NEW TANK HERE DESPERATE HELP PLEASE!

[briansreeftank19660426]

I AM NEW TO SALT WATER AND WOUL DLIKE TO POST WHAT I HAVE SET UP AT HOME AND WHAT I PLAN TO PUT IN TANK AND GET OPINIONS. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. WE ALL WERE ROOKIES AT ONE TIME.. MY NITRATES WONT GO DOWN
SET UP 5 WEEKS OLD
29 GALLON GLASS TANK
2 INCHES OF FINE SAND
3 PIECES OF LIVE ROCK
150WATT TRONIC HEATER
FLUVAL 304 WITH BIOIBALLS ,NOODLES,CHEMIPURE CARBON, COARSE PAD AND FINE PAD ON TOP
SEACLONE PROTEIN SKIMMER
CUSTOM SEALIFE 9WATT UV STERLIZER WITH TINY POWER HEAD DOES TANK 2X PER HOUR
2 15 GALLON AQUA CLEAR 201 POWER HEAD FILTERS IN EACH CORNER
ONE SMALL INCH BLUE HIPO
ONE TINY DAMSEL
ONE 2 INCH SEBAE CLOWNFISH
ONE HERMIT CRAB
ONE SMALL CORAL BAND SHRIMP
ONE VERY SMALL HORSESHOE CRAB
ONE SNAIL
ONE PURPLE SEBAE ANENOME SMALL 3 INCH BASE
20% WATER CHANGE EVERY 2 WEEKS
RED SEA TEST KIT
ADDING ONCE PER WEEK VITACHEM,TRACE ELEMENTS,PHBUFFER,MICROINVERT FOOD LIQUID IODINE,
FEEDING EVERY OTHER DAY FLAKES
MY NITRATES WONT COME DOWN BELOW 50PM
SOME SMALL TRACES OF NITRITES..
IS THIS SET UP OK FOR A FISH AND MIXED INVERT AQUARIUM.? THANK YOU
TINY TRACE OF AMONIA?
MY NITRATES ARENT COMING DOWN
IS THIS OVER KILL?HELP NEW TANK HERE PLEASE DESPERATE!

 

[rhomer]

Did you let your tank cycle? How long has it been setup? I see some really big red flags, but lets resolve one issue at a time.

 

[salty guy]

Water changes are the most affective way of getting your Nitrates down, and you are doing 20% every two weeks that’s good. It may be you bio load on such a new tank that is causing your Nitrates to be high. Five weeks is an infant in SW tanks life.
Also I would remove you carbon form you filters. It serves no purpose unless you are trying to remove a chemical from your tank.
P.S. Please turn your cap lock off

 

[lordofthereef]

you have way too much stock in your tank! its only 5 weeks old so you say. thats not even long enough for the tank to cycle!! you also say that you are using micro-vert. that is a very dirty product. yo should only use about a third of what is recomended, trust me, i use it myself at times. my advice to you is to take out your livestock and let the tank cycle for a few weeks. remember, you are trying to recreate a saltwater eco-system that has taken millions of years to evolve!! you can't just recreate it in your home overnight! TAKE IT SLOW!!!!!

 

[rhomer]

Let the flaming commence. You should really return the hippo tang. This fish really needs a very large tank 75 gallon.
The horseshoe crab needs water 65 degrees or lower so you should really return him also. He will die, and before he dies he will topple over the rock. This is not a good creature for reef tanks.
Now that is over, lets focus on the problem of nitrates. Wet/dry filters tend to create nitrates, but I'm guessing that this more due to your bio-load. If you return the hippo, you should see the nitrates drop, also try to feed the fish less, or even stop feeding for a few days.
Another option is to add another 2-4 inches of sand, this should create an anerobic zone to consume nitrates.
Lastly go as slow as you can. Try only adding one creature at a time, and seperate the additions by at least a week (most people would say more time).

 

[marine qa]

briansreeftank19660426,
If your tank is still near 5 weeks old it is not done cycling. Have you seen signs of nitrItes? You should run some searches on cycling to find out more specifics.
Furthermore, LORDOFTHEREEF and rhomer are correct. You have way to much in that very very young tank. The Hippo Tang is, or will be, way to big for a 29g. The horseshoe does need a much cooler environment than your other inhabitants. And lastly the anenome will not live long in those water conditions. Anenome's need perfect water.
Overall, I would suggest you keep reading posts on this site and start looking for a recently published (within the last couple of years) book on reef tanks. Maybe some others will have specific titles/authors in mind.
Lastly, regarding a seperate issue, unless you are really drawn to it, it is better to use upper-case fonts only where appropriate. It is very difficult to read otherwise.

 

[briansreeftank19660426]

ok sorry im new here ive lowered my cap locks sorry. put the guns down. please more advise please. ineed all i can get at this point. is it normal for nitrites to raise again after uve cycled after adding new stock or live rock..is this a symptom of over stocking or over feeding . even though i cycled once before already

 

[ramey70]

Your problem is that it appears that you haven't done the most important thing in this hobby. That is to be patient and give it time! You should let a new tank run for a month with nothing in it except for maybe the damsel. Tangs are very sensitive animals and he may get stressed with the poor water and lack of room. Take him in now because more than likely he won't be with you much longer. Mature tanks have an inate ability to correct themselves naturaly such as what we find in nature. Circle of life so to speak. As the previous poster said, you can't recreate this in just 5 weeks. I know people who have had tanks for 2 years and still don't feel confident in thier water quality and system to attempt an anemone. Just take it slow!

 

[chainsaw5vent]

marineqa. clean setup and nice wooden floors. do you worry about spillage and such? <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" />

 

[marine qa]

chainsaw5vent,
Luckily I have had no real spillage problems. I do put down cardboard during water changes and use Murphy's Oil soap after I'm done. I love that stuff.
Also, those pictures are roughly a year old and the tank and sump look much less pristine now. The floors still look fine though.