New reefer help

[marquisnine]

I have had a 55 long for about 5 years now and I can’t seem to get these parameters balanced. It is only stocked clowns, a watchman, a red manderine fish, a cleaner shrimp, a fire shrimp, few small mushrooms and a Duncan as I am attempting as a first lps. It truly seems my tank still has not cycled. I would like to add more coral but I fail every time. Most importantly I hate killing though I know it comes with the hobby. For years so could not seem to get nitrites in my tank. I’ve decided to try turbo start and noticed my nitrites rise but now no nitrates. Ammonia is 0.25ppm. Is this a good thing? These are my parameters prior to water change. January’s parameters are given with Fritz 900 turbo start applied five days prior. Gravity is always 1.025.




Oct. nov. Dec. Jan.
Nitrate. 5ppm 0. .5. 0
Nitrite. 0ppm 0. 0. .5
Ph 8 8. 8. 8
Ammonia .5ppm 0. 025. .25

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Are you testing with API kits? If so, I would ditch them and get yourself some Saliferts, Hannas, or RedSea kits.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Can you post a pic of your tank?

Do you have good flow and lighting?
What are you doing for filtration?

As long as you have phosphates from .01 - .15 you should be good just focusing on water changes at this point.

Once you get more LPS established and growing, you may want to start testing alkalinity.

I never tested anything on my old mixed reefs, just kept up water changes.

The tank below was just live rock, skimmer, carbon, and filter sock. T5 lights.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What kind of light do you have on the tank? What type of flow? Light and flow is more important than fine-tuning a few parameters.

 

[marquisnine]

Are you testing with API kits? If so, I would ditch them and get yourself some Saliferts, Hannas, or RedSea kits.

Yes api kits from pets mart lol. Thank you for the insight

 

[marquisnine]

What kind of light do you have on the tank? What type of flow? Light and flow is more important than fine-tuning a few parameters.

All fluval filter and light. One aquaski 12mn. Lighting is low because my tanks is by a window

 

[marquisnine]

Can you post a pic of your tank?

Do you have good flow and lighting?
What are you doing for filtration?

As long as you have phosphates from .01 - .15 you should be good just focusing on water changes at this point.

Once you get more LPS established and growing, you may want to start testing alkalinity.

I never tested anything on my old mixed reefs, just kept up water changes.

The tank below was just live rock, skimmer, carbon, and filter sock. T5 lights.

You are doing amazing..id love to get there lol. I feel confident because first off my cocoaworm hasn’t died or lost a head since the start. It just seems I can’t get the water to change.