New Tank Members

[jreefer87]

Hello Reefers. So I have finally added my new tank mates (2 clowns) to my 55 gallon. Its been about a week now and my parameters are kind of outta wack and I have brown algae all over the place.
Nitrates: 40ppm
Nitrites: 3.0ppm
Alkalinity: 180kh
pH: 7.8
I think the Alkalinity may be okay and the pH is acceptable but I am not sure if the new additions caused the spike in Nitrites and Nitrates. I did 2 water changes (within the last few days) but no luck. I am running my skimmer with a hob unit (chemi pure blue, filter floss, filter pad, sponge and gfo in the unit, working on my sump installation in the next few weeks) Is there anything you guys can suggest to help with the spikes and the brown algae? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Andi76]

How long has the tank been set up?




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[jreefer87]

Its going on month 3 now. I have about 40 pounds of rock in it as well. Forgot to mention that.

 

[Andi76]

I'd say iyour still in the cycle. You still have a lot of Nitrite. That needs to be gone.


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[hkgar]

Test for ammonia. You have nitrites and that is the phase before ammonia. Ammonia MUST be ZERO and not a bit higher.

 

[jreefer87]

So if that is the case (it is still cycling) should I continue to feed every other day and do my weekly water changes until everything levels out to 0?

Thanks for the feedback

 

[hkgar]

Yes, you might consider using an ammonia neutralizer. Your clowns will have a tough time withe any ammonia.

I am not sure how a neutralizer will affect the cycling.

Did you read the threads on setting up a new tank? Or just dive in the deep end with out lessons.

 

[AlSimmons]

Just out of curiosity how are the Clownfish doing? Are they eating well? Three months seems like a long time for a tank to still be cycling. You might want to have your LFS or a fellow hobbyist test your water just to verify the results. (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate)

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[jreefer87]

I did loads of research, reading and asking questions to my local marine FS so that I can be prepared to do things the right way. I did a fishless cycle and went to the LFS after about 2 months (everything was just about 0) when they told me that I needed to get fish. Understanding clowns were the best option for beginners I got the pair. They have been eating well and very active all over the tank. I've been using the Tetra 6-1 strips; so I may purchase the "master saltwater testing kit" from my LFS and see what readings they provide or maybe take some water for them to test.

 

[hkgar]

Get a salifert test kit for Nitrite and one for ammonia.
Using fish to cycle a tank is ok but it is usually done with sacrificial fish. Some just throw in a couple shrimp from the grocery store.

 

[jreefer87]

That's exactly what I did; shrimp from the grocery. I will see if I can find those kits!

 

[jreefer87]

Should I not worry about the diatoms? Maybe add more snails etc.

 

[fijisrfr]

Don't worry about the diatoms & don't add any more livestock until nitrites are at zero.


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[jreefer87]

Gotcha. Will do. I wasn't planning on adding any new friends until things cleared up. Thanks for your advice.

 

[fijisrfr]

You're welcome, and don't forget......
The dumbest questions are the ones that don't get asked!


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[Bill_Moorman]

If I read correctly you are reading 3.0ppm of nitrites?

I freak out if I ever see any detectable nitrites. I would be doing large scale WCs daily to get that down. I'd cut back feeding too, as nitrites are the last product of the nitrogen cycle. Your biological filter is not large enough to handle the organic load of the fish.

Don't mean to freak you out but I've never seen success with nitrites that high.


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[jreefer87]

Thank you firstly for your advice. I have been doing 10% to 20% wc every other day. Would you suggest up to 50%? And I have read quite a bit that said do not sift the sand bed or rock as it may remove beneficial bacteria - in your experience has this proven to be true?

 

[mcgyvr]

There is almost no way that nitrite reading is correct in a 3 month old tank unless you are leaving some very important information out..
At 3 months if you are reading any nitrite something is seriously out of wack..

and while I'm posting...
Why are you running GFO BTW? Are you even testing for phosphates?
GFO is for those with a phosphate problem..


I'd use caution on the information given to you by the LFS..
They may be more for making money off you than educating you properly..

 

[jreefer87]

With all do respect, I would not leave any information out if I wanted assistance and advice from those who may have experienced something similar to know how to fix the issue. That being said, I will be purchasing a different test kit and doing larger water changes to see if it has a positive impact. Along with trying an ammonia neutralizer. GFO was suggested by my LFS, in understanding it was for phosphate removal; they suggested I get it as a preventative measure.

 

[FortyFour]

Shaking my head at the GFO sale.

My favorite sources of advice are many of the stickies on this site. The BRS videos on YouTube are really good, as are the Melev Reef videos. You’ll find some quality advice from members here and will learn to find your reliable sources. Not all local fish store advice is bad, but some of the worst advice I’ve ever received has been from a LFS. Sad but true, and it is usually when you’re just getting started and don’t know better.

Don’t let this all discourage you. Those test kits are a great start, along with some patience.