Please help, tanks not looking so good

[andreethegiant]

I'm new to saltwater, I started with a 20g with a aqua110 made into a refugium. I upgraded to a 30g a little over a week ago and still had the aqua110 while I turned my 20g into a sump. Everything look great. Last night I hooked up my sump, I also bought a pistol shrimp and a open brain coral last night. Everything seemed to be ok when I went to bed, my temp made it back around 78. I woke up today and all my corals are closed and discoloured, my brain coral is mucusy, my fish are unhappy. My temp was down to 76 when I got up(not sure why..) but its at 78 again. I did a test kit: ph 7.8-8(lower then normal.) ammo 0-.25 nitrite 0 nitrate 10-20. Salinity is fine. I got 2 buckets mixing for a water change today but I'm just curious if anyone knows what's wrong?
Thanks

[ckmullin]

How long has the system been up and running? Seems like nitrate is high for a SW tank. FW it'd just be perfect though.

[andreethegiant]

Almost 8 months, still pretty new.

[andreethegiant]

And the nitrates went up when I upgraded, I was thinking from the old sand possibly..

[ckmullin]

It seems from my reading a rule of thumb is to ditch old sand as it will hold items exactly what you are having an issue. Perhaps some small dead critters were in the sand.

[andreethegiant]

I got rid of the old stuff and put all new sand in, I just thought maybe it came from the sand getting stirred up when I took the rocks and what not out of the old tank

[ckmullin]

Hum...don't think suspended sand particles would cause something like that. Other members with more experience I'm sure will give you a hand.

[andreethegiant]

Okay thank you

[Coralgurl]

You shouldn't have any ammonia at all. Do you have anything to neutralize it? A water change will help, get er done! If you can grab some prime or similar product and try to get it back to zero. Sounds like your tank is cycling a bit.

[Cal_stir]

Are you running carbon?, if not, do so.
carbon will remove toxins
what is your alk?
everything is prob stressed from parameter changes.

[andreethegiant]

I don't have anything for the ammo was just going to do a water change, an I've had the low ammo since I did the tank swap, this problem was more over night. And I don't have carbon or a alk kit but ill go see it I can get them today..

[andreethegiant]

I don't think this matures for this but I also don't have my skimmer hooked up yet, still needed a few parts for the new one. But that shouldn't mature right?

[Cal_stir]

Do water changes, get some carbon and put a couple cups of it in a mesh bag, rinse it and put it in your sump, it will remove organics and toxins, get your skimmer online.
Also if you have no skimmer you should put an air stone in to boost the oxygen level.