In trouble. Help!

[LoneStar45]

lol, sorry for the headline but i'm in dire need.
I started a 35 gallon tank as a quaranteen tank to my 150 gal. I hadnt used it for sometime about a month with no fish and no circulation. I decided to set up a mini reef with this tank. So I moved the tank into the lobby of my office. I hadnt added any corals yet, but I had put about 7 fish i it, including two false percula's. I noticed that everyone was acting sluggish, so I I suspected the tank may be trying to recycle. I checked the nitrite level. It was peaked! I immediately got everyone out of the tank and put them in my 150 gal. except for the shrimp and the two damsels. My first thought was to do a water change in the 35 gal. but decided to transfer them instead.
The problem is that I have a maroon percula that will not tolerate other clowns in the tank as he is currently kicking the crap out of these poor guys. I need to get them out and do something with them or they will be dead by morning. I did about a 35% water change in the 35 gal. and I have really no choice but to put these clowns back in it.
Are these guys dead either way?
Will putting them back in the cycling tank kill them if I change the water out ? and will changing the water out just postpone the cycle?

 

[RandyP]

Go to your local pet store and find a large collection cup(you willl have to drill holes in it for cirulation) or a breeder trap and place the fish in it within your main tank, that way he is in a established tank but can do no harm until you can get the other tank cycled

 

[slowECUdiver]

my 2 cents

my 2 cents

i'm no expert by any means, but adding any fish to that 35 gallon before it finishes the cycle is unadvisable. are you running a sump on the 150 that you can put the Maroon Perc or the false percs in until the 35 finishes its cycle?
doing the 35% water change you did should drop your nitrites to reasonable levels but i would hold off on additional water changes for that tank until the cycle is complete. additional changes will do exactly as you suspected: restart the cycle.
hope this is of some help and i'm sure more informed reefers will reply to your post...

 

[LoneStar45]

Well, I know not to load up a uncycled tank also. I didnt think it had lost the cycle from the previous setup. Boy, I was stupid. I went and got a breeder trap to hang off the side until the cycle finishes on the other tank. Thanks for the help.

 

[reefwick]

I'd rethink 7 fish in a 35 gallon tank also. That's crazy!

 

[LoneStar45]

I fish per 5 gallons? 2 false perculas, 1 bi color blenny, a flame angel and a diamond Goby, banded coral shrimp a decorator crab and two small damsels. That doesnt seem crazy.

 

[mystikdragon7]

Dude, that is way too many fish for a 35gal tank. 7 fish is pushing it with my 60gal. The 1 inch of fish per gallon thing is useless.

 

[LoneStar45]

Well, I will definately cut back on the livestock I replace. Would that have caused it to recycle?

 

[LoneStar45]

What is the rule of thumb on livestock to tank size?

 

[dchao]

LoneStar,

You wanted to setup a reef tank, these old rules were for fish only. Fish has no problem live in nitrate high water, but not your corals. That's the difference. Why don't you remove the two damsels from the list before they start to misbehave.