Need some simple advice.

[blaze83]

Hey guys, I have a 50g tank that is through the cycle process. Still have some diatoms in the tank. And trying to adjust my water parameters to get the coralline algae from my live rock to spread to the dry rock that i purchased. Eventually plan on a reef aquarium but right now it's just 2 clowns. 4 damsels 1 royal gramma 1 orchid dottyback a few small hermits and 2 cleaner shrimp. Current water parameters are:

37.4ppm salinity @ 77.2 degrees
8.0ph
0ppm ammonia
2ppm nitrite (just added a couple fish)
10ppm nitrate
600ppm calcium
17 dkh
0.5 phosphate

 

[Sparkymarc]

What kind of test kits are you using? Also, you should have 0 nitrites to consider the cycle completed. Nitrite is harmful to fish, so I would do a water change if you are detecting nitrite. Salinity, calcium, alkalinity are high. Make sure you are testing properly. I like to keep my parameters at salinity-35ppt or 1.025sg, alk-8.4-9,calcium-450, temp- 78. Ph and nitrate are ok.

 

[AdamB]

Sounds like you haven’t cycled yet.
You need to check your ammonia and nitrite and then check it 24 hrs later. If both are at 0 you have cycled tank and then you need to do a large water change to remove nitrates out of water . I might go ahead and do a partial water change ASAP since you have just added fish and monitor closely .
Yes, I would recheck your calcium . And testing is done correctly. I messed up a few times when I first started testing .

You can scrape existing coralline off your live rock onto your dry to help seed tank.
You won’t get any to grow if your parameters aren’t good as mentioned above in earlier post.
Good luck

 

[ColdOceanReef]

Your tank is still in the cycle process.
Your nitites should be undetected and nitrates is over the roof once your tank is fully cycled.
You can confirm your test result with local fish store (LFS)

Salinity, calcium and alk are high.

 

[Dom]

In my opinion, your salinity is a bit high. You should try and get that down to 35ppt. You can get there easily via water changes. Be sure that your new water going in is at 35ppt and after a few changes, it will come down. You could also remove some water and replace it with RODI (no salt mixed in). However you choose to go, go slow.

 

[Sparkymarc]

Are you mixing your own saltwater or getting it from LFS? If you’re making yourself, what are you using? Also, make sure you use RODI water for top off.

 

[blaze83]

I'm using instant ocean salt mix with distilled for large water changes. getting it premixed from lfs if its 10 gallons or less.

 

[Idoc]

Nitrites aren't hazardous to marine fish... just bad for freshwater fish. But, you need the system to be able to reduce them to nitrates. Have you checked your nitrates? After a cycle, those are usually really high and a water change is needed to bring them down.

Your salinity is too high, should be 1.026 or 35ppt ideally. Some keep their tanks a bit lower, but not usually higher. Pull some water out and replace with RODI freshwater until you get 35ppt. What are you using to measure salinity?

Instant Ocean usually mixes around 11 dKH and 400 calcium. I would suspect your test kits or procedures for testing is in error to get these huge numbers so early in a tank. What test kits are you using?

Also, your phosphates of 0.5ppm is pretty elevated... you should be seeing some good algae or cyano showing up soon.

 

[Sparkymarc]

I’ve never used distilled water but I have heard mixed reviews about it. Investing in a RODI unit would be well worth it. Plus it would come in handy in case of an emergency. Not mention, save you some trips to the store.

 

[blaze83]

Would love to do rodi at home unfortunately not a good solution in an apartment. I did a 25% water change today waited 3 hours and tested again.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 1ppm
dKH 14
Calcium 400
PH 8.0
0.5 Phosphate