Please HELP... AMMONIA SPIKE in 1yr established reef.

[tang_man_montreal]

I've been battling this ammonia since last night, it's almost 3pm the next day, and have not eaten since lunch yesterday, and slept only 4 hours.
I'm too tired at this point. Please look at this thread that I have on
***I am sorry but your link must go, nothing personal but it is against the rules of this board.*** Will cut and paste your thread below.
Thomas712
Thank you.

 

[sinner's girl]

just a thought, how old is your test kit? take a sample of your water to your lfs and have them test it. last time we though we had a problem it was just our test kit.
Have you added anything new? what's your bioload? are all fish accounted for? (is one dead somewhere causing this?). is there anyone else who is feeding the fish (kids?). I know there have been a few times where sinner and I both feed the fish, so we have to check with each other before feeding.
not much help, just a few questions that might help.
good luck with it!

 

[thomas712]

From: Tang_Man_Montreal
Help!!! AMMONIA off the charts all of a sudden!!
PLEASE please please help.
I got home tonight to find my Xenia wilted and lying on the sandbed.
I promptly took all readings of the tank.
SG 1.022
pH 8.30
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Ammonia Off scale!!!! Past 0.8!!
I've never seen an ammonia reading this dark before.
The only thing I did is add a skimmer on Sunday night.
I did a water change lastnight because I noticed that my nitrate was at 40. I didn't read the ammonia, so it may have been high yesterday.
I've had this tank running for a year. So this is no unfinished cycle.
I've done a 20gallon water change, and still no change in the ammonia reading.
I just checked my saltwater mixing bin, and noticed that the ammonia was at .2.
The only thing I can think of, is that there is something leaching from the skimmer or the plumbing to/from the skimmer.
I used vegetable oil on some of the parts to slip them easier onto the hose.... But I've read this was safe... or is it?
I'm at a loss... and fear that I will lose everything and the tank will crash overnight...
please help and offer input...
Current Tanks: 90 Reef and 30 FOWLR
Interests: Uhm, Fish?

 

[thomas712]

What type of bio load do you have right now?
Current filtration?
Any signs that something entered the tank that shouldn't be there? Chemicals, fragrence of some type like potpouri, . Any deaths lately? everything accounted for? Any cats or dogs in the house.
Vegetable oil Normally hoses can be dipped in hot water to soften them up. Is there a film on top of the water now preventing gas exchange?
Thomas

 

[tang_man_montreal]

Bioload...
1 yellow tang, 1 hippo tang, 1 yellow wrasse, 1 longnose hawk, 1 clown.
several hermits, 2 cukes, 1 peppermint and 1 cleaner shrimp...
several softies, mushrooms, ricordias, torch, frogspan, purple acro..
No signs that anything entered the tank...
No deaths except for a xenia that crashed.. (how I found the tank had a high ammo reading), I think this may have been the culprit.
1 cat, 1 dog. (what does this have to do with it?)
Filtration includes DSB, liverock, and one BIG aerofoamer skimmer copy. Model 630
vegetable oil was to lube up the tubing after I had softened it up. It is safe in aquariums.
If you read further into the thread on --, you'll see that my 30gal tank is also afflicted now... ever since I put the xenia which had died in it. (i didn't know it was dead at the time)
No film on top of water... water isn't cloudy either.
Pics available at the end of thread on --...

 

[searcher]

Sorry I can't help you. But I think the reason he asked about your other pets is other people have had problems with their cats urinating in the tank.

 

[thomas712]

Yes we have had members who have found that their other pets have added ammonia unknowingly to the aquarium causing problems.
Bio load dosn't sound high, and yes I would have looked for a slightily clouded water as well.
I would also look into overfeeding, check any prefilters, sump, wet/dry for anything unusual.
What test kit is this?
thomas

 

[tang_man_montreal]

I found out it was the SALT!!!!
I started a brand new 200gal bin of Instant Ocean salt that I had purchased at JL aquatics (one of only people who deliver to Canada) 1.5months ago when they had they're incredible price on it...
I only opened it recently to do a 20gal change in order to bring the nitrates down....
If you havn't followed the thread on --, it's quite lengthy, and mentioned in my first post here...
Long story short... I got some saltwater from a friend using his water, his salt... it tested 0 ammonia.
Got home, topped of my tank with it, (SG was low too), and mixed the remainder with some other salt water that I still had left.. I then tested that water, and it returned a .1-.2 ammonia reading!!! It had tested 0 at his place 10 minutes earlier!!
What can I do??? I KNOW it's not the water, I tested the fresh water (no salt) and it tested 0 ammonia.
Can I send samples to people to test and prove that it's the salt? I want my dang money back!! and then some!! I'm still unsure if I will lose any livestock or not due to this!...