New Tank Readings

[Ter]

Hi, I setup my tank last thursday.. so we are talking 4 days. I added Live sand 60lbs and a new hang on filter.. it also has 6lbs of live rock. I have the tank at 26C about 78 - 79 F.... I have 2 green chromis keeping the cycle or creating one really not sure with the readings i have!
Frist when adding the salt I went a little under not to go over and have high readings.. i'd rather lower ones.. and that I do have.

Salinity 27PPT
specitfic gravity ( I will add more salt in my next water change)
1.0195

PH, I can't get a reading it gives me way over 8.6 I will buy a new test and see soon.
KH 110MG/L In target range I believe
NO2 0.1mg/L
NO3 10MG/L
Thanks for comments
Ter
BTW I use RO water, just incase its a query sooner or later

 

[SkiFletch]

interesting, I've never seen KH described in that manner. Usually I see it recorded in meq/L or in units of dKH... Any idea what that reading is in either of those two units I mentioned? If your KH is way high that could be why you're having trouble with your pH reading

 

[Matthew5664]

KH 110MG/L > is CaCO3 equivalents witch works out to be 2.2meq/l or about 6.16 dKH

 

[Ter]

yup what Matthew said is correct, Its some hagen tests i got from the pet store gives me results in Liters.
so is 6.16dH good or bad?
Ter

 

[Matthew5664]

between 7 and 11 dKH is good but unless your going to be keeping large ammounts of SPS and LPS than I wouldn't worrie to much about getting it to that target area. If is stable at 6.16 than I would leave it at that.

What salt are you using?

 

[SkiFletch]

What Matt said

 

[Ter]

Hi, and thanks guys..
im using instant ocean sea salt! Ill be adding extra my next water change probably tomorrow that might bring me up a little? my salt is on the low side correct? Salinity 27PPT specitfic gravity 1.0195? I won't be adding corals till I have my 80lbs of live rock for my 80 gallon tank, and a major light upgrade. I figure by then my water might be better i'm talking 2 months about.
Thanks
Ter

 

[Ter]

greetings and salutations again my friends!


A query once again, I figured since i had already started a post i'd stick 2 this one... that being said, I have two fish keeping my cycle in my new tank. I have been feeding them different things almost each day tryn to figure out what they seem 2 like the most. needless 2 say some food escapes them and lands on my substrate and live rocks. Having no powerful lighting system installed yet, I have no clean up crew! should i buy a few crabs 2 takecare of the left overs?
Thanks again
Ter

oh and sorry about my bad English.

 

[Chac]

Lighting has little bearing on Clean up crew

What is your NH4 (ammonia) Reading

Using Livestock to cycle a tank is a cruel & barbaric practise IMO

 

[Matthew5664]

You say "Salinity 27PPT specitfic gravity 1.0195" this is prob why the Alk is low as you say try ajusting the SG next WC to about 1.025 this should bring it back. The salt you are using is fine should give you good Ca and Alk at the right SG.

 

[Ter]

Lighting has little bearing on Clean up crew

What is your NH4 (ammonia) Reading

Using Livestock to cycle a tank is a cruel & barbaric practise IMO

chac I agree, that being said I bought live sand! LINK it said i could add fish right away and I only added 1/4 of what they said i could. my ammonia reading is zero. If you had read my first post and not over reacted maybe you wouldve noticed that cyclen' the tank with the fish was far from my goal.. the goal was 2 keep the live sand alive... and was told the live sand would take care of the toxic stuff.
and saying that light has little bearing on my clean up crew still doesnt answer the question I had.
"should i buy a few crabs 2 takecare of the left overs? "

 

[SkiFletch]

Definitely have some scarlet hermits, or some nassaurius snails in there. BOth will cleanup uneaten food. Might want to get a couple of each . Try and stay away from blueleg hermits, zebra hermits, and common cheapy hermits. Those ones are highly aggressive towards both each other and snails. Scarlets and electric blues are more docile.

 

[Ter]

thanks mate
ter

 

[Chac]

Lighting has little bearing on Clean up crew

The above statement was only to let you know that lighting had little impact on what clean up crew members you keep and then you could research & decide yourself what clean up crew YOU would like

I bought live sand - it said i could add fish right away

Live sand offers little or no Biological filtration compared to Live rock

the goal was 2 keep the live sand alive

This could have been done simply by adding a small pinch of food to the tank every other day

you wouldve noticed that cycle' the tank with the fish was far from my goal..

Nowhere in your original post do you state not wanting to use Livestock to cycle in fact you say the following

I have 2 green chromis keeping the cycle or creating one really not sure with the readings i have

I would hardly say that stating -Using Livestock to cycle a tank is a cruel & barbaric practice IMO- is an overreaction but more a FACT

 

[Ter]

okay
ter