Jush42s
New Member
Let me start by saying that I have been researching and saving over the past few years to start my dream of owning a reef tank. Its about 4 months into build, and I have a refugium/sump. I used the Dr.Tims cycling system and fearlessly followed everything to a T. I watched the cycle take place over the course of two weeks or so. I have added fish slowly, and added my first corals before Christmas.
Everything seems to be happy, fish are growing and eat like pigs. The coral I got from a friend is vibrate and always open. But when I test my water alot for the parameters are zero. Now I don't have the best kits, and am working on getting so hanna checkers. My pH is pretty consistent are 8 and my Alk is always 8 or above. My Ammonia is always zero, as well as my nitrites. My nitrates are low but I believe they are some present (hard to tell with API) Phosp is zero, and salitinity is always on point @35ppt.
I have turned off my protein skimmer, in an effort to try to build some nitrates and phosp for corals. I also have chaeto in my refugium which seems to shrink daily (assuming because there is no nitrates or phosp in my water) Like I said I have a slight diatom outbreak and some green algea. People say that my tank may not be cycled but I watched the rise and fall of ammonia and nitrates, and am sure that it is. Otherwise my ammonia would be threw the roof right? I guess I'm just looking for advise on what I could do to bring nitrates up and phosp up for coral, or if I even need to worry about it. Sorry for such a long post but thank you in Advance for any advise!
Everything seems to be happy, fish are growing and eat like pigs. The coral I got from a friend is vibrate and always open. But when I test my water alot for the parameters are zero. Now I don't have the best kits, and am working on getting so hanna checkers. My pH is pretty consistent are 8 and my Alk is always 8 or above. My Ammonia is always zero, as well as my nitrites. My nitrates are low but I believe they are some present (hard to tell with API) Phosp is zero, and salitinity is always on point @35ppt.
I have turned off my protein skimmer, in an effort to try to build some nitrates and phosp for corals. I also have chaeto in my refugium which seems to shrink daily (assuming because there is no nitrates or phosp in my water) Like I said I have a slight diatom outbreak and some green algea. People say that my tank may not be cycled but I watched the rise and fall of ammonia and nitrates, and am sure that it is. Otherwise my ammonia would be threw the roof right? I guess I'm just looking for advise on what I could do to bring nitrates up and phosp up for coral, or if I even need to worry about it. Sorry for such a long post but thank you in Advance for any advise!
Last edited:
