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New tank cycling results


PHT33

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New to reefing, just wanted to post this for any input. 120 mini reef cycling results.
1(2/10) dose 2mg/l ammonia test 2mg/l
dose one and only
2 test .5mg/l amm
0 nitrite
dose 2mg/l amm
3 test .5mg/l amm
0mg/l nitrite
dose 2mg/l amm
4 test 1mg/l amm
.5mg/l nitrite ***
10mg/l nitrate ***
8.0 ph
dose nothing
5 test .5mg/l amm
.5mg/l nitrite
10mg/l nitrate
1mg/l phosphate
dose 2mg/l amm
6 test 0mg/l amm
0mg/l nitrate
10mg/l nitrate
.1mg/l phos
Diatom bloom on sand bed. 20L water change
dose easy life
7 Added 2 Ocellaris, 1 Acan, 1 gorilla nipple zoa, 1 toxic green morph and Caulerpa to fuge
AM test .2mg/l amm
.2mg/l nitrite
20mg/l nitrate
0mg/l phos
dose 3.5ml prime to detox rise in amm and nitrite
PM test .5mg/l amm
1mg/l nitrite
5mg/l nitrate
0mg/l phos
dose 3.5ml prime to detox further rise in ammonia/nitrite
8 Slight panic over cycle maybe not being fully complete
AM test 0mg/l amm
.5mg/l nitrite
PM test 0mg/l amm
1mg/l nitrite
10mg/l nitrate
0mg/l phos
9 Dose 3.5ml prime to detoxify nitrite that seems locked at .5mg/l
AM test 0mg/l amm
.5mg/l nitrite
PM test 0mg/l amm
.7mg/l nitrite
0mg/l nitrate
0mg/l phos
10 test 0mg/l amm
.25mg/l nitrite
11 test 0mg/l amm
0mg/l nitrite
0mg/l nitrate
0mg/l phos
4dkh!!!!
13 20L water change
test 5dkh
0mg/l amm, nitrite,nitrate, phos
dose 50ml easy life
10ml reef builder = 7dkh
14 test 6dkh
dose 10ml reef builder
added 7 magharitta snails
15 test 9dkh = 3.21 meq/l
16 test 8.5dkh
0mg/l phos, nitrate
23 test 6dkh
0mg/l phos, nitrate
dose 10ml reef builder
25 added 1 male oscilated dragonnete
8 turbo snails
4 zoas
1 fungia
1 helia
2 strombus snail (WA var.)
28(30/10) 20L water change
test 9dkh :)
29 test 8dkh
filled 20l ATO, see how long it lasts
34 test 7dkh
dose 5l reef builder
40 20l ATO used
test 7.5dkh
43 test 7.5dkh
0 phos, nitrate

http://imgur.com/m50rK2t

 

http://imgur.com/RmuRXwC

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It seems your tank didn't finish cycling, thats why when you added livestock the ammonia spiked. You added quite a bit at once and in a new tank, the system can't handle the bioload.

 

I woukd advise going slower with additions.

 

Are you testing calcium, magnesium?

 

Salinity should be monitored as well.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks for your help. Have learnt that now for next time.

 

Finally have a calcium test kit. Lfs have been out of stock for a while. Calcium seems really hard to determine with this sera test kit. Have started dosing continuum reef basis calcium after driving to brisbane and getting water tested to find it was at 320...

 

Have not tested magnesium at all.

 

Maintaining salinity between 1.022 and 1.024 with ato.

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  • 2 weeks later...

You don't need to test for magnesium and calcium in a new tank, and you aren't running SPS anyways.

 

Alk tends to dive fast in a new tank because establishing bacteria colonies use it as their main source of carbon, but that's it. With just a few softies nothing is going to be consuming calcium or magnesium.

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In the future they will need to test for both of those.

 

As i said, i had a softy only tank and ca dropped every 3 days as well as mag and alk. Corals aren't the only things that use up elements.

 

When my mag was below 1200, my alk and ca would not balance, thats because magnesium in low numbers prevents ca and alk balance.

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