15G Waterbox peninsula Nitrite problem...need some help!

[Sidsreef]

Hello all,

I have a problem with my tank, So I have a 15g water box pen. The tank was started 16 days ago. I have had multiple reef tanks a 100g and a 45g and a 20g all running at the same time. so I got Lil experience doing this. while my patients is very good, when I hit bumps like this I get frustrated and I can't figure out why this is happening. The tank was created with Carib sea rock that was super glued and JB weld putty waterproof and silicone together(cured and rinsed 24 hours later) along with 20lbs of Carib sea Fiji live sand. after putting rock then sand in i filled with water. about 7 days in after introducing bacteria to the tank my Ammonia and Nitrites (YES NITRITES NOT NITRATES I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE) were at 0 and my nitrates were at about 50 ppm with no fish in the tank. i did one water change at 75% and got the nitrates down at 10ppm. i then did another water change at 75% and brought the nitrate level down to about 0-0.5. I then went to the store and added a clownfish and got a mushroom coral. i then added my protein skimmer and turned it on and it is now just broken in and skimming well. i figured the tank is very low in filter bacteria if I add a fish it should help with building more bacteria. Time is defiantly the key to building good bacteria for the tank. The nitrite levels even after 16 days going on 3 weeks are still rising in the tank quicker than nitrate. after a water change, i dose 5ml's of microbacter 7. i feed once daily with rods food extremely sparingly just so my clown can eat. My next question is what should i do about my nitrites. should i go and get a rock at my LFS and seed the tank? should i take my clown and coral out and let the tank get nasty as hell and then add my fish and coral back in? or should i just wait to see what happens? do i keep doing water changes and bring it to zero and will that stall the bacteria building? if anyone has any ideas on what i should do please help me out I'm getting ticked that i keep going backward and not forward.

10/1/2021
Came home this morning from work and these are my parameters with red sea test kit
Temp:77.7
Salinity:1.025
Ammonia:0.0
Nitrite: 2.0-2.5
Nitrate: 5.0
PH: 8.3
Did a 25% water change
Temp:77.2
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: 0.0
Nitrite: 0.2
Nitrate: 2.0
PH: 8.6
Planning on doing another water change later today at 75% unless i shouldn't.

 

[T-J]

Did you supply the bacteria with a food source (ammonia, ghost fed, etc.) after filling the tank and adding the bottle bac? You didn't mention giving the bacteria a food source.

 

[Sidsreef]

Did you supply the bacteria with a food source (ammonia, ghost fed, etc.) after filling the tank and adding the bottle bac? You didn't mention giving the bacteria a food source.

i did not add amonia. i put food in the tank a lil bit but not much. until the clown was added is when it was getting more food

 

[T-J]

i did not add amonia. i put food in the tank a lil bit but not much. until the clown was added is when it was getting more food

Perhaps you had a big bacteria die-off? I wonder if you're going though a second cycle right now? If you show nitrite, don't bother testing nitrate.
I'd keep monitoring levels for a few days before making any additional changes.

 

[Sidsreef]

Perhaps you had a big bacteria die-off? I wonder if you're going though a second cycle right now? If you show nitrite, don't bother testing nitrate.
I'd keep monitoring levels for a few days before making any additional changes.

Im thinking so. and about my bacteria I'm thinking about getting a seeded rock if it doesn't decrease soon.