1st magor water check

Week 2 and my water looks like this.

Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrates 80 mg/l
Phosphates 2.0ppm
PH 8.2
KH 210ppm
Calcium 380ppm
Temp 78F

I'll be damned, I don't have a Nitrite test kit, since my trates are so high would it mean perhaps its near the end of Nitrite part of the cycle?

 

Not nessesarily,but your cycle is definately underway.The big concern I see is your phosphates being so high,are you using ro/di water?If so,what did you use to start your cycle?

 

Welll brother definately get a way to test your nitrIte too! Your ammonia is not to high a lot of tests will look like .25 when its really 0 or closer to 0, your nitrAtes are very high! this may mean a water change is in need! or more live rock ? but thats depending on what time of cycling process you are doing ?

 

I first started with tap water, but half way in filling the tank I switched to RO water, I got 80lbs of live rock and 50lbs of live sand in a 40 breeder tank, been running for 2 weeks now. That 0.25 reading for the ammonia has been steady at that number for about 2 days now. I cured and did the cycle of my live rock in the tank at the same time, rock my still be curing, maybe!

 

I'd really look into getting a RODI unit to save ya future issues like algae and cyano.

Also what tests kits are ya using? Api can be tough to read.

And cycling a tank your way, which is def cool, take 6 weeks or so. Patience grasshopper, it'll get there. But a nitrite test is prob a necessary buy. Especially to watch for spike as ya add livestock and for watching for new tank syndrome.

 

Your nitrates and ammonia are not out of line for only 2 weeks into your cycle,those numbers are just indicating that your cycle is taking place.Yes you need to get a nitrite kit.But personally,If you have or access to ro/di,and since you're only 2 weeks in,I would start over,with phosphates that high you will have an algae farm very soon.Also phosphates that high can be damaging to corals especially sps and inhibit growth and health in most others as a well.You could save yourself weeks,if not months,of headaches by getting this under control now vs. later.What size tank do you have?


Edit-just seen it's a 40b

 

Start all over huh! I was kind of doing a big water change, like maybe 50%. I been trying to keep the lights off, but since I found a coral hitch hiker on my rock, I ahh!! been getting the algae blooms. it would be nice to be able to leep this coral alive, it has survived a lot to this point.