Chocolate Chip Starfish - Problem need help please

[LegoZ81]

Problem:
Chips falling off, loosing color on 2 arms in spots, when on glass letting arms hang down backwards.

Background:
This is a new saltwater setup started 11-20-04.

Tank:
20gal Long originally freshwater tank, broken down and cleaned (water only) 11-19-04
Setup early afternoon 11/20, aeration, salt, and heat.
Marine land BioSpira added when Ammonia hit 1ppm (assumed that BioWheels did not have a good culture on them anymore)
Highest Ammonia thru this was 2ppm
There has been NO detectable NitrIte so far.

Filters:
Magnum 350 Deluxe package, BIO-Wheel PRO 60 Wet/Dry Biological Filter. Certified Flow: 350 GPH. from an established 29Gal Freshwater planted tank (plants only for past 6months)
SecondNature WDF3000 with airstone under main filter foam (for air to the bio sponge in front
Penguin Power Head 550 - 145 GPH Water Pump with Prefilter Sponge. This is used in an 18gallon bucket that holds fish ready water (dechlored and airated for 24h before it goes into this bucket)

Substrate:
Crushed Coral/sand from an established tank

Salt:
Instant Ocean

Heater:
Hagen Tronic

Lighting:
2 x 36watt compact flourecent 10k and blue bulbs

Current water Parameters:
pH: 8.4
Ammonia: .50ppm
NitrIte: 0ppm
NitrAte: 20ppm
SG: 1.023
Temp: 75F

Thanks in advance, if more info is needed please let me know.

Lego

 

[LegoZ81]

Pictures of CC Star

Here is the first day in the tank:

This is today:

Here are a couple of links to the album the first is a view of the medium res shots all in a row:
http://www.clubphoto.com/_cgi-bin/app.pl/albums/large_image_view?id=2854369&link_code=sa01_17

This is the thumbnails that you click to get the medium size version (pop-up blocker must be disabled sorry) which you then click the medium size version for the High res version:
http://members8.clubphoto.com/legoz516778/2854369/owner-36d5.phtml

 

[Cearbhaill]

You're losing that star.

To be perfectly blunt- your tank has not even cycled yet so what the heck are you doing adding inverts (and fish too, I see) already?? You are months away from being ready to house this sort of creature.

Please refrain from buying additional livestock until cycling is complete and the system is ready to support them.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/faqs/reef/

 

[Gealcath]

The .50 ppm ammonia is whats killing it, and more likely the fish will follow soon after, ANY ammonia detectible is bad and will more likely stress and kill fish and especially inverts.

 

[LegoZ81]

So what should I do?
If I do water changes to bring the ammonia lower, I would prevent a good colony of bacteria from forming, correct?
If I want to bring it below .25 ppm I will have to try to get R/O from a LFS.

I know ammonia is bad but I did not know ammonia at under 1ppm would kill an invert.

I have no other salt tanks to move it to all other filters I have are from freshwater tanks.

So any suggestions?

 

[LegoZ81]

If I knew that there was not adaquate living bacteria on the BioWheels, I would have fishless cycled this tank first, then I would not have the ammonia problem. I am looking thru the link posted now.

 

[TKOS]

Water changes will not hurt the bacteria gorwing. Since you have ammonia still showing up there is obviously a food source and sicne there is nitrites and nitrates there is an established bacterial colony, it just isn't big enough. Is there any live rock? Do you still have any marine biospira left over? If so then add it to the tank. And watch that starfish carefully, if it dies then get it out of the tank quickly or it will spoil everything.