What should I do??

Preliminary info:

55 gallon started 11/05, penguin bio-wheel 150, maybe 20lbs of LR, 40lbs of Caribsea arag alive sand, 10 gallon sump, coralife hob/sump skimmer, 25micron bag, and return pump. Lighting is only the single standard strip bulb.

I can only squeeze in a 10 gallon sumb because of my dumb stand

Problem:

My picasso trigger has been one tough fish. He has survived ich and for a small period of time bad water quality due to my back going out, landing in the ER, and not having anyone to do the water changes for me during that period of time (a little over a month). So now that I have been able to keep up on it a little more I tested my water (A 0 N 0 Nitrate practically 0, PH 8) so I decided on getting a tomato clown. I added him on Friday last night my picasso is RIP I also fed ghost shrimp (LFS said it would help bulk up the trigger because brine shrimp are too small for him) So I tested my water and my nitrates are through the roof straight up red. I know this means some serious water changes this week but I don't understand how it spiked so high.
Also having a brownish tint appearing on my sand assuming algae is starting to form. Also my hydrometer is showing I am low in salt which I will attempt to adjust with my water changes this week.

Solution(s) besides the water changes for nitrates:

#1
Getting a orbit 260w light to help produce growth on my live rock to help the filtration?! Purchase maybe an additional 15-20lbs of live rock (I don't know how much I can afford right now exactly)

#2
Getting a orbit 260w light to help produce growth on my live rock to help the filtration?! A filter like this http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.a...0 5044&cp=3&Nao=24&sku=918679&familyID=13594& to compensate for the lack of live rock and replace my crappy penguin that I can't stand.

#3
Buy another 10 gallon tank replace one of the side glass panes with acrylite do the same with my existing 10 gallon. Then the 2 facing sides of acrylite connect using bulk heads. So one can have my skimmer, heater, 25 micron bag (or get rid of them),and the other tank make it a refugium. Basically build something like this http://www.rockethead.net/diy_refugium.htm.

#4
Your input here

#5
Other option here

 

I use Kent Nitrate sponges in 800 micron bags.

My Nitrates stay around 0. I feed my tank quite a bit too.

You could try a deeper sand bed, might be cheaper than rock. Or you could add your own rock and seed it.

Sorry about your fish. I just got a watchman goby, he kicked it the day after I got him.

 

You know, you could pay someone to modify your stand and then you can fit a bigger stand.

 

What was the nitrate reading what test kit and why are you worried about nitrates in a FO tank? You need alot more rock! Check out hirocks-jmho

 

It was reading 80-100ppm using the standard drop tests. Its my understanding that high amount of nitrates aren't good for fish either. Just went to the LFS and got 2 more pieces of rock its a huge difference with just 2 additional rocks and a orbit 4x65 light.
It will probably take forever to figure out how to stack them

 

Are you using the clown to cycle the tank. Because if you just added new rock all your levels are going to shoot up really high.

 

Maybe I have misread something in all the reading I have done since I started. I thought one was able to add additional live rock as long as it was cured (doesn't smell like crap)? So I picked out the best smelling live rock I could find. Actually because I bought the bigger ones which they don't sell as much, and the light I was purchasing they dropped the price from $5.99/lb to $4.99/lb.

Did I just waste 6 months to start all over with cycling again?

 

ok wow lots of drama here lol ok as for the tank more LR is good the more the better usually as for live sand a 2" -4" bed is usually good but any at all if good for now as far as the sump a 10 will work for now you may look into building a separate box on the side of the tank to hold a bigger sump if you want and a taller or better protein skimmer. now as for the trigger they are very harder MOST of them you have to step on to kill, now as for the water quality i would just do a normal cycle of water changes of 10% every 2 weeks and then when you have the money upgrade your sand/rock then do water changes as according. Now as for filtration do not get a canister filter don't waste your money upgrade your protein skimmer if the coralife is not working as well as you would like. ok now if your nitrates are high just do a water change I've never had good luck with the Kent stuff or anyone else i know the water change would be the BEST. OK n ow for the rock as long as its cured you will have no problem it will help in filtering now if the rock smells like crap as you said then yes you have a problem but if not your all good. if you have other questions just pm me and ill help you.

 

o forget to also say a protein skimmer is all thats needed no other filters are needed. now if your protein skimmer is not working just upgrade it to a better one such as a ASM or euro-reef or PCI. now for lighting, if you are not doing corals simple lighting is what is needed now if you want them, get ready to dish out the money and upgrade everything!

 

Here are a few suggestions to help get the nitrates under control. First do daily water changes to lower the nitrates. Feed sparingly and every 2-3 days. Consider removing the bio wheel from your penguin filter. Get more live rock. Start a refugium with lots of macro algae to export nutrients and nitrogenous waste.

As far as increasing your sump size, you should consider rubbermaid tubs. You could probably fit two 20gal tubs in your stand and connect them with bulk heads. Check out your local target, walmart or kmart stores.

I wouldnt worry about lighting so much unless you plan on keeping corals. Live rock does not depend on lighting for the bacteria to survive.

Also, a good skimmer will help greatly as will a low bioload.

You also should consider setting up a QT tank and QT your fish for 2-3 weeks to avoid disease. At the very least you should also consider doing FW dips on all your new fish, although others would argue this point.
Good Luck!!!