# Ammonia problem



## STiHatchback (May 7, 2012)

I have a 75 gallon tank with 10 african cichlids and a blue crayfish. I am using a C-360 marineland canister. I have been cleaning for weeks. I do a 15% water change every week or two. My hosing gets cleaned once a month. Carbon gets changed out once a month and my bio balls get cleaned once a month. My ammonia level is up to 2 ppm and usually hovers around that. The only way I have been able to get it down to 1 or less is with chemicals which I hate doing b/c it stresses my fish big time. Also makes the PH go down significantly. 

I have a reef octopus skimmer that was given to me. Not sure what model but it was an external one. I broke the little screw piece on the pump so I converted it to an internal skimmer. I also have a 15 gallon sump tank with 4 dividers. It's not set up yet as I am waiting on one part for the pump before I can start the skimmer up. Entry to the 1st divider is bio-balls which drip and flow under the divider and then up over the 2nd one. The middle is my refugium that I have yet to figure out exactly what I want to do with it. Then the water flows over the 3rd divider and under the 4th with a poly filter in between which then gets to the intake hose for my canister filter which will then pump it back to the tank. That is my vision and all parts are ready and assembled except for that intake piece for the pump.

I want to go with saltwater now but if I can't get the ammonia under control on freshwater, whats to say I can maintain a saltwater tank? As of right now I am "hoping" that this sump/skimmer addition will completely do away with my ammonia problem. I am hoping someone can shed some light on this issue and possibly give me some suggestions on what to do with my refugium.


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

how long has the tank been setup? I think you'd be fine if you just did larger, more frequent water changes, bump it up to 50% every week


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## freeasabird (Mar 21, 2012)

You should not be cleaning the bio balls. They hold the beneficial bacteria which break down the ammonia into nitrites, and then the nitrites into nitrates. Also make sure when you only gently clean your other media. Lightly rinse it in dirty tank water rather than under the sink. If you completely clean away the bacteria every time you clean you're essentially starting over the process of getting those good bacteria. I made these same mistakes for years before figuring it out.


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## STiHatchback (May 7, 2012)

suckmycichlids - The tank is about 2 months old.

freeasabird - I've read a lot that you are supposed to clean the bio balls b/c they become nitrate factories and give out too much deadly nitrate which my crayfish will suffer more. I was thinking once I get my sump tank in I would alternate cleaning the wet/dry bio balls this month and then next month clean the canister filter bio balls. Alternate them each month. I have ceramic rings in the canister filter as well...won't that hold on to beneficial bacteria? I also have a polyfilter in the ceramic ring tray. Once the sump is ready I will put the polyfilter in it instead.


As for my refugium?? Any suggestions?


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## freeasabird (Mar 21, 2012)

Ammonia is more toxic that nitrite, which is more toxic than nitrate. Nitrate is relatively benign but should not accumulate in large quantities. Bacteria #1 eats ammonia and turns it into nitrite. Bacteria #2 eats nitrite and turns it into nitrate. So essentially nitrate is the final waste product, and is the least toxic of the three. Nothing eats nitrates except maybe plants. Therefore it can only really be removed through water changes. In other words, having "nitrate factories" is about the best thing you could ask for, again except for the one exception that you have lots of live plants. This is all called the nitrogen cycle. If you don't have a proper bacteria population you will always have an unhealthy tank with elevated ammonia and nitrites. I spent years oblivious to this and paid the price.


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## STiHatchback (May 7, 2012)

Ok so your saying the nitrate factory is the least of the 3 evils? Never clean the bio balls? Just let them stay gunky? I couldn't believe how much gunk came out of those little bio balls...

So the bacteria in the bio balls eats the ammonia and turns it into nitrite. I am assuming the bacteria in my ceramic rings eats the nitrite and turns it into nitrate?


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

When I "clean" my filter media all I ever to is swish around the floss pad or spnoge in dirty tank water and I haven't touched my bio media but if you can see them covered in so much gunk its blocking water flow id just do the same, benificial bacteria will grow all over your tank but will be more concentrated in your bio balls and sponge/floss which indeed break down the ammonia to nitrites then to the less harmfull of the three, nitrates, which then get removed from you when you do your weekly water changes and/or plants


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

I agree, just rinse them in the old tank water, and call it good. You need the bacteria on them to eat away the ammonia and nitrites. larger water changes will eliminate the nitrates


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## STiHatchback (May 7, 2012)

ok. water changes and don't clean the bio-balls completely...anyone recommend a really good water conditioner?


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

I just use aqueon water conditioner, I've heard a lot of people use api stress coat


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

The reason you are chasing ammonia issues is you keep overcleaning, if not cleaning unnecessarily, your filter. We all have media in our filters and those of us with canister filters have lots of media. The media in my Eheim 1200XLs have been rinsed one time in 18 months...not cleaned, rinsed. STOP believing what you have read!

Sounds like your tank has not even finished cycling.


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## STiHatchback (May 7, 2012)

Well, I just factor in everything I have read and try to make a sound judgement based on logic. If I was doing the right thing I wouldn't be here looking for help  Plus, how do you know when a tank has "cycled"??


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Believe me, I know there is a lot of conflicting information out there.

When the tank has cycled you usually will read 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and have some positive value for nitrates. With fish in the tank this will usually take 3-8 weeks to complete.


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## STiHatchback (May 7, 2012)

So if I am reading 2ppm on ammonia and 0 on both nitrate/nitrite, then my tank hasn't cycled? Man, this whole time I have been fighting the cycle???


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## freeasabird (Mar 21, 2012)

STiHatchback said:


> So if I am reading 2ppm on ammonia and 0 on both nitrate/nitrite, then my tank hasn't cycled? Man, this whole time I have been fighting the cycle???


Unfortunately yes. Keep us posted how the process goes.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

STiHatchback said:


> So if I am reading 2ppm on ammonia and 0 on both nitrate/nitrite, then my tank hasn't cycled? Man, this whole time I have been fighting the cycle???


Or, it has cycled and you are getting an ammonia spike. Happens sometimes...adding too many fish at once, overcleaning the filter, etc...

How long has your tank had fish in it? If it has been more than a couple of months I would go with an ammonia spike.


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## STiHatchback (May 7, 2012)

I have had the tank for about 2.5 months...fish went in the tank a week after I had it running. Crayfish went about a week after the cichlids. I'm going to do 20% water changes every 2 or 3 days until the ammonia goes down. Any objections? Bad idea on the often water change?


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

that's what I did, small frequent water changes over a few weeks, definetly keep an eye on it still


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