Questions for after I cycle my tank.

[Guzman333]

Ok, so I am getting ready to finish my cycle in a fluval 13.5, and have a few questions. I just put some snails in and a tiger conch and they seem to be doing just fine; however my nitrites are not quite 0, but not .25 either.
1st: is it safe to put corals in with trace nitrites?
2nd: what type of media should I be running once I do finish?
Was think of doing chemipure and carbon, but think it might be redundant.
3rd: I got the chemipure to treat 25 gallons, mine is only roughly 11 gallons of water, does this mean I will get double the life of it? Should I choose one or the other?
4th: I’ve seen a lot of good things about dosing Microbacter Clean just to help get ahead of the algae phase. Should I add it before the cycle ends or right after?
5: how do I clean/prevent salt creep?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Wow... Where to start...

First, welcome to the hobby!

*"Nitrites don't matter in SW (ok, yes, nitrites of like 50 matter, but not the amount produced when cycling a tank)
1. Coral literally eats ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Modest amounts of any of these will not harm coral in the least
2.What kind of filtration are you already running, and for what purpose are you thinking about running more media? Biomedia should be in the system now so the bacteria will colonize it. Carbon is good for removing chemicals, toxins, etc, and can help with clearer water but has its downsides long term. If you don't have anything specific to remove yet, I'd stick with good mechanical filtration and skimming (and the previously mentioned biomedia)
3. skipping this one.
4. YOU WILL NOT OUTSMART THE ALGAE CYCLE!! Let your tank mature and DO NOT RUSH THINGS!!! Plan to have some "uglies" for at least 6 months and if they go away sooner, you'll be super happy, lol!
5. Salt creep is a result of saltwater getting outside the tank and evaporating... Try to wipe up any drips or splashes, keep an eye on any cords that exit the top of the tank, and wipe things down with a damp rag (damp from tap or RODI) during your regular weekly maintenance.

 

[Guzman333]

Wow... Where to start...

First, welcome to the hobby!

*"Nitrites don't matter in SW (ok, yes, nitrites of like 50 matter, but not the amount produced when cycling a tank)
1. Coral literally eats ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Modest amounts of any of these will not harm coral in the least
2.What kind of filtration are you already running, and for what purpose are you thinking about running more media? Biomedia should be in the system now so the bacteria will colonize it. Carbon is good for removing chemicals, toxins, etc, and can help with clearer water but has its downsides long term. If you don't have anything specific to remove yet, I'd stick with good mechanical filtration and skimming (and the previously mentioned biomedia)
3. skipping this one.
4. YOU WILL NOT OUTSMART THE ALGAE CYCLE!! Let your tank mature and DO NOT RUSH THINGS!!! Plan to have some "uglies" for at least 6 months and if they go away sooner, you'll be super happy, lol!
5. Salt creep is a result of saltwater getting outside the tank and evaporating... Try to wipe up any drips or splashes, keep an eye on any cords that exit the top of the tank, and wipe things down with a damp rag (damp from tap or RODI) during your regular weekly maintenance.

Thank you so much for replying! And I feel welcomed. I’ve been posting a lot and immediate answers. And only running mechanical and biological atm just to catch some of the stuff in the water.
Do you know specifically the downside of carbon?
And I know it’s better to let the tank beat the algae away itself, but I’ve been seeing the microbacter just helps it not get out of control, and help build an even more solid foundation. But there are so many different opinions out there, I’m not sure which is the “correct one.”
that makes sense, since I have been playing with the rocks a little bit and moving the whole stand around, splashing around. I try to wipe up what I can see, but whatever I don’t, I see the next day.