Help!!@!

[prsnlty]

At a minimum you need to test for ammonia nitrite nitrate pH alkalinity calcium magnesium and phosphates if you are going to eventually put Coral in your system. If fish only you will need ammonia nitrite nitrate alkalinity and phosphate kits

 

[Lizzz]

Are you planning on a fish only tank or do you expect to be putting Coral in that tank anytime soon? Cuz it will matter what test kits you need.

I would love coral, but everytime i get it seems to not do will lfs says its cause i need to do more water chanhes, which i do, alot.

 

[prsnlty]

I actually use API for ammonia and nitrite only nitrate is salifert as well as alkalinity. Calcium and magnesium are Red Sea and I use a Hanna checker ultra low range for phosphates. PH is tested by my Apex.

 

[Lizzz]

At a minimum you need to test for ammonia nitrite nitrate pH alkalinity calcium magnesium and phosphates if you are going to eventually put Coral in your system. If fish only you will need ammonia nitrite nitrate alkalinity and phosphate kits

Your tank is beautiful

 

[prsnlty]

Your tank is beautiful

Thank you very much it's a lot of work [emoji12]

 

[Lizzz]

I actually use API for ammonia and nitrite only nitrate is salifert as well as alkalinity. Calcium and magnesium are Red Sea and I use a Hanna checker ultra low range for phosphates. PH is tested by my Apex.

Omg, im so lost, ughhh, i will keep trying

 

[prsnlty]

You will get there someday we all started out where you are! You just have to find the right people to listen to and you're in the right place :D Research is the best way to learn and there is tons and tons of it on this forum just ready for you to read.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Use one of these to check your LFS top off water.

https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Magi...UTF8&qid=1499370035&sr=8-1&keywords=tds+meter
should be zero.

 

[Lizzz]

Not using rodi water, its in a box and the store said its water from the ocean, forget the name, but cost me about 17 bucks a pop.

 

[prsnlty]

Omg, im so lost, ughhh, i will keep trying

Lol, yep it can be very easy to get lost. You can use all Red Sea if you like except for for the phosphates. The thing is alkalinity and nitrates are easier to read on the salifert kit then the Red Sea brand. You know another good source of information is Bulk Reef Supply which is known as brstv on YouTube. They have a great video for test kits that you might be interested in watching.

 

[prsnlty]

Use one of these to check your LFS top off water.

https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Magi...UTF8&qid=1499370035&sr=8-1&keywords=tds+meter
should be zero.

+1 +1!!! And you will know if they're pulling your leg or not LOL

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Not using rodi water, its in a box and the store said its water from the ocean, forget the name, but cost me about 17 bucks a pop.

the top of water. not the saltwater. you may want to look into an auto top off as well to keep the salinity stable.
https://www.amazon.com/Amzdeal-Sali...&qid=1499370247&sr=1-6&keywords=refractometer

I was sold bad water long ago from the trusted lfs. not good.
I kept a 5g on my desk here for 2,5 years. salinity is a key.

 

[prsnlty]

Wow, I do hope that you are not topping off with salt water. Because you're salinity has got to be really high. What are you testing your salinity with? You need a refractometer for accuracy not a hydrometer. Though they work but they aren't always accurate enough. When I used to use a hydrometer I was wondering why my fish were looking terrible and my salinity was at 1.036!!! It could have killed my whole tank. I learned the hard way at that point LOL. You sea salt does not dissipate but water does and as you add more salt water your salt level rises. I agree you need some way of topping off your water only without salt and you use the salt water for your water changes. So either you do it manually with Rodi water or with an auto top off unit which is very easy to do and setup, using Rodi water.

 

[Lizzz]

Hydrometer

 

[prsnlty]

I would love coral, but everytime i get it seems to not do will lfs says its cause i need to do more water chanhes, which i do, alot.

I think you need to have your salinity tested as well. My guess is it's very very high. Coral don't do very well over 1.027 which is maximum. Most of us keep ours at 1.025 or 1.026. I keep mine at 26. Am I guess your nitrates and phosphates are quite high as well. All this plus not enough light hours would be why your Coral is not doing well whenever you get any. How many fish do you have and what kind?

 

[prsnlty]

Hydrometer

Do a salinity test then Soak your hydrometer in very very hot water for a couple of hours and then rinse it really really well then do another salinity test with it. See if it gives you a different reading. It more than likely will this is why you cannot trust a hydrometer.

 

[EHerbert]

I used a Sea Hare when my tank looked like that. I'm not one for adding chemicals or removing rocks to scrub them. If you scrub them in tank you're just spreading it. A Sea Hare will knock that out in a few days. In the mean time, enhance you CUC, keep up with your water changes and maybe cut down your max lighting cycle. Once the Sea Hare has done his job, see if your LFS needs him as with no algae to munch he'll wither and die... probably somewhere you can't reach without deconstructing a section of your tank. Good luck.

 

[prsnlty]

She isn't going to scrub them in tank. She only has a 14g nano so a quick scrub and h202 soak (outside of the tank)plus a few snails will keep it away while she gets the tank in balance.

Sea hares are great but they can also die in your system if the parameters are not good especially salinity which hers is way to high. (Being that she's been topping off with saltwater for some time). Otherwise it's a great idea :)

Nice tank btw :D Is it a cube?

 

[EHerbert]

She isn't going to scrub them in tank. She only has a 14g nano so a quick scrub and h202 soak (outside of the tank)plus a few snails will keep it away while she gets the tank in balance.

Sea hares are great but they can also die in your system if the parameters are not good especially salinity which hers is way to high. (Being that she's been topping off with saltwater for some time). Otherwise it's a great idea :)

Nice tank btw :D Is it a cube?

Thanks, yes it's a cube... 29 gallons. Hoping to upgrade to a 40/50 gallon later this year. Any bigger and I'll go broke trying to stock it. You know we can always make room for one more. I agree with the Sea Hares... you gotta keep a good eye on them but they get the job done with little effort on your part. Guess I missed the topping off with salt water part... my bad.

 

[Lizzz]

I used a Sea Hare when my tank looked like that. I'm not one for adding chemicals or removing rocks to scrub them. If you scrub them in tank you're just spreading it. A Sea Hare will knock that out in a few days. In the mean time, enhance you CUC, keep up with your water changes and maybe cut down your max lighting cycle. Once the Sea Hare has done his job, see if your LFS needs him as with no algae to munch he'll wither and die... probably somewhere you can't reach without deconstructing a section of your tank. Good luck.

Thank you for your advice, since i have started already scrubbing rocks, (out of the tank) was wondwring do i realky need that many rocks in my cube, how many rocks do you have in yours to make it look so pretty? I figuref to have corals and such the needed rocks to adhere to, bur being irs onky 14 g i probably have way to many rocks...