New to saltwater, need a little help.

[mr_X]

really? wow...that's quite deceiving then. i was assuming it was barely 10 pounds.
yeap, fish, coral, and anemones.

i don't know what to tell you other than what i would do. i'm not there and can't go by more than i see in text and pics.
i don't want to put you through a bunch of aggravation, but if you have ammonia, there is a problem, and the water is unsafe for livestock.
will a few water changes correct it? i don't know. while unlikely, it's possible it's just a spike from the sand being stirred up and removed.
try a couple large water changes maybe.

 

[Turbosnail]

Yeah it is very frustrating trying to get a good picture, here is a better one.

I understand how hard it must be to give people advice without seeing the tank in person. I have had nothing but sound advice from you, so no need to explain yourself.

I will try to do another water change tonight, the lfs is closed, and if it is not better by morning I will talk to my lfs.

 

[Turbosnail]

Ok I think my test kit is bad. I picked up a new kit by api, and retested. The new readings are: ph 8.2, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10. I am a little more relaxed. I still am going to get some more live rock.

I have 15 gallons of saltwater mixed up, will it keep?

Thank you for all your help.

 

[mr_X]

those readings sound good. yes, salt water will keep for a long while. i would keep it moving with a power head and keep it covered to not let any light in.

 

[Turbosnail]

Ok I will do that.