New 90 gallon aquarium

[mandylv23]

Ok I have a 90 gallon aquarium with a 30 gallon (I think) wet/dry sump that has bio balls. I also have one over flow box. I was stupid (being new and all) and listened to my LFS who told me that I could start my aquarium with tap water and just add my salt and conditioner. Well my ammonia levels hit the roof!! I bought a RODI system and completely emptied the tank. The tank has been filled with RODI water mixed with my marine salt to accurate levels (done today) Two circulation power heads, and lighting is T5 with two cool white bulbs and two blue bulbs.
It has 90 pounds of live sand and approximately 60 pounds if LR. I have two clowns, one lawn mower blenny, a small blue hippo, and a dwarf coral beauty angel, 4 turbo snails and 5 hermit crabs. My fish are currently in a 10 gallon quarantine tank until my water reaches temperature. I will be adding them back in later today.
Test kits: ammonia
Phosphate
Nitrate
I plan on adding some coral in the future along the lines of star polyps, Kenya trees, and mushrooms.
What test kits and I'm missing?
Any other advice on what I need to do now to ensure I don't lose my fish?

 

[mandylv23]

Here's a pic of the tank

 

[Tahoe61]

Great cabinet, congrats on the tank. Match specific gravity as able.

 

[mandylv23]

Oh I do have a refractometer and the levels are spot on. Unfortunately ammonia levels are 0.5 after complete water change but it's better than a 8.0!!

 

[Lenny_S]

How long has the tank been setup? Did you cure the live rock and cycle the tank before you got all that livestock?

 

[mandylv23]

it was a used tank and LR, we took it home, cleaned the tank good with vinegar and water, soaked all LR for 24 hours in salt water after rinsing them off really well. Bought new live sand, then filled up with "tap" water and added biospriva conditioner. Allowed the tank to run two weeks then added the cleaning crew, ran it for another two weeks then added the clown fish. The tank was almost 2 months old. My husband just bought the blue hippo and angel fish last weekend. I know we didn't have enough sand when we started so we added more when we did our complete water change today. I'm just going to have to monitor closely and do frequent 20% water changes. But using RODI water, do I need to continue to test my alkalinity level? Ph levels? Chlorine?

 

[Justiful]

I am new but... What I think happened is. Correct me if I am wrong more experience people.

The ammonia spike was your tank compensating when you added your fish, and food before it finished cycling. Or just because you added to much at one time. (blue hippo and angel increased biolode by at least triple vs just 2 clowns) The spike is normal. Now that you added 100% water change you are going to get another ammonia spike, followed by nitrate. You need to get http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+27572+3975+25252&pcatid=25252 or an equivalent product. Your biological filter needs a jump start ASAP since you already have fish. The tap water was bad to have. But the bio-spira is similar to the foster and smith product. It helps with the cycling of the tank. The tap water had nothing to do with your ammonia spike.

I think his biological filter is not established, and the best way to fix it is with a product that helps establish it faster since he already has the fish. He IS going to get another spike of ammonia and nitrates, but as long as he watches it he will be ok with regular water changes and adding bacteria. Also keep enough water on hand for a 25% change if the levels spike. you get a spike then do an immediate 25% followed by 25% 24 hours later if they still high, and let the fish starve for 2 days. They won't die from it. Keep dosing your bacteria for the full month by recommendations on bottle, most of them you can't overdose.

That is my opinion. The tap water had nothing to do with your ammonia spike, and the only reason it didn't happen sooner is the Biospira you added. The downside to boosting bacteria at the start is you can be fooled into thinking your tank is cycled before you see a big ammonia or nitrate spike. The plus side is if you dose it and keep dosing it for several weeks you never get those huge spikes. Most people use the product once at the start of their tank, think they are cycled cause levels read good, add fish, THEN get a big surprise because they didn't keep using it for several weeks.

If you watch the show tanked, they use nutri-seawater(has lots of bacteria), and add bacteria. They also have the owners keep dosing bacteria. As far as I know the only way to add fish and avoid a cycle in a tank is to dose bacteria. (correct me if I am wrong guys)

 

[mandylv23]

Thanks so much, I knew about the nitrifying bacteria I just wasn't sure it was safe to add with fish already in the tank, the main reason I was upset about the tap water was that I found out that when I do finally add corals this water has way too much chlorine and fluoride to maintain their health. Now that I have my RODI I will have enough water on hand to do frequent water changes until my system gets back on track

 

[mandylv23]

So I ordered some nitrifying bacteria that should be in tomorrow, my ammonia level is 1.0 tonight, should I do a 20% water change before adding the live bacteria or should I just let it do its job? Last water change was Saturday