Ok I am somewhat a nooB! Couple quick questions and comments.

[only]

First of all this forum is great alot of stuff can be answered by searching for threads with answers. However, there is always a different answer for everything and not every one answer is right or wrong! I am some what new to the salt water setup. I have a 7,000 gallon fish pond in my backyard that I maintain and my fiance's mother has/had a 30 gal salt water tank. Recently she upgraded to a 55 gallon tank and tossed the other one!
I KNOW I KNOW, big mistake, could have used it for quarentining (I don't think that is spelt right) LOL. So anyways We just got it up and running (last saturday) and used about 20 gallons from the old tank and about 20 gallons from ***** their saltwater that is ready to go that is in a box. Needless to say, I have a few problems kinda small but so far so good. We have everything in the tank already, 2 anenomes, 2 nudibranchs (wait make that 4, one died and just got a new one today so make that 3), we had a percula clown and a box fish (nuetron bomb) they both died (not of poor water quality i think possibe fish proble with a damsel more coming up).
Let me stop myself without going into great detail. There is a million things going through my mind that I have read in this forum and I feel like Homer Simpson and saying "DOH!" why didn't I do that! So here is my main problems:
1. The amonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are up. I learned about the whole cycle thing and I purchased 2 - 8 oz. bottles of the "Cycle" stuff. There is one bottle in the tank since yesterday morning (Thursday). The readings are still high. Should I just sit and wait and see what happens? Should I do a water change?
2. This saltwaterfish.com is great. I just recieved my order (and placed the order before I noticed my water problems). I got 2 sponges, a great bay yellow tree looking thing, lettuce nudibranch, and a couple polyps and a copperband butterfly, a beautiful fish I might add. Well, guess what, my 3 stripe damsel decides to start picking on it as well as my long nose butterfly. WTF, I have 5 different other fish in that tank and they dont bother any of the other ones. Maybe it is a territorial thing.
I really would hate to get rid of any of the fish, this is what I want to do. I want to get a plexiglass divider and put it in the tank and seperate the copperband from the damsel and the long nose. Would that train the damsel and the butterfly to leave the copperband alone? Worse case scenario I will have to get rid of some fish to a local pet store.
Please before you kill me telling me what I should have done, I know already! LOL

like I said before I feel like Homer Simpson, DOH! I now know about the cycle product, however I am still worried about my water quality, I have a UGF with crushed coral as a base and about an inch of live sand as a topping. I have live rock in the tank and I am getting more as soon as I finish this new thread. I am also going to get plexiglass just incase someone does recommend my idea.
Oh Lastly,
Filtration, this is what I have:
Marineland Magnum 350 Canister with the carbon in it right now, not the element filter. A seaclone 150 protein skimmer, a handfull of little hermit crabs, flame scallop, and sponges.
I know I listed live organisms but arent they considered "cleaners"?
Ammonia is: .4
Nitrite is: .6
Nitrate is: 20-40
salt: 1.022 - 1.023
PH: 8.2
Water Temp: 79-80
Any help is appreciated:
Thanks
Luke

 

[happyhourh]

Originally Posted by only
Ammonia is: .4
Nitrite is: .6
Nitrate is: 20-40
salt: 1.022 - 1.023
PH: 8.2
Water Temp: 79-80
These readings are basically toxic to all organisms. You should also try to get your SG to 1.025, but do so slowly. I fear that you have a cycle to go through and may experience a great loss of life. In the future, box fishes, anems, and nudis are all pretty difficult to care for and should only be in a mature tank.

 

[pallan]

im sorry but keeping those fish seperate is probably a mute point. take the fish back, or give them to a LFS for credit hopefully. and re do the cycle get the tank set up correctly and then you can start to add fish. i dont know to much about anenomes but if they die which im pretty concerned that they may, i believe they can really poison your tank. they also require high intensity lights. and im not sure from your post what kind of lights you have.
the amm and nitite levels are pretty scary and as thing begin to die it will only get worse.
Not trying to flame im just concerned.

 

[only]

We have 2 40 watt 18K 48" flourescent lights.
Will these numbers drop with the CYCLE added to it? The anenomes are or seem to be doing great they are fully open and eat the shrip as I add it.

[hr]
! Excuse my language this is what I was affraid of!

What about algae? More live rock? I just picked up another 15 pound with algae on them. What will help balance everything out? How bout less or more light? S-h-i-t! I am so skrewed! Once the tank cycles I should be alright, right? Then I just have to watch my nitrates and do my water changes, correct?
There is got to be something that will help with this cycle!
Thanks for all the advice!

 

[turningtim]

Well, the first thing I see is that you have a ugf, CC and then covered with sand. The CC will migrate to the top leaving the sand behind, then more than likly the sand will clog the ugf making useless. This may lead to a huge anaerobic area and then a blow up of the tank which will kill everything due to toxic gas build up.
You have not cycled the tank. The cycle product in my experience is hit or miss. You will lose more critters!
Take the fish out and other critters, empty the tank and start over. No UGF, NO CC just live sand and live rock!
JMO
sorry
Tim

 

[pallan]

Originally Posted by TurningTim
Well, the first thing I see is that you have a ugf, CC and then covered with sand. The CC will migrate to the top leaving the sand behind, then more than likly the sand will clog the ugf making useless. This may lead to a huge anaerobic area and then a blow up of the tank which will kill everything due to toxic gas build up.
You have not cycled the tank. The cycle product in my experience is hit or miss. You will lose more critters!
Take the fish out and other critters, empty the tank and start over. No UGF, NO CC just live sand and live rock!
JMO
sorry
Tim
ditto

 

[turningtim]

And not to add insult to injury but I don't think butterflies are reef safe.
Sorry again
Tim

 

[pallan]

Originally Posted by only
We have 2 40 watt 18K 48" flourescent lights.
!
btw
those lights are not powerfull enough for any corals I dont believe

 

[only]

Ok what do I do about a quarintine tank? How do I set one up? Can I do that to save the fish?
As for the lights they said that they are good for coral and fish! The are from some company coral life.

 

[turningtim]

The color spectrum is good, just not enough watts. I beleive (someone correct me) the anemones need like 4-5 watts per gallon.
IMO, the trouble with a QT is you have nothing really to start with. You going to run in to the same problem you have now, no bio-filtration. You may be looking at a couple of weeks before your tank is ready. Any way a LFS will hold the critters for you? Maybe look up a local reef club, someone may be able to help you out.
HTH
Tim

 

[drose]

If you set up a QT, it will have to cycle also, so you will have the same problem. The only way to get around that would be to fill the QT with cycled water. Maybe your LFS could give enough for your 10 gallon QT. Otherwise, you may very well lose all your livestock.
Sorry for the bad news.

Just remember to go SLOW in the future.

 

[only]

Originally Posted by TurningTim
And not to add insult to injury but I don't think butterflies are reef safe.
Sorry again
Tim
Thanks I think I am more stressed than the fish right now! :help:

 

[anothrname]

there isnt much u can do at this point except return the fish to the store for them to hold until u are done cycling

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by DRose
If you set up a QT, it will have to cycle also, so you will have the same problem. The only way to get around that would be to fill the QT with cycled water. Maybe your LFS could give enough for your 10 gallon QT. Otherwise, you may very well lose all your livestock.
Sorry for the bad news.

Just remember to go SLOW in the future.

You can't just use cycled water. You need to have a filter with "cycled" organisms in it.

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by TurningTim
The color spectrum is good, just not enough watts. I beleive (someone correct me) the anemones need like 4-5 watts per gallon.
IMO, the trouble with a QT is you have nothing really to start with. You going to run in to the same problem you have now, no bio-filtration. You may be looking at a couple of weeks before your tank is ready. Any way a LFS will hold the critters for you? Maybe look up a local reef club, someone may be able to help you out.
HTH
Tim

I think anemones need at LEAST 4-5 watts per gallon, and only some can live with that wattage.

 

[birdy]

lots of very large water changes if you cannot find homes for your fish.
I would start out with a 50% change, then do 25% every day if you have to.
Two different types of butterfly's in a 55 gallon tank is a bad idea, they will probably never get along. They are also hit an miss with a reef tank.
If you cannot find a place to hold your fish I doubt many will survive.

 

[turningtim]

Originally Posted by only
Thanks I think I am more stressed than the fish right now! :help:
Sorry

Make some phone calls and deal with the animals. Dump the water and start over. It should only take a day (maybe less) to clean and reset the tank. Fill with sand, rock and water. Throw a cocktail shrimp in there and wait and test....... test and wait..........
Do some reading in the meantime and figuire out what you want and can keep in the tank. Then you can get the proper lights etc..........
We all here to help! Use this resource and learn from others mistakes!
When its all said and done you'll be much happier and won't be fighting a losing battle!
HTH
Tim

 

[only]

I might call a fish place tomorrow and see what they can do for me! Could I also cross my fingers and pray?
Ok this is me right about now >

 

[anothrname]

we have all banged our heads on the wall for one reason or another.. praying might get the animals into fishy heaven tho... or u can get em outta there..

 

[only]

Ok I wanna bump this post I hope some more people get to read this. First of all it's sunday night and the tank seems to be doing a little better water quality wise. Nitrites and Amonias have dropped off. They are still showing on the tests but no where where they were before. Nitrates haven't moved. still about 20 or 30. I was thinking of a water change and adding more salt during the water change to up the salt content. Current salt content is 1.022 - 1.023. Some recommended above to move it up to 1.025.
The copperband butterfly has been doing ok. He hasnt been bothered much by the 3 stripe and the long nose.
My next question, ALGAE, is growing in the tank, but it's yellow, is this ok? I was expecting green and purple. Check out the live rock in these pictures below.
Here you can see it on the clam real well:

You can also see the long nose and the 3 stripe that were causing problems. Infact when I put in the new live rock it was attacking my hand, the 3 stripe! Also you can see a mandarin in the shell.
Here is another picture looking down the tank there is a rock with the orange algae on it:

You can also see the 3 stripe coming to greet me on this side of the tank as well. IS THIS ALGAE OK?
All and all it seems to be doing better. I added the second bottle of cycle the same day I noticed these problems with the water quality and not letting the tank cycle.
I will add more pictures shortly!
THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR HELP! THIS FORUM HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST ON THE NET!
Luke