My new pet

[demodan]

I put a puffer in about two weeks after my trigger. Thursday, my ammonia level went up to 1.0ppm. I got water ready and did a change friday. After the water change, ammonia dropped to... 1.0ppm. Took a sample to the LFS, reading is good. Nothing dead, even lifted up the rocks to make sure. Puffer is stressed, but eating. Trigger just thinks he is Lawerence Welk. (Prizm throwing bubbles). I am going to give the fish back, the LFS will hold them, and I think I'll just keep the ammonia as a pet. Its less picky about food, and I can't get rid of it even when I try.
Seriously, though, how can nothing change when I did a 50% water change? Nitrates barely dropped, and ammonia didn't change. I really hate to put these fish through this. When I put the trigger in, I had 0ammonia, 0nitrites, 5ppm nitrates.

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Sounds like there is a problem with your biofilter.
What type of filter do you have? How long since it was checked for proper functionality?
How much lr/ls do you have?
How long has your tank been up?
How many fish total & other animals do you have

 

[demodan]

40 gal. tank
1" live sand
45 lbs. rock
Eheim 2231 filter
Rio 600 pump for movement
Double pass UV
Prizm skimmer
Running since 11/13/01, sand and rock from a friends tank, 2 yrs. old
1 dogface puffer
1 huma huma trigger
Didn't start skimming until ammonia and nitrites went to 0, cycled with shrimp from the Jewel down the street. The trigger alone was fine, two weeks later added the puffer.
I think I have a problem with the bio, but what? A lot of people tell me something is wrong, but I can't figure it out. Reading posts, books, talking to friends, just aggrivated right now. I also started a 7.5 nano reef, it's doing fine.

 

[demodan]

How would I test the filter?

 

[fishfreek]

Just an idea, but if you us tap water, did you check it for ammonia? This would explain your ammonia readings.

 

[demodan]

Yes, just to make sure it wasn't the test kit, I checked the ammonia levels of the water I was adding just b4 my water change. It was yellow, which means zero.