Typically adding one fish every 3 weeks is fine, but adding two can sometime be too much. Remember tanks typically take 4-7 weeks to cycle and every time you add a fish bacteria has to build up to support that fish without causing any
nh3/
no2 spikes.
I’m sorry you lost your inverts but I have to disagree about the bio-wheel being at fault. If you clean them each week and perform proper
PWC then it shouldn’t have been an issue IME.
I’ve used canisters with the bio-wheel for 12 years now and have never had
no3 higher then 10
ppm.
Using 1.5-2 lbs per
gal of
lr is better for bio-filtration and once well established will also help keep your
no3 down.
Currently with only 10 lbs of
lr you still need the bio-wheel for bio-filtration. When you can I’d add another 60+ lbs of base/
lr
Till then get a quality test kit, keep doing
PWC till your
no3 is <20ppm and wait another couple of months for your tank to stabilize and just enjoy the fish/inverts you do have.