Critters are dieing and Polyps arn't looking very good

Brief description of the problem. - things are dieing!
A picture(s) - i have posted several in my album under my profile.
PARAMETERS (important)
Temperature: 80
PH: 8.0
Ammonia: .1
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Salinity: 1.023
dKH/KH/Alkalinity: 3.5(?)
Magnesium:test kit will be here in a few days
Calcium:kit will be here in a few days
Phosphate:kit will be here in a few days
Test kits you own: Instant Ocean liquid Aquarium test kit and quick dip test strips
Liquid or Strips: both
Brand Name: Instant Ocean and Quick dip, test not yet delivered are red sea
Are they Expired?: no brand new

Tank size? 29 biocube
Estimated total system?
Reef, fish only or, freshwater? Reef
Current inhabitants? What and how many?
Clean up crew?
1 pepermint shrimp,
1 coral beauty,
1 pygmy angel,
2 tiger clown,
1 gramma,
1 emerald crab,
12 turbo snails,
8 scarlotte hermit crabs,
2 serpant starfish,
1 tourch (now looks like a barnical),
1 flaming clam,
5 types of polyps, (yellow star, green star, purple button, 2 zoanthid)
1 Xenia
3 or 4 mushrooms (i took most of them out so only small ones left),
several very small feather dusters,
Also, i've seen several bristle worms at night,
The anenome is going back tomorrow. If the store will not take him i'll put a note on the tank that says "all drains lead to the ocean"
How long has your tank been set-up? 2 years witha friend, The last month and a half as been at my house
Substrate.
Type? life sand
Depth? 2 inches
Live rock? yes
How much? 34 lbs
Did you recently add some? only what the polyps came on
Filtration.
Type? reef balls, and a biocube carbon filter
Protein skimmer? just ordered a biocube skimmer
Do you wet or dry skim?
Maintenance schedule for filtration? weekly 5 gallon water changes
Drilled tank/hang on back overflow? biocube setup
Sump/refugium. What's in it and how much? biocube stock setup
Macro? What kind?
Lighting. biocube stock - 36W 10K Daylight (16")
36W Actinic 03 Blue (16")
Lighting type?
Age of bulbs? one year
Feeding
What? I feed the clown fish a very tinny pinch of flake food every few days
Water change schedule.
How much? 5g
How often? once a week
What salt brand? Instant ocean until my new order comes in of Oceanic
Water source? I was using the IO premixed but yesterday i tried walmarts RO water
Additives/supplements used? Kents PH buffer
Do you have a ground probe? That's why i got the star fish or what i was lead to believe they would help with.
What kind of flow does your tank have? Just the biocube stock power head

 

You have Ammonia and your Nitrate levels are a bit high. That could be stressing the polyps. I would bet you are doing a mini cycle due to the tank move you just went through.

I"m not sure if that is really it but a water change to reduce those nitrates might not be a bad idea.

 

Hello Nikon, with all due respect to szrazzt, 20 nitrate is acceptable but should be reduced. Water changes to reduce Nitrate is only a band aid. Too many water changes disrupt the chemistry of the tank. Your bio load isn't excessive but it is on the edge for that size tank. Your bulbs need changing, the type you have should be changed every 6 mos. This isn't contributing to the Nitrate or Ammonia but an algae problem is on the horizon unless you replace them. The cycle theory may be correct even though you have had the tank re-set up for a month. There is some die off going on but that will abate. Add live bacteria at double the marine dose 2 times in one week spaced out by 4 days to replenish your base and do not change the water for 2-3 weeks to allow the tank to "right" itself and settle down. In the mean time, add an Ammonia sponge type media like Chemipure elite.
What struck me was you saying this; "dKH/KH/Alkalinity: 3.5(?)
Magnesium:test kit will be here in a few days
Calcium:kit will be here in a few days
Phosphate:kit will be here in a few days"

You need to know your element levels in order to stabilize things. If you DKH really is 3.5 that could explain some of the deaths. I am not a fan of strip tests and your test could be off, double check if you can with LFS.

 

Besides being in agree ment on the possibility of a mini cycle and DEFINITELY get the test kits and chemistry in good order -

This is what sticks out in mind:

It could have been questionable water or something on the container etc...

 

That ammonia, nitrates and the low dKH levels are to blame if those are accurate tests results

 

Those bioballs aren't helping you nitrates eighter. Slowly get rid of them..

 

Not necessarily, if there is a drip tray over them and they are clean (as mine are) they are fantastic, no problems at all.

 

carbon?

does it help to have a carbon filter with nitrate and ammonia? I had the filter in then my budy said i didn't need it so i took it out and that's when things started falling apart. Could be coincidence?

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/water-chemistry/things-starting-die-please-help-58729.html

 

Clean balls help..lol. If they not clean, things get funky. So keep your balls clean. Seriously.