Fishdad's Reef Setup
- Thread starter FishDad
- Start date
you likely made some error with the tests or the kits are expired. try testing the water after the cycle is finished and your water chemistry is normal. i know cycles can mess with water testing results...but not to that degree.
you are guaranteed to have good calcium and magnesium levels if you used salt for marine tanks and mixed to 1.025SG. I wouldn't worry about it anyway. soft corals don't care. only once you get to LPS, SPS and clams should you worry more about those parameters.
that's just what i was thinking.
you are guaranteed to have good calcium and magnesium levels if you used salt for marine tanks and mixed to 1.025SG. I wouldn't worry about it anyway. soft corals don't care. only once you get to LPS, SPS and clams should you worry more about those parameters.
that's just what i was thinking.
I'm betting its either an operator error or the cycle is interfering in some way. Not likely that both kits would be faulty and as you said, Red Sea seems to make quality products.
Any advice on brown algae? I remember getting it in new freshwater set ups and eventually went away. Is this the same case with saltwater?
Any advice on brown algae? I remember getting it in new freshwater set ups and eventually went away. Is this the same case with saltwater?
Diatoms are very common to start out (wait till you get to the slime and hair algae stages!). As in freshwater, it indicates an imbalance in light/nutrients for the beneficial bacteria and CUC present. Do you see any nitrates yet?
Cure is water changes and time. Nothing to worry about really, it will resolve itself with proper maintenance.
Cure is water changes and time. Nothing to worry about really, it will resolve itself with proper maintenance.
Yeah, lots.
Nitrate - 40
Nitrite - between 2 and 5
My plan for nitrates is a bio pellet reactor. I can get one for about $100 from my lfs. They claim their reactors keep their nitrates at 0 and phosphates very low as well. I plan on plumbing the reactor directly into the skimmer - I've heard this is the preferred method b/c the skimmer will remove what the reactor leaves behind that would otherwise encourage other algae outbreaks.
Water changes as well, but I understand that smaller changes are better. My plan was 15% every two weeks.
How's that sound?
Nitrate - 40
Nitrite - between 2 and 5
My plan for nitrates is a bio pellet reactor. I can get one for about $100 from my lfs. They claim their reactors keep their nitrates at 0 and phosphates very low as well. I plan on plumbing the reactor directly into the skimmer - I've heard this is the preferred method b/c the skimmer will remove what the reactor leaves behind that would otherwise encourage other algae outbreaks.
Water changes as well, but I understand that smaller changes are better. My plan was 15% every two weeks.
How's that sound?