Nitrates Spiked After Adding Livestock to Newly Cycled Tank! (Worried)

[imanewberry]

I know this is not necessarily an emergency but I just added a decent bit of livestock to a 20 gallon cube tank. This includes:

- a small Scopas Tang
- a Black Snowflake Clown
- three various snails
- a Tuxedo Sea urchin
- a Tricolor Goniastrea Coral

Previous to adding livestock to this NEWLY cycled tank, my salinity was spot, ammonia and nitrite at zero, and next to no nitrate. 30 hours after I just tested and my ammonia is 0, nitrite is detectable but still very, very low, and my nitrates have spiked to 60-80ppm (I’m color blind and testing I have found out is difficult for people like me).

I am heating saltwater right now for a 30% water change and plan to do that in about an hour. I also plan to dose 5ml of MB7 as soon as I complete the water change. Please let me know if you have any advice on my course of action right now, as well as my course of action to keep this under control and stable in the coming days and weeks.

Thanks!!

 

[MERKEY]

You are doing the right thing by water changes for nitrate and everything should be just fine.

Now be prepared for the tang police

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not abnormal as fish addition will induce a temporary increase in bioload
Water change will help and do run carbon, preferably chemipure blue

 

[imanewberry]

You are doing the right thing by water changes for nitrate and everything should be just fine

Now be prepared for the tang police

Thanks for the reply!

I am prepared for the tang police. I was warned The Scopas is staying in this tank as a juvenile and I plan to upgrade to a larger tank in about a year. In the off chance that it doesn’t happen that I upgrade my tank size, I have a wonderful hobbyist friend who is more than willing to take him. I’m already attached, however. Love him. Such a graceful and seemingly well mannered species of Tang. I’m never going to be that aquarist that neglects my livestock for my own benefit. What are you personal thoughts on this idea? Do you disagree with the addition of a small Scopas with full intent to grow the tank with him and a backup plan if that doesn’t work out?

Once again thanks for the reply!!

 

[Dine]

Do the water change. Be prepared to do another just in case. Your bacteria colony isn’t built up for the sudden additions. You’re going to need to give it a few weeks to settle. Keep testing. If you see ammonia do a water change.

and the tang police are coming....

youre tang will be fine if you stick to that plan.

 

[MERKEY]

Thanks for the reply!

I am prepared for the tang police. I was warned The Scopas is staying in this tank as a juvenile and I plan to upgrade to a larger tank in about a year. In the off chance that it doesn’t happen that I upgrade my tank size, I have a wonderful hobbyist friend who is more than willing to take him. I’m already attached, however. Love him. Such a graceful and seemingly well mannered species of Tang. I’m never going to be that aquarist that neglects my livestock for my own benefit. What are you personal thoughts on this idea? Do you disagree with the addition of a small Scopas with full intent to grow the tank with him and a backup plan if that doesn’t work out?

Once again thanks for the reply!!

I would never do such a thing.....

Just my evil side would and the tang police are going to get me too!!

I actually just today got a 1.5" purple tang for my 4' that will eventually next year go into a 180 or 220 when the room is done and daughter has moved to college. I like you would never keep something as such for their extended life span. And if plans change and I dont get the new ta k next year......

I also have a great reef/aquarium store that does this exact thing with customers and rehoming. They have a large aquarium service based operation where customers are always looking for mature healthy adults for their tanks. So it's a win win, I can get some really cool fish and watch them grow and then they go to a new bigger home.

 

[artieg1]

Ditto on the above regarding nitrate; your system is just adjusting. It is unclear if you have corals, which are the real concern if nitrate gets that high.

On the tang, 20 gallons is comically small. A small tang could double in size in 3 months. They produce a lot of waste. If anything, what I would tell you is that impulse buys based on future plans for a larger tank are not a great idea in this hobby. I see you have a friend who can take the fish, but most people do (or can give it back to their LFS). Again, my point is not that you should remove the tang, but recommend (based on personal experience!) that you adjust your approach to be more careful and considered and SLOW in your decisions and actions. There will still be fish at the LFS a year from now when you get the larger tank.

 

[Kzang]

Lose the tang. 20g is small. They produce a lot of waste and grow pretty fast. You will have issues with nutrients as long as you keep it in that system.