/20/2006, 09:55 AM
PatMayo PatMayo is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,818
I think your test is bad. You need to put something in the tank to start the cycle. A cycle can take up to 4 weeks. You have to have something in the tank like a dead shrimp you can get at the store so that it will rot and make ammonia. Then more bacteria will grow and turn the ammonia to nitrite. Once the Nitrite is present you will then have new bacteria that grows and then will turn the nitrite into the much less lethal nitrate. I would read up on the biology of a cycle.


Regards.

Pat
__________________
90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06)
120 Lbs. Liverock
EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer
2 X 150 MH
2 X 96 watt PC Actinic
2 Clarki Clowns (27 months old)
1 Niger Trigger (Owned 2 months)
2 Tunze 6055 PH
  #7  
Old 01/20/2006, 02:45 PM
bertoni bertoni is offline
RC Mod
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Foster City, CA, USA
Posts: 35,743
Most ammonia test kits will work in fresh water. You could test some RO-DI or perhaps some freshly-mixed and aerated saltwater to see whether the test is working
__________________
Jonathan Bertoni
 


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:22 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009