What should I start testing for after cycle is done?

[Sink_or_Swim]

Sorry if this has already been answered - my tank has been cycled for a couple weeks and I have only a pair of clownfish. Seeing the first dots of algae on rocks and sand now... water params are good (well except nitrates were 25 yesterday). Planning to test today then do a small water change and test again, but not sure what I should start to test for if adding corals? I'm picking up a mushroom colony tomorrow from a local reefer. Do I need to start testing other things like phosphate, etc? Just planning to try softies for now. Thanks!

 

[Impala67]

Ohh yes you have to test a lot before you go and buy coral!!!! You have to test for calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, iodine, salinity, par, ammonia, nitrite, phosphate, and nitrates you have to make sure there somewhere in the right percentages. Also they have to be stable that is key!!!! Your temperature really can’t change more than two degrees or you could put the coral into shock!! Do you have a sump/refugium, what type of filtration do you have? What is your flow like? What lights are you running? How much live rock do you have? How did you cycle your aquarium?

 

[Idech]

I like to wait 4-6 weeks after cycling before adding corals. Just so the tank is at least a little « dirty ».

As for testing, if ammonia is under control, you should test for nitrates and phosphates. As long as you have very few corals, doing a weekly water change will replenish what little calcium and magnesium was consumed. So I wouldn't worry about that for a while.

In preparation, you should get good testing kits. I use Red Sea for calcium, mag and alk, APi for PH and Hanna for phosphates and nitrates. They all do a good job.

Concentrate on keeping parameters stable. PH, temperature, salinity, alkalinity, nitrates and phosphates are most important to test for now.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Ohh yes you have to test a lot before you go and buy coral!!!! You have to test for calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, iodine, salinity, par, ammonia, nitrite, phosphate, and nitrates you have to make sure there somewhere in the right percentages. Also they have to be stable that is key!!!! Your temperature really can’t change more than two degrees or you could put the coral into shock!! Do you have a sump/refugium, what type of filtration do you have? What is your flow like? What lights are you running? How much live rock do you have? How did you cycle your aquarium?

Whoa now I'm a bit overwhelmed, but I'll try my best to answer - I'm really trying to learn.
Salinity is 1.025, temp stays between 77-77.6 but I just got an InkBird heater controller so insstalling it today. Testing with Salifert and ammonia is 0, nitites 0, nitrates 25. I don't have any other test kits that's why I wanted to know which I really need to buy.
I have an AIO so no sump or refugium. Running filter floss and a bunch of MarinePure bio spheres, in 2 InTank baskets. Still have room to add chemical media if needed. Have some Purigen and carbon on hand.
Flow is pretty decent from the return pump heads but I aldo have a Jebao gyre wavemaker that puts out good flow on the lowest speed - but can be really set up strong if needed... No dead spots on low though.
Light is the stock Fluval Marine 3.0 that came with the tank. (32.5 gallon Fluval Flex). I did a fishless cycle with CaribSea LifeRock, no live rock. Personal choice, even if it's considered gold standard to use live rock, I didn't want to. I can pick up some smaller pieces from my LFS if needed though... just don't want hitchhikers. I have roughly 20-30 lbs of LifeRock (dry rock basically). Used live sand, TurboStart 900, and AlgaeBarn Nitrocycle to cycle. Wasn't in a hurry, let it sit and do its thing for a few weeks. Have added PNS substrate sauce and Microbacter 7 as well. Haven't done a water change yet and barely have to top off as the lid really does a great job preventing a lot of evaporation.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I like to wait 4-6 weeks after cycling before adding corals. Just so the tank is at least a little « dirty ».

As for testing, if ammonia is under control, you should test for nitrates and phosphates. As long as you have very few corals, doing a weekly water change will replenish what little calcium and magnesium was consumed. So I wouldn't worry about that for a while.

In preparation, you should get good testing kits. I use Red Sea for calcium, mag and alk, APi for PH and Hanna for phosphates and nitrates. They all do a good job.

Concentrate on keeping parameters stable. PH, temperature, salinity, alkalinity, nitrates and phosphates are most important to test for now.

Thanks! I have Salifert for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. (And API but only used those while testing during fishless cycle, until I got the Salifert kits. Hate reading API). Ammonia and nitrites have been 0 and nitrates 25. I have no CUC, so getting some to help get any food my clowns don't find. They're slow and won't eat anything that hits the sand, so then leftovers get swept into the filter. I only feed frozen (Rod's Food), so I'm guessing if I were to feed pellets I's have to watch that a lot more or nitrates could spike.

 

[Jekyl]

Alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate for now should be fine.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate for now should be fine.

Appreciate it, thank you.

 

[melonheadorion]

Appreciate it, thank you.

i would add calcium to that as well, but just depends on what coral you plan on getting. if its just softies, you will be ok without,, but if you do any LPS and especially SPS, calcium is just as important as alk in my opinion

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

i would add calcium to that as well, but just depends on what coral you plan on getting. if its just softies, you will be ok without,, but if you do any LPS and especially SPS, calcium is just as important as alk in my opinion

Good to know, thank you!

 

[Kavorka]

I was wondering the same thing. thanks for asking

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Any pictures

 

[jabberwock]

Man, someone may be being a little melodramatic...

Testing can slow way down after cycle. After 3 months, I test regularly for salinity (because I Have an ATO and it has messed up before). I test for nitrates and phosphates before and after a water change, just for my knowledge about how effective water changes are. I keep an ammonia badge so I can see at a glance if that is an issue. I purchase reef water from LFS, so alkalinity, calcium etc. is generally spot on.

On a side note, I hate that bowed front of the flex. I have a 15.5. Hard to keep the algae off of it.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Man, someone may be being a little melodramatic...

Testing can slow way down after cycle. After 3 months, I test regularly for salinity (because I Have an ATO and it has messed up before). I test for nitrates and phosphates before and after a water change, just for my knowledge about how effective water changes are. I keep an ammonia badge so I can see at a glance if that is an issue. I purchase reef water from LFS, so alkalinity, calcium etc. is generally spot on.

On a side note, I hate that bowed front of the flex. I have a 15.5. Hard to keep the algae off of it.

I feel like I posted this question a million years ago now, lol! I did chill waaay out after realizing this isn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I hardly ever test anymore - other than salinity about once a week and before adding livestock, and nitrates before water changes (and I have an ammonia badge). Also really need to update my build thread since I upgraded from the Flex to a 75 gallon. A suggestion for the bowed front of the Flex: I found a glass scraper on Amazon made by Fluval specifically for cleaning curved glass - it worked perfectly! I actually still use it on my new tank even though it's not curved, still works like a charm.