New to saltwater; help desperately needed, input appreciated!

[dedragon]

I always recommend fritzyme 9 (what i use), or dr. tims (others on the forum use this) really it comes down to what is easy to order for you.

 

[Ladyluna]

best thing you could do is to stop adding more stuff like prime and vibrant to the tank, those wont help your problem and are most likely making it worse. Cycling hasnt finished in you tank yet. I would keep ammonia the same (dont add more food, or livestock to tank) and add some sort of bottle bacteria to help things along. Also wouldnt try to add an anemone for at least 9 months, the tank needs to be more stable biologically

Ive added various bottle bacteria (Fritzyme, microbacter, stability, prodibio, biospira, nutrifin cycle) during this all.
Have heard that it shouldn't hurt anything to keep dosing stuff like this.

Tested again this morning, Ammonia has dropped to 0 on Salifert yet again. Its just a constant roller coaster lol...

I wish they hadn't convinced us to do the anemone but now that its here I am doing my dangest to keep it alive...

 

[Ladyluna]

Ive added various bottle bacteria (Fritzyme, microbacter, stability, prodibio, biospira, nutrifin cycle) during this all.
Have heard that it shouldn't hurt anything to keep dosing stuff like this.

Tested again this morning, Ammonia has dropped to 0 on Salifert yet again. Its just a constant roller coaster lol...

I wish they hadn't convinced us to do the anemone but now that its here I am doing my dangest to keep it alive...

Oh and I stopped with the vibrant after bryopsis stuff went down to manageable level

 

[G Santana]

Take the aforementioned advice and go slow!!! I'm 3 months into a new tank and all I have is two fish and a clean up crew. I will not rush, that leads to death of livestock and waste of money.

 

[Jeffcb]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Rtaylor]

I wish I could find another place we are "lucky" to have one at all here, no other options within 6 hrs...

I don’t have many options near me either. There are some good resources online for livestock and unfortunately you’ll have to do the research yourself as your local LFS doesn’t seem great.

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

Set up a second-hand 35g bowfront in December. Have (mostly) successfully run freshwater but this is turning into a whole new nightmare.
Will try to provide good details but feel free to ask if I miss anything.
Set up with dry rock. Crushed coral substrate.
Have 2 powerheads for circulation and currently running 2 filters, a HOB Fluval that came with it and a Fluvial 306 canister that we had (previously in freshwater; cleaned out and replaced all filter sponges, media). Filter stuff just sponges and carbon. AI Prime 16HD light. Also a heater, unsure of what it is but keeps tank at 25°C consistently. Although we initially filled with salt mixed at home (Instant Ocean) and tap water with Prime, we then started getting all our water from the local reef supply premixed. We did VERY consistent water changes, sometimes daily. Tank "cycled" and we added a few molly fry and then some recommended corals from local shop. We waited about another month then added an anemone and attempted to add 2 clownfish - they both went into immediate death spirals after being released from acclimation ( at least 15 mins temp then about 30 of adding tank water to bag ).
We scooped out and put in a container of fresh saltwater from store. 1 lived and was returned to store to wait for its new home to be safe. Store tested ammonia high (1.5) Did large 50% water change then daily/bi-daily changes and used lots of MicroBacter bottle bac. Seemed better, then spiked again. Got filter pad from another tank and 5g of their water, did another 50% change and used super high end bottle bac stuff and more MicroBacter. Got better, ammonia and nitrite were 0, nitrates climbing. Then suddenly after a few weeks ammonia climbed again. Did another large change, used BioSpira bottle bac, went back to 0 ammonia and nitrite. Now is spiking up yet again.
At home I had been testing API and almost always got .25. Read lots on how that is a common reading. Also used tetra strips and would get minimal or no ammonia. Ammonia Alert Seachem badge always shows yellow. Have used Prime and/or Amguard. Continually trying different bottle bac. Mollies stay alive, anemone is super unhappy seeming constantly at deaths door, toadstools leathers both died, one zoanthid frag melted away other corals (zoas, blastomussa, hammer and favia) living but wouldn't say thriving.
I feed very minimally, a slight dust of flake every day for the fishies, barely what sticks to my finger.
Once every week or two a bit of mysis.
Still doing weekly 15% or more water changes. Store said dont use Prime anymore but Im terrified the ammonia will kill everything without a stopgaps.

Salifert tests: (recently bought all these so In not running across city 2x/wk to get the tests done there
Alkalinity has been 8-8.5
Magnesium HIGH 1500
Calcium high 500
Phosphate was highish but now 0
Ammonia 1
Nitrite 0
Nitrate ~30ish

API test
Ammonia .25 (.5 when snail dies)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate ~20ish
PH 7.4

Tetra test
Ammonia between 0 and .5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
KH more than 120ppm but under 180ppm
PH 7.8

I have had to dose Red Sea Foundation occasionally for alkalinity. Store has told me to ignore ph, initially used Seachem Marine Buffer but stopped as they said not too bother.

A few weeks back I also used some Vibrant for the out of control algae that was choking out my zoanthids.

Current live occupants are 2 juvenile mollies, 2 astrea snails, 3 other snails (type?), 3 hermit crabs, and an emerald crab (have not seen since adding).

Oh and salinity generally about 1.026

Any input/advice/help GREATLY appreciated. Have spent thousands and am almost at the "throw it all out" point.

Welcome to Reef 2 reef!! Glad to have you with us and hopefully we can shed some light!! I agree with some of the information in the other posts. I think going for specific numbers has never worked for me, I try to just find a stable chemistry and let my tank and corals tell (show) me where it wants to sit. pH, alk, etc

 

[SPR1968]

Great advice already so Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[00W]

Good morning and welcome.
We'll all try and help you get it figured out so no worries!

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[MamaLovesHerReefTank]

I would find another LFS. They told you to ignore the low PH.... they sold you an anemone and corals way too soon. You can throw things off if you put too high of a demand in too soon. Algae is part of the process. As @lapin said... Vibrant may have been like bringing a gun to a knife fight.
Let everything run it's course. There is no need to throw in the towel. Let that molly live it's life for a while. Let the tank dirty up a bit. What you need is stability. That takes time. You'll get there.

100% agree. Sounds like an LFS in our city. Would tell you anything just to make a sale. Find an LFS that you can go to regularly that genuinely tries to help you figure it out without pushing chemicals or products. Personally I think you need to restart. Probably not what you want to hear but you shouldn't have to start putting chemicals into your tank that early.

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R and the worries of the salty world. I agree with what’s been said. Take things much slower and let the mini eco system develop. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

 

[schuby]

Welcome!

First of all, I suggest adding a nitrifying bacteria like Dr Tim's One and Only or Fritz TurboStart. Microbacter 7 and others don't contain nitrifying bacteria and can possibly stall a cycle.

I can't tell if you have a sump or not, but you have very little rock. Bacteria needs surface area to properly multiple.

(Had to edit this because it posted before being done...)

 

[schuby]

For your cycle, did you ever see (with a Test) that you had high ammonia? A typical fish-less cycle starts with adding 2ppm of ammonia, then the nitrifying bacteria. The ammonia will eventually go to zero/near-zero over a few days. Nitrite will spike and go down to zero/near-zero (takes longer than ammonia because this uses a different bacteria that multiplies slower) over a week or so. The end result is nitrate.

If you never forced an ammonia spike, then your overall nitrifying bacteria population will be small. Any new additions that produce ammonia (such as food or fish) will cause ammonia to increase. The bacteria will start to multiply, now that they have a sufficient food source, but it will be gradual. In such a tank, it is very easy to overwhelm the nitrifying bacteria because they were never allowed to multiply to a large population with a large food-source (forced ammonia-spike).

If your tank cycled without an ammonia-spike and then you don't feed (no fish), the bacteria will go dormant or disappear (maybe from skimming).

If this were my tank, I'd add a properly-sized bottle of Dr Tim's One and Only (what I always use) and then verify that ammonia is zero. I'd also verify that my SG is 1.026 and does not vary much. The smaller the tank, the easier it is for SG to have wild swings (Auto-topoff using RO/DI helps prevent SG swings) Fish don't like big changes in SG. If your LFS had the fish in 1.018 SG and your tank was 1.026 SG, then that would shock them. Drip acclimating helps tremendously with SG and temp acclimation.

I wish you the best!

 

[Salty Rambler]

Welcome to R2R! Lots of great advice thus far -- good luck with your tank.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Hello and welcome to the channel.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Set up a second-hand 35g bowfront in December. Have (mostly) successfully run freshwater but this is turning into a whole new nightmare.
Will try to provide good details but feel free to ask if I miss anything.
Set up with dry rock. Crushed coral substrate.
Have 2 powerheads for circulation and currently running 2 filters, a HOB Fluval that came with it and a Fluvial 306 canister that we had (previously in freshwater; cleaned out and replaced all filter sponges, media). Filter stuff just sponges and carbon. AI Prime 16HD light. Also a heater, unsure of what it is but keeps tank at 25°C consistently. Although we initially filled with salt mixed at home (Instant Ocean) and tap water with Prime, we then started getting all our water from the local reef supply premixed. We did VERY consistent water changes, sometimes daily. Tank "cycled" and we added a few molly fry and then some recommended corals from local shop. We waited about another month then added an anemone and attempted to add 2 clownfish - they both went into immediate death spirals after being released from acclimation ( at least 15 mins temp then about 30 of adding tank water to bag ).
We scooped out and put in a container of fresh saltwater from store. 1 lived and was returned to store to wait for its new home to be safe. Store tested ammonia high (1.5) Did large 50% water change then daily/bi-daily changes and used lots of MicroBacter bottle bac. Seemed better, then spiked again. Got filter pad from another tank and 5g of their water, did another 50% change and used super high end bottle bac stuff and more MicroBacter. Got better, ammonia and nitrite were 0, nitrates climbing. Then suddenly after a few weeks ammonia climbed again. Did another large change, used BioSpira bottle bac, went back to 0 ammonia and nitrite. Now is spiking up yet again.
At home I had been testing API and almost always got .25. Read lots on how that is a common reading. Also used tetra strips and would get minimal or no ammonia. Ammonia Alert Seachem badge always shows yellow. Have used Prime and/or Amguard. Continually trying different bottle bac. Mollies stay alive, anemone is super unhappy seeming constantly at deaths door, toadstools leathers both died, one zoanthid frag melted away other corals (zoas, blastomussa, hammer and favia) living but wouldn't say thriving.
I feed very minimally, a slight dust of flake every day for the fishies, barely what sticks to my finger.
Once every week or two a bit of mysis.
Still doing weekly 15% or more water changes. Store said dont use Prime anymore but Im terrified the ammonia will kill everything without a stopgaps.

Salifert tests: (recently bought all these so In not running across city 2x/wk to get the tests done there
Alkalinity has been 8-8.5
Magnesium HIGH 1500
Calcium high 500
Phosphate was highish but now 0
Ammonia 1
Nitrite 0
Nitrate ~30ish

API test
Ammonia .25 (.5 when snail dies)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate ~20ish
PH 7.4

Tetra test
Ammonia between 0 and .5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
KH more than 120ppm but under 180ppm
PH 7.8

I have had to dose Red Sea Foundation occasionally for alkalinity. Store has told me to ignore ph, initially used Seachem Marine Buffer but stopped as they said not too bother.

A few weeks back I also used some Vibrant for the out of control algae that was choking out my zoanthids.

Current live occupants are 2 juvenile mollies, 2 astrea snails, 3 other snails (type?), 3 hermit crabs, and an emerald crab (have not seen since adding).

Oh and salinity generally about 1.026

Any input/advice/help GREATLY appreciated. Have spent thousands and am almost at the "throw it all out" point.

Welcome!

You may be frustrated right now, but with this comes experience and satisfaction as you figure it out. Know you mentioned tap water at the very start, and hoping you aren't sneaking any water changes in there using tap water. This weekend some guy has ammonia 8 coming out of tap... his babies died. Ammonia is very very toxic and should stay around 0. Give tank time to settle. With nothing in there, you don't need to do a water change to get ammonia down. Instead, let it convert to nitrites. Then those nitrites convert to nitrates. Then when ammonia and nitrites both at 0 with nitrates climbing to 20, RO with salt water change. After you change the water, test to make sure your ammonia & nitrites stayed at 0 (no contamination in mix used for water change) If all well at that point, you should be safe to bring your baby home. If it is not, then you can identify where those spikes happened. Just take it slow. From this you'll be able to help others in the future. I'm sure you'll be sharing your successes, too!

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!!

 

[Ladyluna]

Welcome!

You may be frustrated right now, but with this comes experience and satisfaction as you figure it out. Know you mentioned tap water at the very start, and hoping you aren't sneaking any water changes in there using tap water. This weekend some guy has ammonia 8 coming out of tap... his babies died. Ammonia is very very toxic and should stay around 0. Give tank time to settle. With nothing in there, you don't need to do a water change to get ammonia down. Instead, let it convert to nitrites. Then those nitrites convert to nitrates. Then when ammonia and nitrites both at 0 with nitrates climbing to 20, RO with salt water change. After you change the water, test to make sure your ammonia & nitrites stayed at 0 (no contamination in mix used for water change) If all well at that point, you should be safe to bring your baby home. If it is not, then you can identify where those spikes happened. Just take it slow. From this you'll be able to help others in the future. I'm sure you'll be sharing your successes, too!

Guess the problem is that there is living things in there, and Ive watched the ammonia to to nitrite and nitrate a couple times now... It has seemed to keep coming back even once I hit 0-0-40ish.
Have not used anything but the premixed RO salt mix from the store for changes since initial fill. Just when readings got good again and they said come back in 3 days if still good take the clown home... They get ammonia reading again.

 

[BaysEndReef]