Need advice on what to do

[debiseif]

My nitrites and nitrates are elevated and my Ph is low... here's the story...
I moved my 29 gallon tank (live rock, 6 hermit crabs, clown fish, niger trigger, 2 damsels, a serpent starfish and 3-4 snails) 700 miles 3 months ago. They were transported in two 5 gallon buckets with lids and air hoses successfully. I moved them into a 45 gallon tank approximately 8 gallons of the old water were added to new water. The new tank had live sand and was balanced before adding the fish. The original filter was a Emperor so that I could transfer the biowheel. About a month ago, I changed it over to a cannister filter (Fluval 205).
I attempted to put a box fish and sea urchin into the tank after a few weeks and both died (I am pretty sure the hermit crab got them).
Two weeks ago I added a chocolate chip starfish, feather duster and an orange spotted goby.
Two days ago, I added a mandarin goby, 3 curly cue anenomes, a pink tip anenome, 2 scallops, a lettuce nudibranch, a nassarius snail, a coral banded shrimp, an anenome crab and copepods. At the time, I had a small nitrite surge to 0.25 and my Ph was low at 7.4. My hermit crabs had been attacking the starfish and subsequently killed it. The hermit crabs have also killed both urchins. The hermit crabs have been removed and relocated to the a local aquatics store. I have not removed any dead inverts... and with the acclimation of all the new stuff ended up doing about a 15% water exchange (last was done 2 weeks ago). I also added Start Right and Prime at the recommended amounts for a 45 gallon tank.
So here is the low down and the advice I need is what to do about the nitrites and nitrates, et. al.
Stock: Nassarius snail, turbo snail, 2 smaller snails, lettuce nudibranch serpent starfish, 2 feather dusters, 3 curly cue anenomes, pink tip anenome, 2 scallops, coral banded shrimp, anenome crab, mandarin fish, orange spotted goby, clown fish, 3 stripe damsel, pink damsel and niger trigger (everone gets along) copepods and a random hitchhiker coral.
Filter media: ceramic pellets, filter floss, sponges. I also have power jet.
Stats: Temp 76.5
Salinity 28
Ph 7.9 (using Marine Buffer to adjust, only on day 2)
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 20
Ammonia 0
I do a 15-20% water exchange every 2 weeks, add calcium every day, iodine once a week, Strontium & Molybdenum twice a week
I have between 50-60 pounds of rock (mixture of live and regular)
I am a blooming novice at this (about 2 years in the hobby), so sorry about the long post, just trying to cover everything... thanks for any and all advice.

 

[crypt keeper]

your tank recycled. You overloaded the hell out of it and it basically crashed/cycled. You have way to many fish inverts and everything else going on in there. You threw way too much at it at once and you are paying the price. If you dont get your trites under control you could have dead fish very soon. The main issue was switching the filtration over. Those canisters IMO are junk. You didnt allow it to grow the bacteria needed and it started a cycle. You need to do daily water changes for about a week. Then check it everyday again. If you see trites you need to keep doing water changes. Like 15 to 20 gallons

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3175858
your tank recycled. You overloaded the hell out of it and it basically crashed/cycled. You have way to many fish inverts and everything else going on in there. You threw way too much at it at once and you are paying the price. If you dont get your trites under control you could have dead fish very soon. The main issue was switching the filtration over. Those canisters IMO are junk. You didnt allow it to grow the bacteria needed and it started a cycle. You need to do daily water changes for about a week. Then check it everyday again. If you see trites you need to keep doing water changes. Like 15 to 20 gallons
Could not have said it better myself

 

[debiseif]

Thanks guys... going to do an exchange now... Will I be ok doing another in about 16 hours (I have to work tomorrow night, so won't make it to 24 hours)... The people at the aquatics stores around here recommended changing over a cannister...any suggestions on that?

 

[crypt keeper]

well first things first get any dead verts out. They are just rotting away and you have no CUC from what you stated you took them back.
Canister filters are okay. They work they are just a hassle to clean. The biggest problem was you took away a lot of Denitrifying bacteria in the filter you had. Then replaced it with a filter that was brand new and had zero bacterra present. The filter had to start from stratch in a overloaded tank.
For future reference when you switch over filtration keep part of the older filter media to help build this bacteria faster.
If 16 hours is what you can do than 16 hours is what you can do. I would try and take back a few fish. Like the Trigger for starters. Huge bio load on a 45 and it isnt helping things.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3175884
well first things first get any dead verts out. They are just rotting away and you have no CUC from what you stated you took them back.
Canister filters are okay. They work they are just a hassle to clean. The biggest problem was you took away a lot of Denitrifying bacteria in the filter you had. Then replaced it with a filter that was brand new and had zero bacterra present. The filter had to start from stratch in a overloaded tank.
For future reference when you switch over filtration keep part of the older filter media to help build this bacteria faster.
If 16 hours is what you can do than 16 hours is what you can do. I would try and take back a few fish. Like the Trigger for starters. Huge bio load on a 45 and it isnt helping things.

Nitrates won't bother the fish, only inverts. Yes you way overloaded your tank even with proper bacteria. Too many anemones...you should only have one in that size tank ... not to mention that your tank should be like 6 months old before adding one.

 

[eric b 125]

i'm pretty sure that high enough nitrates will for sure harm fish, just not as quickly as they would harm inverts. i agree with flower about the anemones. it was a good move adding pods to your system, but unless you add them on a very regular basis your mandarin will starve. the lack of a fuge and the size of your tank will not allow for a mandarin without adding pods at a very inconvenient rate.

 

[crypt keeper]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3175968

Nitrates won't bother the fish, only inverts. Yes you way overloaded your tank even with proper bacteria. Too many anemones...you should only have one in that size tank ... not to mention that your tank should be like 6 months old before adding one.
I dont know what you read but he has Nitrites and Nitrates showing. Nitrites will kill fish as well as inverts

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3176025
I dont know what you read but he has Nitrites and Nitrates showing. Nitrites will kill fish as well as inverts

Sorry didn't notice nitrites, so I am not sure about that. Nitrates however can be handled at very high levels by fish..Over 40 will kill inverts.
Regardless...he is overstocked and has little to no bacteria to stabilize everything. He must have had an ammonia spike to have nitrites, which converts to nitrates. My guess is the ammonia killed the fish.

 

[ophiura]

Fundamentally, you failed to follow the golden rule of the hobby, patience.
You added a wide variety of sometimes inappropriate animals to a young, small, unstable tank.
regardless of whether your tank is stable or not, many of what you added or want to add are unsuitable and may well be doomed in that tank. before adding anything, I strongly encourage you to research and create a plan...and then stick to that plan.
Your hermit crabs in all cases, unless very large species, were eating dead or dying stars or inverts or fish.
What is your specific gravity, alkalinity and calcium? What kind of test kits? You effectively, though it sounds harsh, need to STOP for weeks while your tank settles and you have a game plan.
Sorry to sound harsh, but patience and knowing limitations are key in this hobby. Without it, you can not succeed. You, as many others (including myself) learned the hard way....and hopefully learned it in once lesson.