Tropical Fish Forums

jhdenn · New Members Joined: 06 Jun 2006

I have a 55 gal tank with about 45 lb of live rock. The tank has been established for about 8 months. We do monthly water changes of between 10-20%. Our Nitrates are 0 our nitrites are at 0 pH is 8.2 and our ammonia level has gone to 1.00 and stops, we have tried ammochips, extra filters etc... We have the ammo chips in the sump tank and a whisper filter that we added for the ammocarb to try and stop the ammonia, we have this past weekend compelted a 50% water change in hopes of dropping the ammonia levels and it dropped for about 12 hours to.5 then within one day back to 1.00 We have not been feeding often we are trying to lower the ammonia by any way possible. PLEASE HELP!!! Any suggestions on what else to try or what could be causing the problem???

sirreal63 · Advisors Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Location: Meadowlakes, TX

Have you tried a better test kit? They do get old and inaccurate. A bad test kit can make you crazy.
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Out on the road today...I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac...
Jack
110 Gallon DSA Pentagon

FloridaBoy · Moderators Joined: 04 Jul 2004

Yes, take the water to your LFS and ask them to confirm your readings.
If the reading is accurate, I would ask about the "Ammo chips"...why are you using a freshwater product on your marine system? I think you would want a product called Purigen?
For best advice, I need to know your complete livestock list and filtration please.
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Keepin' marines happy for 25 years

jhdenn · New Members Joined: 06 Jun 2006

The ammochips are for saltwater as well as fresh. I have a false percula, foxface, blue hippo tang, engineer goby all small and then a small lobster, peppermint shrimp, pistol shrimp, about 40 hermit crabs, 3 emerald crabs. The fish are doing just great beautiful colorinf, no illness, but we are having problems keeing corals. We have CPR Wet/Dry CR500 (to 60 gallons) w/ Rio 2500

sirreal63 · Advisors Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Location: Meadowlakes, TX

The problems keeping corals will either be lack of light, nitrate or phosphate, it usually ends up being lighting or poor water quality. Fish aren't that sensitive but corals are.

I would be interested in your water parameters..
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Out on the road today...I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac...
Jack
110 Gallon DSA Pentagon

FloridaBoy · Moderators Joined: 04 Jul 2004