HELP!

[demodiki]

Wow, you need to read. I recommend:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupii.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/fishinvsetup.htm
Good luck.

[hobogato]

The tank is about 3 weeks old. We have 2 dozen ghost shrimp, would that cause the ammonia levels to drastically increase?

yes, so would adding all those fish to a tank that had not cycled properly. the boxfish and lionfish in particular are heavy waste producers and can drive up nitrogen waste in well established tanks.

[hobogato]

if you want to try and save those fish, you have two options.

1. see if you can find someone with and established tank that wont mind keeping them for you for a while
2. do small (10%) water changes daily to keep the nitrogen waste down as much as possible until your biological filtration can keep up.

adding some fully cured liverock will speed the process some, but you have a rocky road ahead.

[safeuerwehr]

be cautious about using any ammonia reducing additives as they only mask the problem....as you have read, your system is still in its infancy and needs time to mature, by adding all that livestock your only adding to the bio load, its like feeding a chunk of steak to a new born. I would follow hobogato's advice and give your tank time to mature, and the best sound advice in this hobby is patience and don't rush things......I could foster your lion fish for you in my FOWLR tank.....good luck.

alfred

[erick]

To help cycle the tank get some Bio Spira for marine. Some say it instant cycles a tank, although I have found that not to be the case, but it does contain the LIVE bacteria needed to help in the cylcing process. It will help reduce ammonia/nitrites, and start a bacteria colony that will convert nitrites to nitrate.. Hope this helps... BTW Polly's pets sells Bio Spira..

[erikharrison]

ok, i went and bought 3yr old live rock, 7 lbs of it, and some algae (the algae that eats ammonia), and tested my water prior to adding this and my ammonia levels are down from 6.0+ down to about 2.0..... Finaddict has a gr8 deal on live rock btw (3 bux/lb) and 5 dollars for a handful of algae. I just added some kent ammonia detox to bring the levels down some more, and im hoping that the 80 dollars i spent tonight will adversely affect my ammonia levels. I did notice that my lionfish is breathing less heavy, much much less, and he seems to be a little happier than he was yesterday. I also tested the ammonia levels in my plastic bucket of live rock and it is lower than my tank after being on its own since last night. Do you think I should go ahead and add it to my tank?? BTW thanks so much for ALL of the advice. I feel like the uber nub (and I am) and you guys probably saved me from tossing my salt and just f/watering it! Also, I live in San Antonio as well, by Churchill, just to let yall know I'm a native too! Can anyone tell me what the name of the algae is??? I forgot, and for some reason keep thinking its malachite

[blueboy]

chaetomorpha, but it doesn't metabolize ammonia, it metabolizes nitrate. so, you still need the bacteria to turn your ammonia to nitrite, then nitrite ti nitrate, then the chaeto will help you by using the nitrate to build tissue, then when the ball of chaeto gets too big, you just throw some out(or give it to another reefer), and you have exported some nitrate from your system!