Ammonia spike

[cprdnick]

I have a 18 gallon tall that has been up for about 2 months. Yesterday I noticed that my polyps were looking kind of sick so I figured I would check my PH, it was a little off, but my ammonia tested .50. I haven't added anything to the tank and I havent taken anything out. My tank tests as this:
Yesterday:
PH 7.8
Ammonia .50
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Today:
PH 8.0 (added a buffer)
Ammonia .25-.50
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
My temp and salinity are a constant but tested 80 degrees and 1.022. A week ago I did a water change and dropped my 'trates from 10 to 5.
My tank occupants are as follows:
1 percula clown
1 scarlet cleaner shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
4 scarlet leg hermits
4 reef hermits
1 aquacultured fighting conch
3 Astrea turbo snails
3 margarito snails
4 bumble bee snails
and a few hitchhiking worms
Corals:
1 rock covered in purple button polyps
3 mushroom frags
I have 35 lbs LR, 25 lbs LS. I'm running a prizm skimmer 24/7, a Zoo Med power sweep PH rated at 160gph, an AquaClear PH rated at 175gph. My lighting is as such; 36X2 one 7000k white and the other is a 12000k actinic blue. My lights are on for about 4 hours everyday (treating a cyano outbreak) I only feed my perc 3 brine flakes by hand once a day (also the cyano treatment), today I am fasting him to see if that drops anything.
I've gone over everything in my head and can't figure it out.
What are some opinions on the Ammonia spike.

 

[ross]

Did you stir up the sand or take some out or anything like that. I think if you mess with the bottom part of the sand bed where all the bacteria is you will get a ammonia spike. I would just do a water change and check your levels.

 

[cprdnick]

it might have been stirred up when I moved a PH the other day, but it didn't do much the cyano was still in tact

 

[fat_daddy_rob]

A good water change would not hurt...when did you last add a fresh brew?
fdr

 

[cprdnick]

last water change was on saturday

 

[broomer5]

Are you using any chemical products to treat the cynobacteria ?
If so, you may have lost some benificial bacteria in your live sand and rock.
This could account for an ammonia reading on a otherwise healthy tank - especially in a small tank.
If not dosing a chemical - then I'm at a loss.

 

[cprdnick]

no I'm trying to treat it naturally, I'm not a big fan of chemicals in my tank.

 

[broomer5]

Cool
I guess I would double check all inverts and make sure one has not died/dissappreared.

 

[cprdnick]

already did that, I've got all of the inverts alive and thriving that I had when I did the last water change. I tested today:
PH 8.2
Ammonia .25
Trites 0
trates 5
salinity 1.022
temp 79
I guess all I can do is wait it out and do another water change.

 

[cliffrouse11bas]

What test kit are you using for your ammonia. I was using a red sea test kit and it always test out at .25 no matter what same thing with the aquarium pharm. test kit for ammonia. Good luck. I have a salifert ammonia test kit on the way. From what I hear they are better all around..

 

[cprdnick]

yep that's it, I'm using Aquarium Pharm.'s test kit. When I first got the kit it read out zero on the ammonia with no problem, but lately I haven't been able to get my ammonia to balance.

 

[cliffrouse11bas]

Try the Salifert I have heard nothing but good things about these kits...

 

[squidd]

Try testing some "known good water" (like RO or Distilled) and see if your test kit reads 0 on ammonia...
If it doesn't ...well there's your problem.
If it does...well there's your problem.

 

[cprdnick]

Roger Dodger, that's a good idea, I'll have to do that after work.

 

[flatliner1102]

Try also some planta like a Calurpa. I have one in mine and the nitate levels stay way down.