New Reefer reporting for parameter scrutiny!

[Rogued_Reefer]

Frustrating. Hope you get it sorted out tomorrow and get to get some fish! My api results were always accurate. I got sea chem and salifert test bc everyone said API was crap, but they always matched my other tests.

I hope so too!! I’m visiting a new LFS tomorrow that all locals rave about so I’ll see how it goes. I’m definitely going with the mindset of buying like 20-30lbs of rock if the price is right so I hope they live up to the expectations lol and I’ll pick up a test and ask them to do one from a water sample if they’re able to.

I’m not in a rush to add fish because I don’t want casualties but definitely think the tank is ready since I have a couple of corals on one of the rocks and they look happy as hell just like in my buddy’s tank.

 

[ScottR]

I hope so too!! I’m visiting a new LFS tomorrow that all locals rave about so I’ll see how it goes. I’m definitely going with the mindset of buying like 20-30lbs of rock if the price is right so I hope they live up to the expectations lol and I’ll pick up a test and ask them to do one from a water sample if they’re able to.

I’m not in a rush to add fish because I don’t want casualties but definitely think the tank is ready since I have a couple of corals on one of the rocks and they look happy as hell just like in my buddy’s tank.

From your last pic, it looks like you do have ammonia (API ammonia test is good). But it seems that your ammonia hasn’t broken down into nitrites and further into nitrates. I’d get a salifert test kit for nitrites and nitrates. And have you added bottled bacteria? Sorry if I missed it if you have. If you haven’t, there are many good bottled bacteria you can buy.

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

From your last pic, it looks like you do have ammonia (API ammonia test is good). But it seems that your ammonia hasn’t broken down into nitrites and further into nitrates. I’d get a salifert test kit for nitrites and nitrates. And have you added bottled bacteria? Sorry if I missed it if you have. If you haven’t, there are many good bottled bacteria you can buy.

Hey Scott! I have not added bacteria in a bottle. I went the ol’ raw shrimp approach, I had an ammonia spike followed by a spike in nitrites and then nitrates. They were mild spikes tho nothing crazy so idk... I will look into bacteria in a bottle tomorrow to have some peace of mind and will also test with something else just to be sure the cycle is on it’s way or done.

 

[ScottR]

Hey Scott! I have not added bacteria in a bottle. I went the ol’ raw shrimp approach, I had an ammonia spike followed by a spike in nitrites and then nitrates. They were mild spikes tho nothing crazy so idk... I will look into bacteria in a bottle tomorrow to have some peace of mind and will also test with something else just to be sure the cycle is on it’s way or done.

MicroBacter7 is one of the most popular ones. Supposedly you can cycle your tank instantly with it. Some say you can add it and a fish at the same time. But for the shrimp approach, you still want to add in bacteria to help break everything down.

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

MicroBacter7 is one of the most popular ones. Supposedly you can cycle your tank instantly with it. Some say you can add it and a fish at the same time. But for the shrimp approach, you still want to add in bacteria to help break everything down.

Is it this one?

 

[Kaludar]

How did you get your Nitrates to fall back to zero without some form of nutrient export? Did you do large water changes? Apologies if i missed this somewhere in the thread.

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

How did you get your Nitrates to fall back to zero without some form of nutrient export? Did you do large water changes? Apologies if i missed this somewhere in the thread.

I didn’t do any water changes yet. Only thing I did was top off my sump a few times due to evaporation.

 

[Kaludar]

I didn’t do any water changes yet. Only thing I did was top off my sump a few times due to evaporation.

Interesting, I'm new reef keeping, but the way I understand it Nitrates won't drop back down without some sort of nutrient export. Be it manually through water changes, or through a refugium or reactor media. Are you certain they actually spiked and you didn't get a false positive on one of your tests? Nitrates should be the last thing to rise.

 

[ScottR]

Is it this one?

This is the one. FYI. You basically want ammonia to be at 0. Nitrites also at 0 and You should almost always have nitrates. That would be the completion of the nitrogen cycle.

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

Well guys here is this morning’s test! We got a 0 boys & gals!!

I’m heading to the local LFS now and I’m excited to get going! I saw some comments in other threads of people recommending others to start a build thread or something like that. Can someone be kind to tag me where I can do that? I’d like to be as much help to the community as the community has been to me so I feel that’ll be a great way to contribute.

Thanks again!

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

Alright everyone! Got an update for y’all I took a water sample to the LFS and they said I am good to go and so I bought 22lbs of live rock, 10 blue leg hermit, 1 emerald crab, 1 clownfish, 2 blue Chromis and 1 Coral beauty angelfish. Everyone seems happy!