Help with "new" tank

[philipj74]

I just got a 65gal. AGA today that someone gave me. It is a full set-up complete with a Maroon Clown, Royal Gramma, Flame Hawk, and a Brittle Star. There are also some hermit crabs and snail to. I brought the tank home and put everything back in the tank except for about 28gal of fresh SW I bought from a LFS. I test the water after the tank had been set-up for about 2hrs.
Here goes
Ammonia 4.0
Nitrite 0
Nirate somewhere between 40 and 80
PH 8.0

The tank has what looks like crushed coral substrat, and was told about 150lbs. of live rock. A wet dry filter with a kent noutilus skimmer.

I was thinking that a prob. don't need the bioballs, but they are still in the filter.

I was slowly working my way into SW with my 37gal that only had sand in it before I plundged into this system. I haven't got a RO filter yet I know I need to order one now.

Any help and advice needed.
Thanks
Philip

 

[oyam123]

not sure what you are asking???
sounds like things are going well.
wet/dry is an issue with 2 camps, but most would say just go with a sump and your skimmer.

 

[stelow]

Ammonia should be 0 anything higher could cause death to your life in the tank. I would do a water change as soon as possible.

 

[oyam123]

sorry didnt see the amonia...@4
if you moved the sand bed you could have let a ton of bad stuff out. water changes ASAP. try not to shake up the sand bed.

 

[philipj74]

Oops I didn't know that. I figured that it prob. was not a good idea to remove the sand then put it back. But I didn't think I would be able to move the tank without doing it. Hope the fish don't die! I just ordered a typhoon III from airwaterice. IF I can get the fish out, would they be ok temporarily in an uncycled tank? I have my 37 with SW in it, but not RO, part wal-mart distilled other tap water though.

Thanks
Phil

 

[stelow]

Either way it will take daily water changes till ammonia comes down to 0.

 

[philipj74]

Well I just test the ammonia again and it at or really close to 0. Maybe I'm not in bad shape after all.