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BigMike81
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A Reefractometer. And i have an reef marine, test kit with calcium, phosphates, nitrates, and alkalinity.
Absolute newb
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BigMike81
Active Member
That is good to know. I use it in my freshwater tank and seems to do a good job, I did buy instant ocean marine conditioner as well to hopefully better suit the water conditions.I know because I've used it while cycling my freshwater to no ill effect - it cycled perfectly, and it has been (in the freshwater forum I used to frequent, anyway) often recommended to take care of the fish during minicycles.
Eienna
5000 Club Member
I personally think Prime is best, but skimmers hate it XD
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BigMike81
Active Member
I am soooo excited, I got my live rock today and got my formation all done and it looks great. I also got some miracle mud for my refugium. Now all i need is a protein skimmer and a little more live rock for the fuge. Then I will be ready for the first inhabitants, crabs and snails and maybe some banded shrimp.
Naiad
Valuable Member
Slooow down there lol. It sounds like you are off to a good start but you still need to cycle that tank before you add any critters. You can begin cycling without the protein skimmer so I would start that process. Have you decided on which method you want to use?
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BigMike81
Active Member
I was actually thinking of ghost feeding the tank, what do you think.
Naiad
Valuable Member
That's a great method to use with live rock. You will get to see all the little critters you already have in your tank come out for the food. Cycling new live rock is one of my favorite parts of this hobby because you never know what you will find!
Naiad
Valuable Member
Yea you can go ahead and start. You need to test for NH3 first. I would track these levels daily to try and judge how much you should feed. When you start to see ammonia then start testing for nitrite. These levels should rise followed by nitrate. When cycling these are the only three tests I would worry about. Of course you will need to keep salinity right when dealing with evaporation.
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BigMike81
Active Member
Thank you. I just did my first feeding and am nervous about getting my tank dirty. I still need to get an ammonia and nitrate test kit. I will probably get one tomorrow.
Eienna
5000 Club Member
Amazon.com : API Saltwater Master Test Kit : Aquarium Test Kits : Pet Supplies
This isn't top-of-the-line, but for now it would make you a decent starter set (and quite cheap...)
This isn't top-of-the-line, but for now it would make you a decent starter set (and quite cheap...)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Naiad
Valuable Member
Yes but you really don't want to add them until the cycle is at the end. They can suffer from ammonia burns just like fish. What are your parameters reading? It is also a good idea to let that algae grow and use up the silicates that are in the tank now and you will have less issue later.
