Ammonia Stuck at .25? (1 Viewer)

[mr_surfer_Dude]

Okay so my tank has been running for 2 months now (after being dorment for about 2 years), It is a 12 gallon nano cube and I do a tank change once a week. Yet my ammonia will not drop below .25 ppm... and almost all salt mixes have .25 ppm already... So my question is how am I supposed to lower the ammonia if the water I'm putting in HAS ammonia??

PS: My coral and fish are doing great, and my nitrates are 0.

 

[steveb]

Are you sure your tests are correct? 0.25 is right at the lethal level if left for any extended period of time. What is your current Ph? Have you used any ammonia neutralizing products like Prime, Amquel etc?

From Ammonia and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ammonia Concentration Guidelines

Because ammonia's toxic effects appear at levels significantly below those that are acutely lethal (0.09 to 3.35 ppm NH3-N or 1.3 to 50 ppm total NH4-N at pH 8.2), and because some organisms in a reef aquarium may be more sensitive than the few organisms that have been carefully studied, it is prudent to err on the side of caution when deciding what concentrations of ammonia to allow in a reef aquarium or related system.

My suggestion is to take some sort of corrective action if the total ammonia rises above 0.1 ppm. This suggestion is also made by Stephen Spotte in his authoritative text, Captive Seawater Fishes.6 Values in excess of 0.25 ppm total ammonia may require immediate treatment, preferably involving removal of all delicate (ammonia sensitive) organisms from the water containing the ammonia. Some of the possible actions to take are detailed in the following sections listed below.

High ammonia and 0 nitrates really is only telling you that your nitrogen cycle is incomplete...

http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

 

[mr_surfer_Dude]

My pH is over 8, I have amquel plus but I am warry to use it and start a chemical warfare... my coral is even multiplying and growing. One theory I have come up with is a faulty testing kit?? Im using an API one it is about 2 years old from when I quit the hobby.

 

[steveb]

Be careful with Amquel... Its not a bad product but it renders Nessler Ammonia tests useless. You would need to test with a Salicylate Ammonia test kit.

Is the test kit past the expiration date? Is there a store close to you that you could get your water tested at?

 

[tektite]

I would guess its a bad kit.

 

[mr_surfer_Dude]

I'm not sure I'm not home right now. I was going to get a new kit on the way home and if that has same results, I guess I'll bring my water to a store. I still haven't used the amquel yet, I was going to try and use it in my premixed saltwater that always seems to have .25 ammonia.. is this a good idea or no?

 

[mr_surfer_Dude]

Got a dipstick test kit on the way home and its reading 0 ammonia, I guess it was a bad kit!