New tank question

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by jason604

Can I buy a special chemical that will remove the remaining 0.25 ppm of ammonia? Lol

No, if your tank is properly cycled, then the ammonia would cycle through to nitrite and then on to nitrate, which would then show in your tank.

Is it possible your test kit is giving you a false reading of ammonia? In the past I have seen test kits that seem to show a small amount of ammonia, even in a fully cycled tank.

But what bothers me, too, is that you are not showing any nitrates, which to me indicates that your tank may not be fully cycled. That's why I say before adding fish, put in the rest of the live rock, and maybe some more dead shrimp, to see if any nitrates show up.

It is not right to put in live fish, if you are not sure the tank is ready. Ammonia is very harmful to fish. And if there is indeed some there now, a lot more will show up once more organic matter is added to the tank.