Ammonia and Nitrite won't come down...!

ricardomax

Reefing newb
Hi guys
I've been having a problem with my tank. Long story short, it had been stable for a year but I'd never done water changes. I put in a sand sifting star which I think released loads of nutrients that had been sitting in the sand. (I posted this problem on the forum a while back so thanks for the advice there!) I then had ammonia (0.25) and nitrite (0.05) spiking.

So after the advice on here... I removed the star and took back to the LFS. I put in another powerhead so the circulation is now about 30*tank volume per hour (tank is live rock only, no filter - about 70kg rock in a 400L tank). And I started doing water changes (which will carry on once the problem is solved, I promise!).

So... I've now done four water changes of about 10-15% every other day, making a total of roughly 50% in the space of a week. But the ammonia and nitrite levels haven't changed! Corals are still really withdrawn and some soft corals not looking that great.

Everyone is accounted for, so nothing big is decaying in the tank (maybe the odd snail in the rockwork but that would be it). The fish are all behaving normally, although regal tang has some suspicious white spots - but they've been there for about a week now and his behaviour is completely normal.

How long would you expect it to take to reduce the ammonia and nitrite down? Nitrate is still zero. Could something have interrupted the nitrogen cycle?? At the start of all this I noticed the sand was black a little below the surface (it's probably 1.5" deep at the most), and I did get the odd faint rotten egg smell. Could a release of hydrogen sulphide have killed the bacteria on/in the live rock?? (Smell is gone now and I'm not disturbing the sand anymore until water is back under control.)

Any help gratefully received!!
Cheers
Richard
 
Its possible that your tank is going through another full blown cycle.At least thats my guess.
Take a water sample to your LFS and have them check it.Its also possible that you got a bad test kit.
 
the white spots are probably Ich on the tang. stress will cause an outbreak.

It sounds like you have a cycle happening. there is a product called Prime that may work to reduce the ammonia in your tank. It may be worth a look. It is safe to add to your DT in times like this.

You have the right idea with regular water changes. prevention is always better than trying to cure a big problem.

Cross your fingers and best of luck to you

-Doc
 
Water changes will only slow the cycle down. you need to be very frugal in feeding the fish. let the system complete its cycle. if you are concerned about the animals you will need to remove um, however, I would recommend you just sit tight and let the cycle complete. also too much/many water changes can have a effect on the animals also. the added circulation should help. good luck.
 
Yes,stop water changes,its only going to prolong the cycle.Try to ride it out and feed sparingly under the cycle completes.If you have a good amount of live rock then it should go by quickly.
 
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