Need Advice

[bootz]

So i have been chronicaling my tank via posts but this is my latest update.

2 weeks ago my fish-less cycle had finished with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10-20 nitrate at max in a 30 gallon SW tank. After a few days of good levels i went to the store to pick up 2 ocellaris clownfish (false percula) and everything was great after 2 days went by my nitrites spiked to a high lethal level and after a few water changes i didnt get the results i was hoping for. This came at a high cost one of my two clowns died which is never fun to wake up to. the other fish was lively as could be. (On a side-note From day1 til he past he would not eat and was not lively the way the other guy was.) Now 2 days later my nitrites dropped to 0. My question is: Were 2 small fish too much for my tank right from the end of the cycle? furthermore, i dont plan on getting anymore fish for like amonth or more cause i want to make sure there will never be traces of nitrite again.

[mr_X]

how much did you feed them in those 2 days? 2 small fish by themselves shouldn't have effected the tank like that. the fish will have to eat in order to make waste.

[cmor1701d]

Sorry to hear about your loss. How high did the nitrates get. Properly acclimated fish can survive NO3 of 80 -100 ppm.

What are you using for filtration? The bacteria that build up during the cycle need somewhere to live. This would be on the surface of the rock and sand a/o the filters in a cannister.

I also note you did not do a large (30% - 50%) PWC after the cycle. You should then wait a week, test again and if all levels are fine, add the first fish.

[catmel]

I had a newer person forgetto top off their tank with fresh water and their fish died pretty quickly.. did you top off with fresh water?

I also had a similar issue when I started up my tank. I made the mistake of putting my two clowns directly into the tank and not in a hospital tank. One died pretty soon, the other started showing ich signs a few days later - hes still living today - I was able to get him out and treat him. Point being, maybe the one that died in your case had ich or another parasite starting in its gills you couldnt see. Hopefully your other one makes it through ok.

Check your parameters and do a water change, perhaps.

Sorry for your loss

[bootz]

Actually i did do a large water change prior to buying the fish sorry i forgot to add that. All my levels have since than dropped to 0 my nitrates are almost at zero as well which surprised me alittle. truthfully i sometimes think my tank is an an anomaly. Getting into a groove has proven more difficult than i had imagined but where i am now feels like the grunt work is over. After talking with many people about the issue many concluded i simply got a bad fish especially considering that people cycle their tank with ocellarius( something i would never do) due to their natural resilience of nitrite. I am going to post a new topic but if it could be answered here that would be great. If i get another ocellarius clown will it be ok with the exitsing one. I know clowns dont normally like eachother but ocellarius are okay with it. My only concern is since they will be introduced at different times. Thanks for all your help guys