HELP ... Levels to high

woke up this morning and all the fish are at the bottom breathing very fast water was perfect at least 3 days before

PARAMETERS
Temperature: 25.5
PH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.2 was 0.3
Nitrite: 110+
Nitrate: 60+
Salinity: 1.025
Test kits you own: Hagen Nutrafin Master
Liquid


Tank size? 225L
Estimated total system? 250L

fish only

Current inhabitants? 2x clownfish 1x yellow tang 1x emporer angle 1x regal tang 1x 3 spot domino damsel 1x humbug damsel
Clean up crew? 2x horse shoe crab

How long has your tank been set-up? 6-7 months

Substrate.
Type? live sand
Depth? 1-2 inch

Live rock? dunno where from
How much? about 6kg
Did you recently add some? nope

Filtration.
Type? fluvial 305
Protein skimmer? reef octopus bh-100 hob
Do you wet or dry skim? wet
Maintenance schedule for filtration? once a month

Lighting.
Lighting type? 4x 35w bulbs (2 white 2 antics)
Age of bulbs? 6-7 months (same as tank)

Feeding
What? tetra marine granuales, mysis, dryed seawead, tetra marine crisps
How much? once every day and a little in the everning every other

Water change schedule.
How much? 25L
How often? once a week
What salt brand? aqua world reef salt
Water source? RO

Do you have a ground probe? nope
What kind of flow does your tank have? 3000 LPH

Any additional info you would like to share.... the only thing i have done recently was change the carbon in the filter and changed the filter sponges for new ones as the old were really dirty but that was about a week ago so would have seen something sooner

i have done a 75L water change to try to get the levels down but hasn't done much

 

OK, I am heading to a meeting so I won't be around to help, but you are in good hands here.

Start making up some water (RO/DI) - you will begin doing large water changes so you will need it. Your tank is way over loaded with excess nutrients. Hang in there, the folks here can help.

 

While you're making more waterchange water, do you by any chance have any Seachem Prime. (It will detoxify Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates temporarily). While I don't normally like air bubblers in a reef tank due to salt creep, raising your dissolved Oxygen can be helpful right now too.

 

What other biological media did you have in the cannister?
the detoxifier as mentioned above by Inwall is ideal for this emergency

but for levels to reach that high on such a short period, I feel you must have thrown away the bulk of your biological filtration capaciy when you threw away the old sponges?

its a 60 gallon tank , with a couple of messy feeders in there and only 12lb of live rock

thats what makes me feel the issue is caused by throwing away the sponges

Steve

 

Are you sure you don't have something dead in your tank that is decaying? Also, how new is the tank, has it been cycled properly.

 

+ 1 on this statement
what type of filtering system do you use on this tank??

 

i was thinking the same thing about the sponges.

 

Seachem Prime i dont have any of that ill go out in a min and try and get some if i have time as i have work soon if not ill ask if a friends of mine can get it for me

when it comes to the filter i only changed the two carbon and sponges the rest was left in there it consists of 6 chambers to which i have in 3 of them bio rods that came with the filter in 1 chamber some rowaphoss and then the last two of carbon but i do believe that doing the sponges has at least been a major contributor if not the cause

im posative the i haven't got anything dead in there as there all accounted for

i use a external canaster filter i know its not the best for marine but the stand the tank came with wont allow me to put a sump in and i dont have enough money at the moment to buy/build a new stand and be able to swap it all over but once i get some more money i want to get a bigger tank that has a sump

but ill go put in my air pump to help get more oxygen in there

 

Good Luck MMutch

if you or they cant get sea chem prime - Chemi pure elite is an option as is Seachems Purigen - there will be others (cant think of them all and it often depends where you are located as to whats available) so make sure the LFS knows what you want to buy and why

you need a chemical band aid for your filter system to reduce these high levels

prime is quick - but the others will certainly help get the water back on track , coupled with some water changes

Steve

 

If you cant find prime, amquel plus is more or less the same thing. Still waiting to hear back on how long this tank has been setup.

~Will.