My Waterbox Reef 220.6 dream build

Calvin

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Hello all,

This tank was started on May 28 2021 (I know a little late on starting the thread). I'm mid way through the cycle on it it, and trying to get over the hump in the road - it has seem to just stall. And by stall I mean, as of June 19th, I was reading 0 ppm of NH3 (ammonia) and started reading 2 ppm of NO2 (nitrites), but also reading 20 to 40 ppm of NO3 (nitrates).

I started the tank with Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter dry rock bacteria starter kit. I have been talking with Brightwells technician about this; it even has him stumped. Either way I'll get through it and come out on the other side. I know patience, patience, patience. I'm fine with how its going. It just seems odd that I've been sitting at the same reading on NO2 for so long.

I'm planing for this to be a mixed reef, with LPS and SPS; hopefully leaning more SPS heavy in the future. Planning on stocking my fish first for a few months, before moving over my coral (from a family members tank) so the tank won't be a sterile tank at time of moving them over. I will be setting up a qt tank before I move any of them over, and another for fish. Fish stocking is probably going to be mostly on utilitarian side of things, maybe with a couple fish that I just think are cool.

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lapin

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Then NO2 is prob an testing error
Your tank is cycled with 20 to 30 ppm nitrate.
I would do a water change to bring them down and start reefing
 
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Calvin

Calvin

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Then NO2 is prob an testing error
Your tank is cycled with 20 to 30 ppm nitrate.
I would do a water change to bring them down and start reefing
I've tested it with 3 different NO2 test kits none expired. Also took it to an LFS and WWC and 4 out of the 5 test were all the same. Only only one reading different was the oldest NO2 API test I have (which is not expired) and it read .50 ppm. Also I have done 2 40 gallon water changes since then and added microbacter 7 after both water change with no effects. Currently doing a 70 gallon water change. To see if that dilutes it down quite a bit.
 
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Calvin

Calvin

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Good news! Finished up the 70 gallon water change last night and let the tank turnover for about an hour and a half and tested and got the NO2 down to 1 ppm, and just for poops and haha's retested this morning and it is down to .50 ppm. Finally getting a grip on this and getting through it.

Almost think that my 2" xport bio blocks c I uld have been cause and issue. I never seeded then before putting them in the sump, so I pulled them out night before last and seeded them overnight with start xlm and microbacter 7 and replaced them back in the sump yesterday morning.

I'm going to keep testing daily and see what happens to see if it keeps dropping.
 
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Calvin

Calvin

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I know ow it's been a while since I've updated this thread but I'm coming up on the 8 month mark and everything is going pretty good I would say. I had a huge diatom bloom about 6 months ago (I'm guessing due to lack of NO3 and PO4) and haven't done a water change or had my skimmer running for that duration. I kept feeding heavy and had an algae explosion and as of a few days ago my NO3 is sitting at 10ppm and PO4 is 0.04ppm.

I'm installing a Clarisea SK-5000 gen 3 within the next few days to get rid of these God awful filter socks and filter cups with floss.

All is well and the live stock happy!

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