[froggyhonkey]

I went away for a weeks worth of job training. (First mistake) and my father was watching my tanks. I had bought a beautiful passer Angle about 2 weeks before I left(second mistake) The fish died and whet behind a rock. My father didn't notice it was missing and it decayed for a full week. Naturally I came home pissed!! My other fish were, a 5 inch blue line grouper, a 9 inch red emperor snapper, and a 6 in lion fish.

When I came home I noticed right away, the snapper had ick. Then I noticed the grouper had it too. the lion was fine. I immediately cleaned the tank and did a 35% water change. I checked the levels, ph low, put in buffer, nitrates were through the roof. Nitrites were normal and ammonia was about .25.

I am doing water changes almost every other day. My grouper died. Lion has ick now, snapper looks horrible. I lowered the salinity to 1.14. ammonia seems to be going up. Nitrates still horrible 80-90. By the way, I am using RO water. So I can’t understand why it isn’t going down with all the water changes.

I have set up 2 sterilizers in the sump to get rid of the ick, I made a DIY refugium with an old hang on filter, and used some refugium algae from my 40 gl reef tank. Desperately trying to get rid of the ick, and nitrates

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. I AM LOOSING MY TANK. Do I keep doing water changes, or do I let it cycle? Why won’t things change?

Please help

[RyanG]

List your tank parameters how they are now. What type of filtration? Live rock? Live sand? Lighting? Sterilizers I am assuming UV? What is your turnover in your sump of your 90gallon?

[froggyhonkey]

I have a sump, had bio balls, but took them out, now just live rock, yes two uv's, lighting doesn't matter it is a marine only, I have a protein scimmer, water turn over is more than efficant. The tank has been up for a year and a half, had problems in the beginning but once I got it up and running it has been fine. This is the worst it has been.

[froggyhonkey]

Is there anybody out there?

[RyanG]

Your doing everything that I would have done. What type of substrate do you have?

[froggyhonkey]

I have crushed coral, I have cleaned the hell out of it. The nitrates are still very high, and I know it will take a few weeks for the refuge to start working, but I am doing water changes with RO Water. Why aren't they going down? Also, should I be doing water changes, or should I let it cycle?

[RyanG]

Crushed coral is a nightmare. I would do water changes every two weeks. Patience is key here. Normally having a fish dead in the water and waste away shouldn't be a big problem. Best solution for this is to have live sand, lots of live rock and a hefty protein skimmer and high flow throughout your tank.

If you stick to that your tank will be very stable.

The ich will eventually disappear, your UV will take care of that, now all you have to do is wait. Patience will always win out.