Just tested my water...HELP!

[Idyfohu]

My tank is setup with LR, LS, Live Water, and Macroalgae in addition to one damsel to help my tank cycle and is somewhat new.

Here's how my numbers are reading using an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Testing Kit:

Ammonia: Somewhere Inbetween 0ppm and 0.25ppm
pH: Somewhere Inbetween 8.0 and 8.2
Nirite: 0
Nitrate: 20ppm

How does my water look and at this point is there any other test that I absolutely must check?

Any help/feedback is greatly appreciated.

[flinka]

How long have you been cycling and how long has the damsel been in your tank?

Also, was your live rock "fully cured"?

[Idyfohu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8124693#post8124693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flinka
How long have you been cycling and how long has the damsel been in your tank?

Also, was your live rock "fully cured"?

How long would you guess my tank has been cycling (that's what I'm looking for)?

My tank has been cycling for roughly two weeks and all rock was cured. The damsel has been in my tank for a little over a week.

[worlds under]

first off they need to put a best used by date on the live sand and keep it in a temp controled enviorment.
was the livesand wet?

allso jest to clear things up did you buy your lr from a lfs?
if so did it come out of a tank with fish of from a cureing bin?

did you get it on the e-net?
was it shiped in water or newspaper?

[worlds under]

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Nh4 test kit gives me false positives from time to time of .25 they are hard to read. check the k-rating on the light over your head when you read it. you need a nice and white light.

[PatMayo]

If you used live rock and it was fully cured chances are you will not have a cycle. As well the test kit you are using is not accurate. I would get some Salifert test kits.

Also at this point you really don't need to check anything other than keeping your ph, temp and salinity at the correct levels. Water changes should keep everything else in check. Once you add some corals or get some coralline growth at that time you will need to start checking your alkalinity, calcium and magnesium once in a while. Again, I would use Salifert test kits.

I would do 15 to 30 % water changes every month at minimum. Here is an article that talks about water parameters and Alkalinity and Calcium levels.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

Regards,

Pat

[worlds under]

first off they need to put a best used by date on the live sand and keep it in a temp controled enviorment
sorry
before you buy it

[Idyfohu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8126128#post8126128 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by worlds under
first off they need to put a best used by date on the live sand and keep it in a temp controled enviorment.
was the livesand wet?

allso jest to clear things up did you buy your lr from a lfs?
if so did it come out of a tank with fish of from a cureing bin?

did you get it on the e-net?
was it shiped in water or newspaper?

Fortuantely, the LS and LR I got was both cured and Live in water (they were live when put in my tank as well). Both including "Live Water" and Macroalgae came out of an established tank (several years old) so without they were cycled and had gobs of bacteria.

Being that my tank is only about two weeks old (although the parameters, with the exception of the ammonia look correct), how soon would you recommend I change the water and what percentage?

Also, although it will be a pest in the future, I'm glad to say that algae has started growing on the sand bed and also about an inch above the sand, which I assume is a good thing?

Any more feedback is appreciated and thanks for the links! :rollface:

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't know that you need to change the water, except to develop a water change routine.

Do you know what organisms you plan to add first?

[Idyfohu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8127742#post8127742 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
I don't know that you need to change the water, except to develop a water change routine.

Do you know what organisms you plan to add first?

I'm not sure to be honest...I should have a better plan.

As far as fish, I'd like to have (1) Clownfish, (1) Goby (Lawnmower or Diamond), and (1) Bi-Color Blenny; would this be overloaded? I'd of course add them slowly.

I'll have a clean-up crew and either a cleaner shrimp or a pistol shrimp.

Not sure what corals, severals zoos, I would like an anenome down the line (everyone says they are hard to keep?). Devils hand and there are tons more, I just need to look but hopefully this gives you an idea of what I'm looking for.

Let me know what you think. :)

[Boomer]

I think your problem is a false ammonia reading, something quite common. By any chance did you add anything like Prime or Amquel to the tank ? Have you tested the kit on any other type of water, say at the LFS, RO/DI, tap, distilled ?

[Idyfohu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8128948#post8128948 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Boomer
I think your problem is a false ammonia reading, something quite common. By any chance did you add anything like Prime or Amquel to the tank ? Have you tested the kit on any other type of water, say at the LFS, RO/DI, tap, distilled ?

Boomer-

Are you trying to say that the ammonia levels are at zero currently, or higher?

I did add a few drops of Prime, something I completely forgot about, anything positive/negative in regards to it?

I haven't tested the kit...what would you recommend (I have tap (obvoiusly) and R/O water from my LFS at home now) that I do?

Thanks!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd wait another couple of weeks then slowly start to add the organisms that you are interested in keeping. :)

[Idyfohu]

Thanks for the replies!

I'm going to continue to test my water, but I'm in no huge hurry to get anything in my tank, especially knowing that a lack of patience might lead to dead fish/coral and wasted money.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:thumbsup:

Sounds good.

Good luck. :)