Is my aquarium tank healthy?

[craftyx]

This has happened multiple times over the last few months -

My 30 gallon tank is pretty bare bones - just LR, LS, a small slippery dick wrasse, and some hermit crabs. I test the tank daily for a week and the readings are always the same:
0 mg/L of ammonia,
0 mg/L of nitrite,
pH is 8.4,
and nitrate is 25 mg/L.

So I figure it's safe to add a fish or two. But here's what happens every time - over the next couple days after adding the fish, the ammonia shoots up to .25 mg/L, nitrite rises to .20 mg/L, and nitrate jumps to 40 mg/L. Then, out of nowhere, all the new fish just die overnight - except for that one wrasse.

This exact same thing has happened at least 4 times in the last few months. And I'm starting to think it's happening again. I added 2 surgeonfish, 5 small anemones, and 2 blennies 4 days ago. Now my nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are all on the rise, and the fish are acting really stressed and lethargic.

What's going on, and is there anything I can do to stop this from happening again?

[aflux]

This has happened multiple times over the last few months -

My 30 gallon tank is pretty bare bones - just LR, LS, a small slippery dick wrasse, and some hermit crabs. I test the tank daily for a week and the readings are always the same:
0 mg/L of ammonia,
0 mg/L of nitrite,
pH is 8.4,
and nitrate is 25 mg/L.

So I figure it's safe to add a fish or two. But here's what happens every time - over the next couple days after adding the fish, the ammonia shoots up to .25 mg/L, nitrite rises to .20 mg/L, and nitrate jumps to 40 mg/L. Then, out of nowhere, all the new fish just die overnight - except for that one wrasse.

This exact same thing has happened at least 4 times in the last few months. And I'm starting to think it's happening again. I added 2 surgeonfish, 5 small anemones, and 2 blennies 4 days ago. Now my nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are all on the rise, and the fish are acting really stressed and lethargic.

What's going on, and is there anything I can do to stop this from happening again?

I'm going to take a guess here, but with a tank that small, you're adding way too many fish at once. How much live rock do you have in there, exactly? If it's not a substantial amount, like 30 pounds, then you're setting yourself up for disaster. I mean, 4 fish and 5 anemones? That's a lot of bioload for a tank that's still in its early stages.

I think the problem is that you're overwhelming your filtration system. The excess ammonia and nitrite are a clear sign of that. What I would do is add one fish at a time, and space them out by a couple of weeks. That way, your system has time to adjust and catch up.

Can you tell me more about your tank's setup? What's your flow like? Do you have a skimmer? External filtration? Knowing these details will help us figure out what's going on.

And let me just say, research is key here. It's going to save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run.

[creebo]

This has happened multiple times over the last few months -

My 30 gallon tank is pretty bare bones - just LR, LS, a small slippery dick wrasse, and some hermit crabs. I test the tank daily for a week and the readings are always the same:
0 mg/L of ammonia,
0 mg/L of nitrite,
pH is 8.4,
and nitrate is 25 mg/L.

So I figure it's safe to add a fish or two. But here's what happens every time - over the next couple days after adding the fish, the ammonia shoots up to .25 mg/L, nitrite rises to .20 mg/L, and nitrate jumps to 40 mg/L. Then, out of nowhere, all the new fish just die overnight - except for that one wrasse.

This exact same thing has happened at least 4 times in the last few months. And I'm starting to think it's happening again. I added 2 surgeonfish, 5 small anemones, and 2 blennies 4 days ago. Now my nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are all on the rise, and the fish are acting really stressed and lethargic.

What's going on, and is there anything I can do to stop this from happening again?

I think the main issue here is you're adding way too many inhabitants at once. I mean, 2 surgeonfish, 5 anemones, and 2 blennies in 4 days is just too much for a 30-gallon tank. It's like you're overwhelming the beneficial bacteria and they can't keep up.

You should try adding just one fish at a time and see how that goes. Give the tank a chance to adjust and the bacteria to grow. Adding too many fish at once is just asking for trouble. If you still have issues after doing it the right way, then I'm not sure what to say.

Just take it slow and do some research, it'll make a big difference in the long run.

[Fableon9]

I think what's actually going on here is the anemones are dying off due to poor water conditions, which are being caused by adding too many fish at once. And when they die, they're basically nuking your tank. Honestly, I think anemones are best left in the wild, they're just too much hassle. Get yourself a hammer coral or something similar, they're way easier to care for and look just as nice, if not better.