I'm new to REEF2REEF and I have a few questions. I'm a bit nervous asking questions on forums. I'm nervous enough about my aquarium without harsh criticisms. Everyone knows the type - the ones who were born with all the answers and berates those learning.
I used to have a reef tank back in the day when I was in California but the Northridge earthquake destroyed my apartment as well as my tank. I now live in Vermont and it's 20 years later and I got a new tank. I've missed it so much.
So, I have a small question of concern about my current water status.
I used:
CaribSea Arag-Alive Aquarium Sand
Nutri Seawater Natural Live Ocean SeaWater
and about 15 - 20 pounds of live rock
I cycled the tank till ammonia, nitrite and nitrates were 0
I added 5 hermit crabs
a lawnmower blenny
a tuxedo urchin with a xenia coral attached (no extra charge!)
a fire shrimp
4 snails
after a week tested the waters again and all three were 0
added a small green chromis, very small cleaner shrimp, a little royal gramma and a feather duster (which was on sale).
A week later my ammonia is still at 0 but I noticed my nitrite has gone up to 0.25 and my nitrate is slightly elevated. Should I be concerned about this? I'm not over feeding and the fish seem healthy, alert and eat very well. The green chromis is actually a HOG! That little fish can eat. It makes me thing I am not feeding enough but I worry about this strange spike.
This is my tank currently.
I used to have a reef tank back in the day when I was in California but the Northridge earthquake destroyed my apartment as well as my tank. I now live in Vermont and it's 20 years later and I got a new tank. I've missed it so much.
So, I have a small question of concern about my current water status.
I used:
CaribSea Arag-Alive Aquarium Sand
Nutri Seawater Natural Live Ocean SeaWater
and about 15 - 20 pounds of live rock
I cycled the tank till ammonia, nitrite and nitrates were 0
I added 5 hermit crabs
a lawnmower blenny
a tuxedo urchin with a xenia coral attached (no extra charge!)
a fire shrimp
4 snails
after a week tested the waters again and all three were 0
added a small green chromis, very small cleaner shrimp, a little royal gramma and a feather duster (which was on sale).
A week later my ammonia is still at 0 but I noticed my nitrite has gone up to 0.25 and my nitrate is slightly elevated. Should I be concerned about this? I'm not over feeding and the fish seem healthy, alert and eat very well. The green chromis is actually a HOG! That little fish can eat. It makes me thing I am not feeding enough but I worry about this strange spike.
This is my tank currently.
and your tank looks great! also I love feather dusters 
