When can i do a water change on a month old saltwater tank

[PowderBlueTang245]

I think the title explains my question but just to add detail I've had the tank operating for approx a month and 3 days ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate outrageous about 80-120 ppm i have 6 fish total (i know i rushed) blue tang vlamingi tang yellow tang six line wrasse orange damsel and a true perc clownfish 4 corals 1 purple tip anemone 1 colony of starburst polyps 1 clove and 1 carnation tree my question is when can i do a water change on a 55 gallon tank without disturbing any beneficial bacteria I've been doing small water changes less than a gallon jus to keep the algae out of my sand .. The reason why i named all my fish mainly is because the tangs crap like no tomorrow and i currently have a hippo tang with ick so I'm trying to give as much detail as possible please someone help me out thanks in advanced.

 

[MINItron]

You need to do a water change as soon as possible. The beneficial bacteria are not in the water column. They are on the surfaces in the tank. Your tank is very much overstocked, and you are probably going to have a hard time keeping the nitrates down in your tank.

You probably are going to have to do multiple significant water changes to get that nitrate under control. Personally I don't like to change more than about 25% of the water volume when I have inverts. So, I would do a 15 gallon water change every 4 or 5 days until the nitrates are under control.

With the Hippo tang having ich you probably need to treat it in another tank since you have inverts. Unfortunately they stress out very easily, and often don't recover from ich. Most will tell you that you need to remove all the fish from your tank and treat them in a separate tank, leaving your main tank with absolutely no vertebrates for at least 6 weeks.

 

[Grizz]

i'd change 50% of that water it is a large change so watch your parameters you will need to match the tank water as close as you can Temp, SG. Oh and get your self a helmet because the Tang Cops are going to come after you

Good site for info http://www.liveaquaria.com/

 

[Ingy]

I think the title explains my question but just to add detail I've had the tank operating for approx a month and 3 days ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate outrageous about 80-120 ppm i have 6 fish total (i know i rushed) blue tang vlamingi tang yellow tang six line wrasse orange damsel and a true perc clownfish 4 corals 1 purple tip anemone 1 colony of starburst polyps 1 clove and 1 carnation tree my question is when can i do a water change on a 55 gallon tank without disturbing any beneficial bacteria I've been doing small water changes less than a gallon jus to keep the algae out of my sand .. The reason why i named all my fish mainly is because the tangs crap like no tomorrow and i currently have a hippo tang with ick so I'm trying to give as much detail as possible please someone help me out thanks in advanced.

OMG. To say your tank is overstocked is an understatement. Using liveaquaria recommendations the blue tang needs a 180 gal tank, the yellow a 100 gal tank and the vlamingi tang a whopping 360 gal tank. If your tank is only 56 they will all likely succumb to ick. I would go back to the store you bought them and demand they take the fish back for a full refund due to their negligence. The anemone might not make it either. They are recommended for established tanks of 6 months or older.
Even if you think Liveaquaria is overly cautious you have a fish that can grow to 2 feet. And another that gets to 1 foot.
You mentioned a hippo tang with ick but he wasn't on the stocking list you mentioned. Which tank is he in? Or is he the blue?

 

[Bectan01]

+1 to the above advise. None of those tangs belong in your tank, I would also return them now before it's too late. If one of them has ich it is likely that they all do. Sounds like you rushed in way too fast! A couple of tips for a healthy reef tank - stock slowly, introduce one fish at a time and wait a few weeks in between. Research, research research! Make sure the fish you buy can live a happy life in your tank. Use liveaquaria.com for recommended tank sizes. Anemones need an established tank, they cannot tolerate swings in parameters, most say 6months to a year. Make sure you read up on general tank maintenance, water changes, testing.
I know it's hard to wait and it's very addicting hobby but if you rush into things, like it sounds like you have, you are heading for a world of pain not to mention loads of cash being spent on sick/dying livestock.