what is wrong with my tank? help!!!!!

[humahuma]

I have been haveing problems with my tank. it is about 2 months old it was fully cylcled according to the test kit 3 weeks after I set it up by useing nitromax, established crushed coral and other bacteria start ups. the tank was doing good for a while then one day I noticed that my fluval 404 was unplugged (all bio media) I cleaned it out with aquarium water and added a eheim wet/dry from one of my other established tanks and a emporer 400 also established ever since the ammonia has been sky high at first I was told to do water changes so I did. It lowered it for a day or so then slowly went all the way back up off the color chart. then i was told that since i was showing a little bit of nitrite and nitrate was at about 40 that it is possible that it is not cycled either due to the filters or it never fully cycled properly. so I do not know what to do. Water changes or let it go and see. I have been testing for the last week and the ammonia is still off the charts the nitrites are at zero the nitrates are at 20. again water changes to lower or wait to see if it cycles? I think that the tank is cycled already due to all the filter changes and problems that it has caused a huge ammonia spike and I should do water changes to lower but I don't want to do that if it is not cycled then it will just take longer. please help somebody! I would so much appreciate and be in debt to you for ever.
humahuma


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Humahuma

 

[dattack]

Is this a saltwater tank?  What method did you use for cycling?
What water are you using to do the change?

 

[humahuma]

it is a saltwater 55 gallon tank with a bursa trigger and a clarki clown the others died (yellow tang foxface) I am useing saltwater for water changes.
humahuma
any suggestions would be great
thanks

 

[dattack]

Looks like that high ammonia did come from a death of a fish.  I wouldn't add anymore fish at this point.  Two months time should be good enough to bring down the ammonia levels and if it is persistently high then there are things still dieing or a dead carcass somewhere.

I would do a 100% water change at one time if the ammonia is off the chart.  If you do only 10% water change at a time then you are still going to have toxic levels of ammonia.

 

[jinx]

It maybe your crushed coral. I've had problems with it before because of the inconsistant shape and size, crap seems to find away to hide from you. I had it at about 4 inches deep and only when I removed the substrate the problems went away. It smelled like rotten eggs when I removed it. Just recently I read it was suppose to. Go figure, but it did solved my problems. I switched to Aragamax which works fine for me http://www.carib-sea.com/ Also threw in a 30-50% water change at that time. Almost forgot to mention that. Just advice... I'm not liable for anything I say.. hehe  Hope this helps..... ;D