Hey Everyone....i am a newbie to reef keeping ( 4 days). i have had a few successful fish only marine tanks, and impulse bought a nano-reef on craigslist. I know,dangeroous move, but videos looked good and tank looked pretty healthy in person. ANYWAY....i brought it home and set it up somewhat the same as it was. I added some t5 ho lighting (6400kx2) because it was only running on 96 watts of pc. The tank is 45 gal, had a crazy homemade filter consisting of two ten gallon tanks underneath one a refugium and the a sump with sand, rock, and a skimmer. two powerheads in tank for circulation. This guy was DESPERATE for money so i bought it for almost nothing and like an idiot changed the filter to my hang on 3 gallon job with pre,sipporax( ceramic cylinders), and some of the rock from his sump. I kept his skimmer also, not sure what brand but does awesome!
My problem is this: The tank looks ok, some algea from the move, lots of inverts( urchins, crabs shrimp etc. all looking great) small corals, but vrey healthy looking, a few fish...wrasse, goby, cleaner wrasse, clown...but after testung for nitrates today for the first time, they are about 40 to 50ppm!!!
How the hell is it living? The tank must have been that way cause if i started a new cycle, then it would not be at that stage yet...right? What should i do? water changes, chemis? help is appreciated.
My problem is this: The tank looks ok, some algea from the move, lots of inverts( urchins, crabs shrimp etc. all looking great) small corals, but vrey healthy looking, a few fish...wrasse, goby, cleaner wrasse, clown...but after testung for nitrates today for the first time, they are about 40 to 50ppm!!!
How the hell is it living? The tank must have been that way cause if i started a new cycle, then it would not be at that stage yet...right? What should i do? water changes, chemis? help is appreciated.