what to do now

[goober]

i dont get this fish thing. I just want to give up. I posted this message the other day but its not here so i cant check my replies. Here is the thing i have a tank three months old and is doing bad! every thing is stable except the nitrates and the nitrites. I have a ugf with two power heads on it, a skitter 250, a heater ( temp at 77), my salt is 1.023 and i have only one damsel left. My nitrates and nitrites are 1, 50 ppm. should i just give up, what should i do? I am sssssssssoooooooooo lost.!!!! can annyyyyyy one offer any advice? pppppppplllllllleeeeeaaaaasssssssssenull

 

[saltwater4me]

Don't give up. Feed your damsel once a day, without overfeeding. Keep waiting, my tank I had to wait for 3 months. But, then one week they wen't down so fast. Just be paitient, don't give up.

 

[amphiprion]

A UGF filter is going to elevate your nitrates - is just traps stuff that is it's nature. While your fish count is low - I would take the thing out and replace the substrate with 2-3" of CaribSea Argonite sand. Something that you can get at easily to vacuum.
You didn't say what size tank you have, but if it is bigger than 20 gallons that Skilter skimmer is just not big enough or good enough to do a descent job.
That would be the first two things I would fix. If you do that, you will see a dramatic improvement in your water quality.

 

[twoods71]

Trash the UGF filter it will only cause problems in the long run.
If a UGF is set up properly it should perform OK in the beginning but will eventually fail.

 

[flydan]

Hey,
You will get different opinions on how to set up a good marine aquarium, but almost everyone agrees that a UGF system is bad news. Where the split comes is some people like a dsb (deep sand bed), and others like a thinner layer of crushed coral that they can syphon out from time to time. Do a little research on the subject and see which works best for you. As you've already been told, this hobby takes two things: Lots of patients and lots of money! Seriously though, be patient, do your homework and hang in there! If you have questions, this is the place!
Take care,
Dan'l