Big Problem with Tank - Please Help

[jimc58]

Good Day!
Our tank has been up for about three years now and it has been doing great! But, I suddenly am having a big problem with the water and I don't know how to pull out of it before I lose the fish. I could sure use some advice! Here is the run down:
We have a mature 75 gal tank. About 100lbs of live rock, 6 (now 5) fish, and an assortment of crabs, snails, etc. A week or so ago I couldn't find our scooter blenny, and he has still not been seen. There was a good sized brittle star in there that I thought might have got him. So, thinking that he might be rotting I tested the water. Everything was very good except the Nitrates were very high. I had become complacent in testing the water, I will admit, so I don't know how long those have been high. All inhabitants have been triving, though. Anyway, I did a 15 gal water change and that brought the nitrates down quite a bit, but they were back as high as before the next day.
Alarmed I did something I probably shouldn't have. I went to the pet store and bought something call AmQuel (I believe) and added that. The next day the nitrates were still at the same level so I added more. And I did the same the next day. That is when things reall went awry.
The forever hidden brittle turned up in plane view, on it's back and not looking good. I put him in the Q-tank and he is doing better there. The hermit crabs are sluggish and the snails are dissappearing. I did another water change last night, this time 20 gallons. Today the nitrates are falling and the nitrites continue to be good. But, the ammonia is shooting up. Right now it is at about 3.7. Nitrites less than 0.3. Nitrates down to around 50.
I don't know what to do next. I imagine I need to keep changing water but how often can I do that until things are back under control? Anything else I should be doing, or not doing? So far the fish look very good. No signs of stress at all. But, I know it is only a matter of time if I don't get things back in balance.
One other details I just remembered. The protein skimmer is pulling off a lot of stuff. It is filling up and overflowing in half a day, where it would go months before needing emptying in the past. And, it is very clear liquid instead of the normal dark greenish sludge it usually pulls off. Also, all the algea that was in there (there wasn't too much) is dying back rapidly.
Nothing new has been added to the tank and nothing out of the ordinary happened before this other than the scooter dissappearing (he was probably 4 inches long). Any help in what I do next would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ross]

Your ammonia and nitrite are too high. I would keep doing small water changes for a couple days and see if things get better. If the fish are acting stressed or stop eating then i would put them in the qtine if it is big enough. Amquel is pretty good i think. I have used it before to bring down the ammonia, but i don't think it helps with nitrate. My guess is that your scooter blenny died and spiked the ammonia. If you don't have a fuge you could set one up. It would really help with the nitrate.
BTW the reason for the skimmer pulling out so much stuff might be from the amquel. I know that stress coat will make it go crazy, but i'm not sure about amquel. HTH

 

[jimc58]

Thanks, that does help. If for a bit of moral support if nothing else. I am about to move all the remaining inverts I can find into the q-tank then start moving rocks to see if I can find the blenny, or anything else. And then take it from there. The q-tank is only 20 gallons so I don't know how long it could support the 2 perculas, longnose butterfly fish, lawnmower bleeny, and green manderinfish. But, I will try the route if they start looking stressed.
I will, of course, do another water change today but I'm still uncertain about how much water how quickly I can change without doing more damage. If anyone knows I would appreciate hearing!
Thanks again!
Jim

 

[thomas712]

You can definatly loose fish with that ammonia. You really do need to look to find the source of it, and remove it. No doubt that something died and is rotting, unless heavly overfed?
AT this point I would not hesitate to start out with a large water change, of about 30%+. And have another ready after that in just a few days. Be sure to mix well and age it 48 hours with aeriation.
I would run a fresh batch of carbon to help with the removal of gasses and DOC's. change with fresh after 12 hours.
A Poly filter for the removal of many things like PO4, Meds, Doc's, copper and other heavy metals, and best of all Ammonia.
Find the source of the ammonia = dead fish
Do a 30% water change in addition to what you have done.
run carbon
run poly filter
Be ready with another 30% water change, in a few days.
THOmas

 

[debra w-c]

I agree you need to do a large water change. Also, just in case you didn't know amquel will detoxify ammonia but it will not hide it from your test kit. So, just because you are still reading ammonia doesn't mean the product isn't working.
Keep doing water changes and adding amquel. Another good product is Prime.
The nitrates are bad for inverts but won't harm your fish. However, for the the long term you should think of a way to bring down nitrates. Have you been doing regular water changes? I would advise changing at leat 10% each week, more if you have a heavy bioload.
Also, perhaps cut back on the feeding.
A 50% water change would bring things down to a safe range. Since your animals are in QT you could do that slowly over a week if you want to be on the side of caution...

 

[debra w-c]

For a situation like this it's okay to do a large water change immediately.
Just make sure you are matching temp, specific gravity and ph.