Please help, tanks not looking so good

andreethegiant · #1 04-13-2013, 07:10 PM

I'm new to saltwater, I started with a 20g with a aqua110 made into a refugium. I upgraded to a 30g a little over a week ago and still had the aqua110 while I turned my 20g into a sump. Everything look great. Last night I hooked up my sump, I also bought a pistol shrimp and a open brain coral last night. Everything seemed to be ok when I went to bed, my temp made it back around 78. I woke up today and all my corals are closed and discoloured, my brain coral is mucusy, my fish are unhappy. My temp was down to 76 when I got up(not sure why..) but its at 78 again. I did a test kit: ph 7.8-8(lower then normal.) ammo 0-.25 nitrite 0 nitrate 10-20. Salinity is fine. I got 2 buckets mixing for a water change today but I'm just curious if anyone knows what's wrong?
Thanks

ckmullin · #2 04-13-2013, 07:16 PM

How long has the system been up and running? Seems like nitrate is high for a SW tank. FW it'd just be perfect though.

andreethegiant · #3 04-13-2013, 07:18 PM

Almost 8 months, still pretty new.

andreethegiant · #4 04-13-2013, 07:20 PM

And the nitrates went up when I upgraded, I was thinking from the old sand possibly..

ckmullin · #5 04-13-2013, 07:40 PM

It seems from my reading a rule of thumb is to ditch old sand as it will hold items exactly what you are having an issue. Perhaps some small dead critters were in the sand.

andreethegiant · #6 04-13-2013, 07:43 PM

I got rid of the old stuff and put all new sand in, I just thought maybe it came from the sand getting stirred up when I took the rocks and what not out of the old tank

ckmullin · #7 04-13-2013, 07:58 PM

Hum...don't think suspended sand particles would cause something like that. Other members with more experience I'm sure will give you a hand.

andreethegiant · #8 04-13-2013, 07:59 PM

Okay thank you

Coralgurl · #9 04-13-2013, 08:10 PM

You shouldn't have any ammonia at all. Do you have anything to neutralize it? A water change will help, get er done! If you can grab some prime or similar product and try to get it back to zero. Sounds like your tank is cycling a bit.

Cal_stir · #10 04-13-2013, 08:10 PM

Are you running carbon?, if not, do so.
carbon will remove toxins
what is your alk?
everything is prob stressed from parameter changes.