Overstocked Or 7 Week Old Filter Causing Ammonia Spike

[winngames]

just did a few test and the results are not good

ammonia-0.5ppm
nitrate - about 7ppm
nitrite -0.5ppm

i have 2 clowns 1 small copperband and a mandarin fish in my 20g tank, could these levels be cause due to overstocking or because the filter is fairly new ( about 7 weeks), also are these levels damaging to leather corals. i have only recently started buying RO water (replaced 25% of the tank water today and the levels dropped by about half still 75% tap water in the tank

Thanks

 

[matt295]

i would say that it is overstocked

 

[Lynden]

Your stocking level is sustainable with generous water changes, but the copperband will overgrow the tank in time and the mandarin needs plenty of food, which is difficult.

Those levels will not harm the leather corals immedietly, but if sustained they will be damaged. I would advise more water changes for now.

 

[winngames]

Thanks for the reply,at the moment the fish are relatively small, as for the copperband i know it will eventually outgrow the tank ive had the mandarin since September 07 and its doin great it just eats of the live rock ( got 14kg of live rock in the tank )..... How many water changes would you recommend each month?

 

[littleme1969]

10% every week is best for water changes to keep things stable. As for the water change over to RO I would be tempted to leave it to let it recycle the more water you change at this point the longer the mini cycle will take. Only do a large water change if the stats go get higher. Best wait it out then do a really large water change over a period of a week to get out as much of the tap water as possible.