All my parameters are off and i dnt knw why

[merlberg]

Hey guys so i need major help!

About a week ago i added a sump to my 55 gallon tank, my sump is a 10 gallon. Prior to the new sump i had a hob filter which was great and my parameters were never off, now that i have this sump everything is off. My tank is 80 degrees right now just because my damsel looks like it might have ich, so i increased the temp. My salt level is 1.020.

My nitrite is between 0.50 ppm- 1.0 ppm
ph is 7.8 Ammonia is 0.25 ppm nitrate is 10 ppm

what the heck my tank never been so crazy!!!

Idk what to do and im worried about my fish. I heard a sump would do wonders but it seems that as soon as i put the sump everything started to go down hill for me. Thankfully for me my fish are all doing well and idk how. Well besides my black damsel who seems to have ich here n there but he is still eating n doing well. I have 6 fish in the tank, a UV sterlizer, and a skimmer. Also my skimmer has been fulling up alot lately which it doesn't usually do so quickly.

I did a 15% water change yesterday from my DT, added some prime and ph buffer. should I do another water change today? Any ideas on what i should do now?

Like i said before all my fish are eating well and i only feed them a cube of mysis a day.

The fish i have in my tank are: cowfish, black damsel, wrasse, small niger trigger, medium humu trigger, tomato clown.

Help!!!! Please.

 

[twilliard]

What are you feeding?

Actually the more I think about it how old is the tank?
Something happened that killed off your bacteria population?

 

[jcdeng]

you are having a cycle. As to the low salinity, just do some large wcs to bring it back up, like 15 gallons twice a week, go slow. Also, raising temp doesn't work for salt water ich.

 

[merlberg]

What are you feeding?

Actually the more I think about it how old is the tank?
Something happened that killed off your bacteria population?

I am feeding them a cube of mysis shrimp once a day and sometimes i add pieces of silverside.

Ive had my tank since January of this year but always had a hob filter up until this week. Like what tho, i didnt do a huge water change, i just added new water to my sump.

 

[Trex]

That temp won't affect ick at all. Plus, 1.020 is too low. For ick, I would remove the fish, treat, and let the tank remain fallow for 8 weeks.


Anyways, did you make the sump yourself? If so, how (( did you use silicone? ))

What all do you have for filtration? Skimmer? Live rock?
Do you use RO/DI water? If so, what is the TDS?

That is a fairly large bio-load for a 55 gallon tank. As those fish grow, more problems will arise (( up to and including eaten fish ))

 

[abecker]

Did the hob filter have anything in it that would give bacteria a place to grow? If so it is possible that removing the filter removed some of the beneficial bacteria and it is going through a small cycle while the bacteria builds the population back up.

 

[merlberg]

you are having a cycle. As to the low salinity, just do some large wcs to bring it back up, like 15 gallons twice a week, go slow. Also, raising temp doesn't work for salt water ich.

Why do you think a cycling is happenjng now tho, do u think its cuz of the new water in the sump? Ok ill do another water change this weekend then. I thought i read that it helped to increase the temp. but ok Thanks

 

[jcdeng]

Maybe you disturbed something when adding the sump? ie sandbed? ammonia and nitrite should only be detectable during a cycle.

 

[merlberg]

@twilliard Can i add the type of bacteria you are thinking that got killed off?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Why do you think a cycling is happenjng now tho, do u think its cuz of the new water in the sump? Ok ill do another water change this weekend then. I thought i read that it helped to increase the temp. but ok Thanks

Its cycling because the HOB media was removed where Im guessing most of the bacteria was growing. As others have said, raising temperature will not do anything for ICH in saltwater. 80 degrees isn't terrible, my tank maintains 80 degrees mostly all summer, but your salinity is a little too low. Try to get some Dr. Tim's bacteria and ride it out or start doing water changes. However, to fully get rid of ICH, you will need to take all the fish out, treat in separate QT tank for 30 days. You will also have to leave your main tank fishless for 72 days.

 

[twilliard]

@twilliard Can i add the type of bacteria you are thinking that got killed off?

It has to repopulate
Although I have read a little about stuff you can add but I am not a big fan of that.
It will come back around.
If you are showing nitrites then the process is under way

 

[merlberg]

Maybe you disturbed something when adding the sump? ie sandbed? ammonia and nitrite should only be detectable during a cycle.

Do you think the water changes will help to have eveeything in order faster? Im just worried about my fish that are in the tank now that it might be cycling [emoji85]

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Do you think the water changes will help to have eveeything in order faster? Im just worried about my fish that are in the tank now that it might be cycling [emoji85]

You also could just get some Prime, which is an ammonia detoxifier. Cannot be used with copper.

 

[twilliard]

Do you think the water changes will help to have eveeything in order faster? Im just worried about my fish that are in the tank now that it might be cycling [emoji85]

It will help reduce toxins but be slow and easy with the new water. Make sure it is balanced properly as to not add to the problem

 

[merlberg]

Its cycling because the HOB media was removed where Im guessing most of the bacteria was growing. As others have said, raising temperature will not do anything for ICH in saltwater. 80 degrees isn't terrible, my tank maintains 80 degrees mostly all summer, but your salinity is a little too low. Try to get some Dr. Tim's bacteria and ride it out or start doing water changes. However, to fully get rid of ICH, you will need to take all the fish out, treat in separate QT tank for 30 days. You will also have to leave your main tank fishless for 72 days.

Yes and i throw the sponges from my hob filter which i prob should of added to my sump. Yes i knw i might have to remove my fish in a qt but i was tryna sew if there was a way to treat them in the DT because id have to get a huge qt and have no space for that at all. So i was trying to ride it out now since my damsel has been the only one like that for about a week on and off but always seems to have an appetite. Is that normal to see ich one day n gone the next? N only on 1 fish?

 

[merlberg]

@twilliard so showing nitrites right now means that it things might be coming around? And ok about the water change I def. dnt want to add to this huge probelm i have now. Thanks

 

[twilliard]

Yes and i throw the sponges from my hob filter which i prob should of added to my sump. Yes i knw i might have to remove my fish in a qt but i was tryna sew if there was a way to treat them in the DT because id have to get a huge qt and have no space for that at all. So i was trying to ride it out now since my damsel has been the only one like that for about a week on and off but always seems to have an appetite. Is that normal to see ich one day n gone the next? N only on 1 fish?

It may and will live unnoticed in other fish.

 

[domination2580]

I find this interesting. I have a sump on mine as well with 2 clowns, large yellow tang, blue Hawaiian tang, royal gramma, orange stripe goby, coral beauty, red scooter blenny, green mandarin, emerald starfish, sea serpent starfish, coral banned shrimp, cleaner shrimp, purple reef lobster, carpet anemone, bta, frogspawn, ricordia, moon coral, polys, rastas, etc. No protein skimmer and they only thing that I have readings on is nitrate which I'm using prime. I do have live rock and macro

 

[merlberg]

You also could just get some Prime, which is an ammonia detoxifier. Cannot be used with copper.

When i did the water change yesterday i also added aome prime, which I'll add every time i do a small water change for now until things are back to normal i guess.

 

[twilliard]

@twilliard so showing nitrites right now means that it things might be coming around? And ok about the water change I def. dnt want to add to this huge probelm i have now. Thanks

Yes if you show nitrites then the bacteria is converting and multiplying.
You are welcome! I am here to help and assist others