I just tested the tank we've had sitting since we got it a few weeks ago and the ammonium (I presume ammonia) levels are still 6,0 ppm..

It has no fish in it at the moment I was just testing as I had presumed it would be zero as its filled with "live rock" when I got it but its not to be..

What can I do I guess I have to wait for the levels to drop and the live rock to actually be cycled or something like that?

It will just be die off from the live rock, how long has it been setup??

23rd december I think was when we got it home and setup so almost 2 weeks..

You are always going to get ammonium spike with live rock as things will die when you move them.

It is could still 4-6 weeks to stabilise.

sweet so is there anything else I can do? Water changes etc? Is this going to hurt the corals in the tank as ones looking pretty sad already..

Ryan - tanks usually take about 4-6 weeks to fully cycle and in that time you shouldn't have any corals in there cause they will just die.

I had no option as I got the tank and corals at the same time and had nowhere else to put them..

Most of the corals in there are soft corals (they actually came from my tank, I gave them to Tammy). They should be okay but will sulk, if they start to rot/break apart then take them out they wil pollute your tank. The rock in there is cycled, the the tank has been through a few hands and been setup for a while so it shouldn't take too long to come right.

Doing some water changes is a good idea, if your using ASW make sure you make it up at least a day before you use it.

Here's a question: At what level does ammonia become toxic to corals?

The ammonia won't kill corals at that level.

Fish won't last long, but the corals will be fine (as far as the ammonia goes).

..that's not to say they won't be killed by something other than ammonia.

Just give it time. There is nothing you can do, buy, or add to the tank to speed it up.

Layton

:roll: hes back

hes back

but he is correct in what he said.

i put leathers in a brand new tank (didn't even have much live rock except where the corals were on) and they went thru the whole cycle and showed no stress signs at all.

Who's back?

Thanks for all the advice out of all the corals soft and hard it seems that only one of the softies is sulking and it was the one that came out in the first day and then went back into hiding a few days after (probably as the ammonia levels went up)

I have been to the beach today and got some water and ill make up some ASW as well and mix it all together and leave it overnight in the 3ft tank with a filter and heater and airstone then test it all tomorrow and do a water change to hopefully get the levels done a bit..

Who's back?

Thanks for all the advice out of all the corals soft and hard it seems that only one of the softies is sulking and it was the one that came out in the first day and then went back into hiding a few days after (probably as the ammonia levels went up)

Unlikely to be the ammonia causing that. DIN invokes feeding response in corals, you're more likely to see them with "amazing polyp extension" in response to increased ammonia, it's just food to them.

So what causes them to sulk? It was out for the first few days but now just sulks all the time..

And how exactly do these guys feed and what do they eat? Also ive noticed a heap of long brown tubes popping up around the place with a circle that looks like it has a mouth in the middle and tenticles around the side what are these guys?

And at what level does ammonia become toxic to corals?

I think my test kit might be playing up maybe expired, I tested the tap water and got the same result even the water im going to add is the same... And its a colour that doesn't match upto the colour chart that ive got too..

I have a hagen one as well but the instruction books and colour scales got wet and stuck together when the movers packed them in a wet fishtank..

Can anyone give me the instructions and pics of the colour scales for the hagen no2 and nh3 test kits?

Do they look like this:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inver ... ipfaqs.htm

Or something on this page:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zoanthid.htm

The things look like the first link pic on top right.. Are they bad? lol

And anyone have any info on the ammonia and nitrate kit I use?

Yep, bad.

An article to scare you...

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inver ... ptasia.htm

There are several ways to kill aiptasia, what worked for me was a product called Joes Juice, available at the pet shop.

You give the bottle a shake, suck a bit into the syringe, and squirt it right onto the aiptasia.

I have some of that.. If I go around killing all of them (theres quite a few and I thought they were cool) then wont they pollute the water?

You would have to do a lot of them before you had pollution problems. The longer you leave it the worse it gets, better to get started.

Just do a few each day if you are concerned.