Trying something different. Fluidised golf balls. kaldness.

Attachment 7381
Added some more ball, a while ago.
Ammonia is holding around, .50ppm, on the API liquid test. Ph 7.5 so according charts, the ammonia vs total ammonium is safe. I had to learn about it myself
Did a first water change a week ago, nitrates were around 30ppm.
Have about 20 .75" fry in the tank also, I guess they are less tolerant to ammonia than adults, canary in the coal mine.

I filter sock about twice a week, then pull and clean sock, as to keep the bacteria multiplying, and messing with the science project.

The seachem ammonia alerts are all in the safe,
Feeding about 1tsp a day, probable 6 tsp week, as I miss sometimes.

Waiting for the other balls to green up. Using 10, 3watt 660nm leds. Air stone, and a wave maker.

Maybe you don't mean 0.5 ppm ammonia... would be bad.

I did not like .5ppm ammonia either. Just needed more algea growing. Last water test Friday. Had ZERO ammonia.
With nitrates. Less than 20 ppm.

Attachment 7384
Showing some potential, time will tell.

The fluidised algea Scrubber, has completely, used all the ammonia, preventing it from becoming nitrate.
So after 2 weeks, nitrates are unchanged. I have increased the lights to 20 three watt 660nm leds, and two 10 watt 660nm cobs. All the lights are submerged. In effect it is a 4 sided box, of 8" x 20" scrubbers, with the fluidised balls continuously, harvesting algea.
The algea gets passed through 5 compartments of fish, fry were the loose algea can get consumed. The flow then passed through a filter sock.

Good job. And auto feeder too.

Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it.