Why is this happening to me HELP!!!!!!!!

[vegasfish]

Long story short my new system had cycled about 3- 4 weeks ago Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate were at 0.

I added a a few snails and hermit crabs, a lawnmower blenny and a diamond goby and everything was still okay.

a couple weeks later I added 20 more snails 10 more hermit crabs and two clowns. ever since my peramiters have gone crazy. Today I tested and they are:

Ammonia= 0.75

Nitrite= 0.1

Nitrate=0

PH=8.3

Alk=2.6

my system is as follows:

65 gal wet dry filtration, 2"-3"sandbed, 70+ pounds of live rock two power heads. I did a 15% water change five days ago and it has only continued to decline. I am a newbie so any advice wil be good advice to me.

[lunatik_69]

You added the fish too fast and now are going through a small/med cycle. Your supposted to add the fish one every month. Luna

Btw, how long has the tank been up and running BEFORE you added livestock?

[HORTON16]

Try a bigger water change?

[R34dawn]

What is your main pump rated at? and your alk need to go up, try to raise your alk then if your fish still alive rush to the lfs and get you some liquid bacteria additive and pour the whole amount according to your tank, or stress zyme cause your ammonia needs to go down asp

[mandarin11]

Yeah, you kinda messed up in the fish area there buddy. Are you sure the tank even cycled in 3-4 weeks? Did you actually see a rise in ammonia, then in nitrite, then in nitrate at all in the tests? That is actual cycling. Not all tanks cycle when set up, some need a little ammonia added into them (through whatever method, raw shrimp, feeding flakes, damsel, etc.) to kick start them. Not trying to be mean here, just want to make sure your fishies won't have to suffer a full blown cycle.

As far as fish go research a fish before you put it in a tank. Sand-sifting gobies feed on organisms found in the sand bed, and one should always allow it to mature for 6 months at the absolute minimum before they even think of adding this type of fish. Adding the goby and a lawnmower blenny in there at once, especially when they were the first fish was a massive kick in the guts to all of your bacteria. That is why you are seeing the spike in your params. If anything the clowns should have been added first since they are much hardier.

I'd recommend getting some bacteria from your LFS. Some have their own super saturated, some have powders like Biozyme, and others at least should have stress-zyme (not to be confused with stress coat, made by the same company in a similar bottle).

Hope everything turns out well, and keep us updated on your tank params.

[R34dawn]

I had live rock in my tank 55g and it ran day in and out for over 6 weeks before I put the first fish in, and my main pump rates 900gh and the overflow 700gh, 3 to 4 weeks sound to me kind of soon, Cycle works really well but if you just now getting an ammonia bloom, you will have a nitrite next so brace your self

[doog]

sorry to hear about your troubles. it sounds like good advice from everybody here, but also the question is - what to do now? i'd say plan on doing fairly large (at least 10 or 15%) water changes daily to try to keep the nitrogen load down. It does sound like you're either still in the midst of your first cycle or started a new moderate cycle by increasing the bioload in the tank. Just keep diluting, feed minimal or none, and hang on. Hope it works out.

Also, it looks like you don't have a protein skimmer. If you can get one quick, it may help you by getting rid of dissolved organics. just my 2cents (from another newbie)

doog

[lunatik_69]

Mr Doog has a good point, but instead of all those back-breaking WC's, ask your LFS if they can hold them(livestock) for you as you finish your cycle and just keep one damsel in the tank. Luna

[wildreef]

Yes this sounds like the case of "i want it" and going a bit to fast and your desire to move to quickly on it, thrue the tank back into a mini cycle.

Any one that has "desire" to have a reef tank that looks like *missions*/*jasons* ( using your tanks guys, i know there are other many fine older reefs with nice growth )Can acheive their goals simply by SLOWING down , use your noggin , you can't go adding this and that and any time you choose.
( you have to wait on your tank, not the other way round ).

Remember most diasasters come from not having paitence.

[SmittyCoco]

As anyone will tell you, you are trying to replicate an ecosystem here. Your bacteria needs time to grow and flourish before it has to take on the bio-loads of your animals. Moving slower is ALWAYS better than fast. Trust me I am impatient to at times.