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OCDP
08-02-2008, 10:11 PM
I purchased a used setup from a fellow reefer on Tuesday. Tank inhabitants are a Coral Beauty and 2 Ocellaris Clowns. Set everything up on Tuesday night, everything settled in just fine. Woke up Wednesday, tested for Nitrite and Ammonia with ELOS test kits. Nitrites were 0, and Ammonia was below 0.05.

I should note that on Tuesday I also added some zoos and a mini GBTA to the tank. Again, both settled in fine.

However, I woke up Thursday morning to find my GBTA stuck on a powerhead intake. It was beat up, but not dead. I took it off the intake, and was left with 2 very tiny GBTA's. They both look like they are recovering well.. inflating, foot is attatched, generally just looking like they are recovering well. There were small bits of tentacles flowing through the tank, but very very few, not enough for me to start worrying about it decaying and spiking the tank.

So here's where I may have made a careless mistake. On Thursday evening I added a purple firefish and a plate coral to the tank. Again, all settling in very well.. I had no suspisions of anything being wrong with paramaters whatsoever.

So I test my tank again today. Nitrites 0, Ammonia is at 1 on the ELOS test kits. Is this extremely bad? I know this is a noob question, but I just can't judge how bad this is.

Now let me also mention (and I am sorry for this very lengthy post) that everything in my tank appears to be doing extremely well. The fish are active, swimming, eating, and greeting me at the tank. They APPEAR to be completely fine.. however I am worried that there's probably more than meets the eye?

I did a 20% water change after the test... I re-tested and I am still at Ammonia reading of 1 (maybe SLIGHTLY less dark in colour than before)

My problem and my main question after all this ranting is, I am extremely sick right now, horrible fever, can barely get off the couch. The water change today was a nightmare on my body.

Based on my observations, I htink everything looks absolutely fine. Corals are open, fish are active, eating, and have no visible physical problems... will my tank be okay for one more night without a water change? I have to work tomorrow and I need all the rest I can get tonight.

Forgive me for this story length post, to whoever reads this, thanks for getting this far, and I appreciate your help. Please don't flame me for this, I thought everything was fine.. I am wondering if my ammonia spike is the mix of the GBTA getting sucked up, and the addition of a new purple firefish.

My firefish is doing well, just being very shy and hiding in rocks. I watch their breathing and it all seems good.

*edit* I will add, I am skimming with a remora nano, and am running foam and carbon in an aquaclear 50 (sponge is brand new)
I will also note, that of course, today when I looked in the tank, it looked the best that it has since wednesday.. go figure

Thanks for your time

michika
08-03-2008, 01:51 AM
I'd say just let it be. Watch the tank like you've been doing, and continue to get yourself better.

dsaundry
08-03-2008, 02:37 AM
Agree, let it be, and put some sponge around your intakes to keep the anemone's from being sucked up.:biggrin:

OCDP
08-04-2008, 04:05 PM
Thanks guys. Everything is doing just fine :) And yes, I made the careless mistake of putting a GBTA into intake city.

Thankfully the GBTA survived, and I was not left with 2 GBTA's but 3. The two I found are still small, both slightly bigger than a twoonie. I found one about the size of a pennie in a hole in the rockwork. So I should have some nice looking clones soon. They all look like they are doing really well which is good.

Thanks again.. I will have pics soon.