Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit

[ReeferAddict727]

Hey Guys!

So I recently started up an Innovative Marine 25g Lagoon tank. I am using Red Sea Coral Pro salt, 20 lbs of Fiji Pink Sand (about 1 inch sand bed), and 19 lbs of ReefSavers Dry Rock. For Equipment I am running 1 filter sock on one side, and a custom caddy on the 2nd side with just a sponge filter and a carbon sponge. (No Phosphate Sponge for now). Also a Cobalt NeoTherm 100 Watt, a Sicce Voyager Nano 2000 powerhead, and an AI Prime.

I set up the tank 11 days ago on May 1st. I began dosing Aqua Vitro Seed on May 1st and ghost fed the tank till the ammonia spike occurred (.50PPM) (4 days ago) and since then the ammonia has dropped down to .25PPM and Nitrite has gone up to .40PPM. (No Nitrate Readings as of yet) Also no livestock.

Anyway, today I finally received the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit that I ordered weeks ago. I did not know if or when it would even show up hence why I began dosing AquaVitro Seed.

So here are my questions:

1. Is the AquaVitro Seed I dosed (Stopped dosing it on the 7th) going to have a negative effect on the Reef Mature program or on the tank? If so would a water change be recommended prior to me staring the program?

2. I do not have a protein skimmer right now and I am not looking to buy one for a few weeks yet...The instructions say that a protein skimmer running at a 1:3 ratio is required. Do any of you guys have experience on using the program without a skimmer? I sent an email out to Red Sea but no reply as of yet.

Should I do a large water change prior to beginning? Or should I skip the program all together?

[ReeferAddict727]

Nevermind, Red Sea emailed me back. For future reference they do not recommend using the kit at all without a protein skimmer.

 

No biggie I'm probably far enough into the cycle now that it won't matter. Might dose the last stage after I get a skimmer.