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All my parameters are good haha


AiredaleReef

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AiredaleReef

Hi there, 

Another noob here. In reading through a lot of threads and topics, I see many comments that state "but my parameters are good". This is usually followed by someone commenting asking to list their actual Parameters. 

 

Can someone breakdown what I should be testing for, as well as the frequency? I would love to see what I should be measuring against what the goal or standard is we are trying to achieve. 

 

For what it is worth, my current tank is an 8g reef tank. Hoping to keep mostly softies, and some inverts. Currently using 15 pounds of the CaribSea sand, as well as two large life rock pieces (the painted purple ones hahah). I set up the tank last Friday, and added a bottle of Bio Spira on Tuesday, as I realized I needed some bacteria to start the cycle process? 

 

Please feel free to point my in any directions or suggest a new hobby if I am way out in left field. 

 

Much appreciate the future advice! 

 

 

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Welcome to Nano-Reef.com.

 

Before adding any livestock, I would normally continue with the fishless cycling method:

  • use ammonium chloride to dose your tank to 2ppm of ammonia
  • wait until ammonia drops to 0.25ppm
  • repeat until your tank can process 2ppm of ammonia to 0.25ppm within 24 hours

This will build up your biofilter, making it ready to add livestock.  Although without any fish (and since you've already dosed BIO-Spira), building up the biofilter probably isn't necessary.

 

 

For a soft coral reef tank, you primarily want to test for phosphate and nitrate.  A good range would be 0.05 to 0.10 ppm of phosphate and 5 to 10ppm of nitrate.  Higher values being preferable to lower levels.  With softies, you typically don't need to worry about alkalinity, calcium, or magnesium.

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AiredaleReef

@seabass I appreciate the quick response and guidance. I went ahead and ordered the ammonium chloride, and will pick up a test kit in the next few days. Thanks for the direction regarding the phosphate and nitrate too. 

 

How often would you suggest testing (once the tank has cycled). Is it a good habit to test after weekly water changes, or should be testing daily/or once I potentially see an issue? 

 

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Welcome to the forum and to reefing.

 

When I first started my tank I tested daily for quite a while.  After a bit you get to know your tank and you can see signs of distress or that things are "off".  Then I stopped testing for YEARS, like 20 years.  My tank looked terrible.  I fixed it and now I test 3-4 times a week for KH, Phos and NO3. 1x a week I test for calcium and MG, but I have LPS.  Like seabass said, not so important for softies.  

 

 

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AiredaleReef

Thanks for sharing your experience, Sadie! I guess my next series of questions (future) will be what to do after reading the test results should things be out of line. More to come I am sure! 

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3 hours ago, NanoUlysses said:

How often would you suggest testing (once the tank has cycled). Is it a good habit to test after weekly water changes, or should be testing daily/or once I potentially see an issue?

For ammonia, there is little reason to test after the cycle has been established.  But you might spot check weekly.  I use the general guideline (for all parameters) that if you can't accurately predict a test result, then you should be testing more frequently.  An API test kit is fine.

 

However, API's phosphate test kit is a high range kit and can't detect the low levels commonly found in our reef tanks.  Salifert's kit is acceptable, but a Hanna Phosphate Checker will probably give you the clearest picture (and is certainly the easiest to read).

 

Salifert's nitrate kit is pretty good.

 

I'd test the nutrients (phosphate and nitrate) at least once a week until you can accurately predict the results before you test.

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  • 2 weeks later...
AiredaleReef

Two weeks and two days in, here are my current readings

 

Current Parameters: 

Ammonia: 0 (Dosed 2ppm each day and waited 24 hours...Ammonia would drop to 0.25ppm.)

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 20ppm

PH: 8.0 

Phosphate: 0.25 (via fluval test) Hanna checkers to come soon. 

Salinity: 1.025 

Temp: 78º

 

Any suggestions to lowering my nitrate besides a water change? I do not want to dose anything in the tank if I do not need to. Performed a 2.5 gallon water change (about 30%) on Friday and plan to do another this coming Friday. 

 

Plan to add two/three snails and perhaps a scarlet hermit crab in the next few days. 

 

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Water changes will export nutrients in the same percentage as the amount of water changed.  So a 50% water change will remove half of the phosphate and half of the nitrate that is in your tank.

 

At this point, that's what I'd use to achieve your target levels.  Try for 0.10ppm phosphate and 10ppm nitrate through water changes; but try not to go lower than 0.05ppm phosphate and 5ppm nitrate.

 

 

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