Can't get my numbers right...

[cdnco2004]

I have a new 75 gallon setup. 3 months old. CaribSea Live Sand and LifeRock. Everything seemed to cycle well. Had an ammonia spike followed by nitrite and nitrate. Everything dropped down to nil after a few weeks of water changes. Let everything sit for almost a month then added cleanup snails and hermies. Had fish for a little over a month. 8 Blue Green Chromies, 2 Clownfish, Coral Beauty and 2 Mollies (saltwater acclimated). Everything was going well. Had a dirty phase which lasted about a week. I added some cheto to sump and everything cleared up. Sunday Ammonia, Nitrite at 0, Nitrate about 3.5. Then on Wend one of the mollies and a chromie died the same day. Did a water test and my Ammonia was at 1ppm, Nitrite 1ppm Nitrate 5ppm. Wend and Fri did a 25 gallon water change and my numbers were at Ammonia 0.25ppm Nitrite 0.5ppm Nitrate 5ppm the next day. On Monday did 30 gallon water change and I'm still at Ammonia 0.25ppm, Nitrite 0.25ppm Nitrate 10ppm. Testing today the numbers are still the same. No change since before the last 30 gallon water change. Would have expected some change. The rest of the fish and cleanup crew seems to be thriving. They are eating well. I am feeding frozen brine shrimp 6-8 times a day but small amounts. Enough for them all to eat in 30 seconds. So they are not leaving much waste behind, and the clean up crew does a great job. But the numbers are not changing. Any advice?

 

[adsf430]

Anything dead hiding in the tank? Maybe try buying a new testing kit.

 

[cdnco2004]

I am getting new Hanna testers, but when I use same API tests (yes I know crap why I am getting Hanna after the first of the month) on my other tanks they are testing normal levels.

 

[HuduVudu]

I have a new 75 gallon setup. 3 months old. CaribSea Live Sand and LifeRock. Everything seemed to cycle well. Had an ammonia spike followed by nitrite and nitrate. Everything dropped down to nil after a few weeks of water changes. Let everything sit for almost a month then added cleanup snails and hermies. Had fish for a little over a month. 8 Blue Green Chromies, 2 Clownfish, Coral Beauty and 2 Mollies (saltwater acclimated). Everything was going well. Had a dirty phase which lasted about a week. I added some cheto to sump and everything cleared up. Sunday Ammonia, Nitrite at 0, Nitrate about 3.5. Then on Wend one of the mollies and a chromie died the same day. Did a water test and my Ammonia was at 1ppm, Nitrite 1ppm Nitrate 5ppm. Wend and Fri did a 25 gallon water change and my numbers were at Ammonia 0.25ppm Nitrite 0.5ppm Nitrate 5ppm the next day. On Monday did 30 gallon water change and I'm still at Ammonia 0.25ppm, Nitrite 0.25ppm Nitrate 10ppm. Testing today the numbers are still the same. No change since before the last 30 gallon water change. Would have expected some change. The rest of the fish and cleanup crew seems to be thriving. They are eating well. I am feeding frozen brine shrimp 6-8 times a day but small amounts. Enough for them all to eat in 30 seconds. So they are not leaving much waste behind, and the clean up crew does a great job. But the numbers are not changing. Any advice?

You stocked too quickly.

The tank needs to mature and the numbers are not going to give you the complete picture. Also gas exchange and more specifically CO2 plays a big role in how many creatures your tank will support.

 

[Jekyl]

Throw the nitrite and ammonia tests in the garbage. Problem solved. Seriously.

 

[cdnco2004]

Throw the nitrite and ammonia tests in the garbage. Problem solved. Seriously.

I was leaning to this as well.

 

[cdnco2004]

Anything dead hiding in the tank? Maybe try buying a new testing kit.

Oh I forgot, no I have looked and nothing dead I can find.

 

[Jekyl]

Oh I forgot, no I have looked and nothing dead I can find.

I haven't tested nitrite or ammonia in close to 5 years (week 1 of cycle). They're just not needed and causing you a headache for no reason. Trash them. If planning for corals buy salifert, red sea, or Hannah nitrate, phosphate, alk, calcium, magnesium, and Ph

 

[cdnco2004]

I haven't tested nitrite or ammonia in close to 5 years (week 1 of cycle). They're just not needed and causing you a headache for no reason. Trash them. If planning for corals buy salifert, red sea, or Hannah nitrate, phosphate, alk, calcium, magnesium, and Ph

Getting all of the above in Hannah on the first.

 

[cdnco2004]

So I was going to just not stress at try to wait until I get my new Hanna testers, but my remaining molly died last night. The number I am worried about is the 0.5ppm Nitrite. I don't know what to do besides water changes to try to help. I think I messed up the number above its been I think 0.5 up to 1.0. Its so hard to tell based on shades of purple.

 

[Gedxin]

So I was going to just not stress at try to wait until I get my new Hanna testers, but my remaining molly died last night. The number I am worried about is the 0.5ppm Nitrite. I don't know what to do besides water changes to try to help. I think I messed up the number above its been I think 0.5 up to 1.0. Its so hard to tell based on shades of purple.

Nitrite is not a concern in saltwater tanks. I agree with another poster that you may have stocked a little too quickly for your bacteria population to support. Keep a regular cadence of water changes. Watch ammonia, anything above .25 should necessitate a water change.

 

[mdb_talon]

So I was going to just not stress at try to wait until I get my new Hanna testers, but my remaining molly died last night. The number I am worried about is the 0.5ppm Nitrite. I don't know what to do besides water changes to try to help. I think I messed up the number above its been I think 0.5 up to 1.0. Its so hard to tell based on shades of purple.

Nitrite is irrelevant there is zero reason to be concerned about it.

 

[Garf]

Getting all of the above in Hannah on the first.

How did this pan out?