Over/underfeeding and water parameters

[lovetofly31]

How does water parameters go from being perfect one week to a spike in ammonia/nitrite/nitrate the next week?
Tank has been established for 4 months now. Livesand/rock, inverts, and two clown fish in there..
The only thing I can think of is overfeeding?? Which I don't believe I have..I actually think I underfeed.
What are some good feeding practices??

 

[xlr8]

This is just my opinion. Feed only as much food as your fish can eat in about 5 min. Another one that was suggested to me is small portions 2 or 3 times in a day rather than one big feeding in a day.
But I would look for something dead, maybe a snail or crab?
$.02

 

[cam78]

I feed my fish once every few days. Prob has nothing to do with what you are talking about though. Newer tanks go through more changes then established tanks. Are stirring up the sand when doing W/C's? This might create a spike.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally Posted by lovetofly31
http:///forum/post/3252879
How does water parameters go from being perfect one week to a spike in ammonia/nitrite/nitrate the next week?
Tank has been established for 4 months now. Livesand/rock, inverts, and two clown fish in there..
The only thing I can think of is overfeeding?? Which I don't believe I have..I actually think I underfeed.
What are some good feeding practices??
any number of things can cause a spike in ammonia. Something dead, over feeding, accidential toxins, many many things.
hopefully your fish are fine.
As a start I would stop adding food to the tank until amminia/nitrItes drop doan again.
FWIW your experience is one reason why I recommend balancing out the tank with plant life such as macro algaes or even corraline algae. When something goes bump in the night and ammonia rises, the algae actually prefers to consume ammonia over nitrates. So all you may get is just a 2-3 week jump in nitrates.
but that's just me and my .02

 

[lovetofly31]

Originally Posted by xlr8
http:///forum/post/3252882
This is just my opinion. Feed only as much food as your fish can eat in about 5 min. Another one that was suggested to me is small portions 2 or 3 times in a day rather than one big feeding in a day.
But I would look for something dead, maybe a snail or crab?
$.02
It seems that my crab and snail population has been slowly dying off but I think that may have something to do with the CB shrimp in there.

 

[lovetofly31]

Originally Posted by CAM78
http:///forum/post/3252921
I feed my fish once every few days. Prob has nothing to do with what you are talking about though. Newer tanks go through more changes then established tanks. Are stirring up the sand when doing W/C's? This might create a spike.
I have slightly on a few occasions but nothing I would consider detrimental and the tank was clear again 30 minutes later.

 

[lovetofly31]

Originally Posted by beaslbob
http:///forum/post/3252941
any number of things can cause a spike in ammonia. Something dead, over feeding, accidential toxins, many many things.
hopefully your fish are fine.
As a start I would stop adding food to the tank until amminia/nitrItes drop doan again.
FWIW your experience is one reason why I recommend balancing out the tank with plant life such as macro algaes or even corraline algae. When something goes bump in the night and ammonia rises, the algae actually prefers to consume ammonia over nitrates. So all you may get is just a 2-3 week jump in nitrates.
but that's just me and my .02
Funny you mention that about macro algae. I do have some in my tank and I've noticed over the past week some of the algae is changing colors from the original maroon/brown color to an almost clear color. I've got 20lbs more of premium live rock and 20 lbs of base rock on the way. Hopefully that will keep things a little more stable.
And I shouldn't say my water parameters have been perfect either. Ammonia/Nitrates/Nitrite has been perfect but the pH has dropped slightly and the kH started going through the roof last week.
Does pH and kH have an effect on ammonia levels?