Help: From bad to worse: Nitrite

[Doglover_50]

*&$%@#

Update and more problems: The tub with the rock, corals, and fish I asked about--I think I finally got that under control with a lot of water changes. One chromis died, but I got a tang and 2 clowns out of there to other tanks, will try to get remaining fish out tomorrow. Nitrate reduced to around 80pm--not great, but way way down.

BIG PROBLEM: The other 1/2 of the rock and corals had been in coolers. I had done smaller WCs on those for the same high nitrate problem. 12-16 hours later after my last WC and testing this a.m., when I retested in prep to move it all to a large trash can, nitrite was at 10 ppm. Oh hell. I did about a 70% WC and several smaller WCs after until the nitrite moved down to 3.0

Same was true for my top sand which is in a large cooler with a powerhead---nitrite at 10 ppm. I scooped off what water I could (only about 2 gallons) and changed it out.

I'm collapsing and can't do any more until the morning.

Any suggestions?

[azrednex]

I would deffinately get all of the livestock out of the water with the nitrite spike. It sounds like it's going to cycle, maybe it will be short.

[Tangman1218]

Sorry to hear about all of your problems. Here's a few suggestions for you, even though it is partially to late.

Whenever you move a tank, leave the sand in it. Me and a buddy a few years back moved a 125 gallon by ourselves with 200 pounds of sand still in it, with the water line slightly above the sand. When you remove the sand, your unloading the biolocking that has occured over the time the tank has ran. Some people may disagree with me here, but ive done it several times and never once had a problem. If it is imperative to remove the sand during a move, put it into 5 gallon buckets with water to fill it and keep it wet. When you are done transporting (by either removing or leaving in during move), run a power filter to help remove the nasties with filter floss. Sand issue should take care of itself.

As for LR, I never transport it unless it is also in 5 gallon buckets filled with water, never exposed to air for more than a few seconds from tank removal to bucket, vice-versa. For instance, if that LR is covered in any type of sponge, youll have a lot of small die off that can create a big problem if you leave it out for any length of time. And always always use the water for sand and LR that came from the tank. You can also use a power filter using the same methods employed with the sand.

As for fish transport, a rubbermaid is fine and fish should usually be by themselves. Sometimes I'll stack LR in a 5 gallon bucket and put smaller fish in there with it. As long as the rock is stable, nothing bad will happen. When you arrive at the destination, put the fish either with the LR or by themselves.

The whole idea here is to systematically keep everything as close to the same environment its used to. Grab as much of the tank water as you can handle and use it for the first week or two to help stabalize the system. Do normal water changes on each of these and you should experience minor to no problems. Right now, your messing with the cycle which is why your nitrites are so high. IMO, your doing to many unecessary water changes and damaging the cycle. Keep the fish completely seperate and let the sand and LR do its job in the tank with the aide of the power filters. Run the skimmer with the fish tub and it will all be fine.

Im also not saying you didnt do some of this already. Anyway, just my take on it from experience. Ive transported well over 2 dozen tanks over the years and never lost a coral or a fish because of the move. Maybe ive been lucky. Try some of this outline ( at least what you can) and dont stress over it. Good luck, Dog

Tang

[CrystalAZ]

That stinks! I am sorry you are having so many problems and hope that everything calms down so you can enjoy the tank.

Crystal

[dream54ing]

can you place them in a temporary tank and put a skimmer on it? at least for the moment.

[Pyrrhus]

Get a bit bottle of Seachem's Prime, it will help with the ammonia and the nitrite.

[aykfc]

Skip do those products work well? How much do they generally remove of ammonia and nitrites?

[Doglover_50]

Thanks guys. Just to clarify, the tank has a 6" DSB--no way that could stay and try to move it. Here was the basic order of things. Removed water, rock simultaneously--rock did not spend much time at all out of water--we had 1 million 1 buckets. Rock went in coolers with water. Then fish came out into aerated buckets. Removed waste water at bottom, then AJ scooped out the top live level, that went in one bucket, aerated. Then lower 5"-ish of sand went in other buckets.

Everything is absolutely staying in temporary tubs, tanks, buckets, etc... Nothing has gone back in the tank yet. I ran my coralife superskimmer 125 on the tub (rock, corals, fish--from my original post). Also relocated the yellow tang and 2 clowns from that tub, and 1 chromis died. Parameters on the tub have leveled out, that one never had a nitrite spike, and nitrates now below 80. So it's ok for the moment.

I pooled all of the remaining rock into a 35g trashcan, lots of poweheads and aerators. That was where the nitrite spike had occured. Best guess from my testing and timing, the spike lasted 12-16 hours. I have done very large WCs, another this a.m. Nitrite is down from "toxic" level, so moving in right direction. Then I had to go to work. Also this a.m. I moved the superskimmer from the tub to the nitrite trash can.

This is unfortunate, but I had the generous help of AZDesertRat, Dream54, JPSlprcks, and Sirdudeguy for the takedown, and my fellow reefers here in Flag for unloading--I really don't think anything differently could have or should have been done, for the most part.

[Alto]

If you use Prime it will neutralize the ammonia and nitrite but it will still show you a "false positive" when you test. It neutralizes it but doenst remove it from the water.

[soni]

moving a DSB is not a good idea. If you want to keep the sand I would wash it will. Unfortunately you do more harm than good when moving a DSB. I would just by new sand and start it over again. The liverock should be enough to reseed the sand and you should only have a small cycle if any. If you want to use the sand over wash it VERY well. I usually fill a 5 gal bucket half way up and then rinse it with a hose til the water runs clear. It takes a long time.

[Sk8r]

Prime and Amquel are good. I have used Amquel in a reef to solve a disaster in the making, and had no damage from it.

[Doglover_50]

Good thoughts. Thanks. I'd have to say given my limited experience, I can't quite agree that moving a DSB is not a good idea all the time. Based on my limited sample of 3 moves, it is a bad experience 1/3 of the time. 1 year ago I moved a well established 70g with 6" DSB to my place; last week I took it down and put it back up in a temporary location. No problems whatsoever.
No so with the current tank I'm posting about--obviously. No idea what the difference is.

Anyone more industrious than me and with more time at the moment could start a poll on this topic! So far, all I've heard is anecdotal evidence--someone industrious, take it from here!

In any case, since this sand is nice, fine quality (southdown I think, though not sure), I'm going to take my chances and keep it.

[Doglover_50]

Today's update-- After about 100 gallons of WCs in 72 hours, got water parameters under control in both the tub and the trash can. After that, pulled all remaining fish and urchins and large stars (mostly all live, but not totally) into a separate tub.

Nitrates, nitrite, and ammonia seem to have calmed down to acceptable levels. Thanks for all the help, guys.

On top of all of this, my very old ladydog (not my avatar guy) was unconscious for over a minute this a.m. before she came to. It is raining and pouring.

[Hifiguy]

OMG,

Hope the dog is ok.

Glad you got the fish under controll.

Hope everything else goes better than the last week.

Shaun