So Confused - Water Chemistry

MaggieH

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Tank Size - 150ltr tank running since January - Added live sand, live rock cycled for 1 month with Gen-M as per the bottle instructions ,I had the water tested at my local aquarium before adding 2 juvinille clowns, an elegance coral. All went well. I waited the pescribed two weeks before adding more fish, had the water tested and added a mimic file fish. Two weeks later I added several muchrooms into the tank. During this time i was adding Gen-M bacteria every day as prescribed. I then bought my own testing kit. Up to this point I had not tested my own water I was getting it done at my local aquairium shop. I did also have a blue spotted blenny, but I didnt relise that they can jump out and I currently dont have a lid. I lost the blenny and I was gutted as he oozed character :-(

The test kit is API and man Im confussed, what is the most important reading. My ammonia is 0ppm (yellow on the card) PH is at 8 but my nitrites are 2.00ppm (purple on the card) and nitrate is around 40ppm. My fish are all fine as are the corals. I do weekly 20% water changes. I did run out of Gen-M and didnt feed the tank for 4 days then began again when the new bottle arrived.

Do I need to be worried about the water test readings? Im confused about where they should be what I do need to worry about and what I dont.

I hope this all makes sense.

Mags
 

Copingwithpods

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Hello,lots of stuff happening really fast. Nitrites are not really toxic to fish although zero would be best.

Nitrates are with in an acceptable range although most people run under 10. As long as it doesn't get away from you as it is now its not an emergency situation.

API is a good test kit for ballpark readings, don't expect accuracy from it. Now that you have corals you'll want to test Nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity. Pick up some quality test kits for each and you won't regret it. As you have a young tank watch phosphate and nitrates as algaes are sure to follow.
 

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Hi @MaggieH and #WelcometoR2R

Lets see if we can get some answers. So when setting up a new tank I kinda use the api test kit like a flow chart. The tank starts fresh and clean. The goal is to get the filter/Bactria bed established. That is the nitrogen cycle. So the first step is to get ammonia levels up in the tank and the bacteria you are using to consume the ammonia. Ammonia is toxic to fish at very low levels, so the goal is zero.

Next step in the flow chart is the nitrite. Once the bacteria is able to process the ammonia it will turn it into nitrite. Nitrites are not really toxic so don’t worry. They are usually the sign the cycle is ending. If yours is that high they should drop to zero soon.

The final stage is nitrate. This is the one that will always be around post cycle. Ammonia and nitrite most likely will not come back again. Nitrate will not be toxic to fish until way up into the 400 ppm range. It does become and issue and nuisance above 5 -10 ppm though.

Ph is seperate from the cycle testing. That you will always want to test and target your range from 7.8 to 8.3. I would also test alkalinity. As you progress you may want to pick up salifert test kit in place of api.

I hope I was not too confusing. if so you can always pm me
 
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MaggieH

MaggieH

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Hello,lots of stuff happening really fast. Nitrites are not really toxic to fish although zero would be best.

Nitrates are with in an acceptable range although most people run under 10. As long as it doesn't get away from you as it is now its not an emergency situation.

API is a good test kit for ballpark readings, don't expect accuracy from it. Now that you have corals you'll want to test Nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity. Pick up some quality test kits for each and you won't regret it. As you have a young tank watch phosphate and nitrates as algaes are sure to follow.
A friend reccomended red sea test kits being far better, and also is it worth investing in a tester that sits in the water and send reading to an app? And I am fighting a little algee that has appeared over the last couple of days, mostly on the sand bed at this point. This saltwater tank keeping is tricky
 

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Here a good read to start, don’t let it overwhelm you, just ask lots of questions

 

lilgrounchuck

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If you’re sticking with just softies even the api reef master kit should be ok. Not sure where you are, but in the states you can get it on Amazon for about $22-24. It’ll keep you in an acceptable range for nitrate, phosphate, alk, and (not really a concern for softies) cal. Get used to the tank and testing, and if you decide to move on to more sensitive inhabitants get some more accurate kits prior.
 

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MaggieH

MaggieH

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If you’re sticking with just softies even the api reef master kit should be ok. Not sure where you are, but in the states you can get it on Amazon for about $22-24. It’ll keep you in an acceptable range for nitrate, phosphate, alk, and (not really a concern for softies) cal. Get used to the tank and testing, and if you decide to move on to more sensitive inhabitants get some more accurate kits prior.
I am deffinatley sticking with softies at this point. When I get my big reef tank and I have learnt way more than I know now I would like to try others :)
 

Ron Reefman

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Maggie, I think you are doing just fine.

I've been in the hobby for 20 years and have 2 tanks running, and I use API test kits all the time. The other kits like Red Sea, Salifert and others are not really any more accurate than API. They do show results in finer scales, but that doesn't make them more accurate.

The algae you are getting now is probably diatoms which will be a fine covering on the glass and sand. Just scrape it off or blow it off with a turkey baster. In time, usually 2 to 4 weeks it will slow down and grow much less. It's kind of a bloom and as it uses up it food in the tank it will grow less.

Take your time, keep asking questions, good luck and have fun with it.
 

homer1475

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Just an FYI, you already have stony corals in the elegance. Certainly not a beginner coral, and while not as demanding as SPS, it still requires spot on parameter and is not forgiving when parameters fluctuate.

I'm not saying you can't keep it, just be aware it is a stony.
 

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Sorry but not true, in freshwater the effects of nitrite are higher than in salt, true, but nitrite is nowhere near as bad as ammonia.

Here's a link if you are interested

The best analogy I think I’ve heard was that nitrates are like a smoky room: at low levels nobody cares or maybe even notices. At high levels it bothers folks. they don’t want to be there and it’s making them cough, but they can’t leave.
 

Katrina71

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What kind of filtration are you using? Canister filter? Do you had crabs and snails?
 
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MaggieH

MaggieH

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What kind of filtration are you using? Canister filter? Do you had crabs and snails?
As the tank was originally a FW tank i am using a canister filter with 250ltr capacity on my 150ltr tank. I have a hang on skimmer and a powerhead. I am saving up for a larger tank that will be custom with a sum. I feel like i have poossibly made it harder for myself in the begining
 
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MaggieH

MaggieH

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The best analogy I think I’ve heard was that nitrates are like a smoky room: at low levels nobody cares or maybe even notices. At high levels it bothers folks. they don’t want to be there and it’s making them cough, but they can’t leave.
I think this is what confuses me the most, all the different opinions, the funny thigs is I have only started stressing about my water since testing. Before that I relied on my aquarium to test my water.
 
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MaggieH

MaggieH

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Just an FYI, you already have stony corals in the elegance. Certainly not a beginner coral, and while not as demanding as SPS, it still requires spot on parameter and is not forgiving when parameters fluctuate.

I'm not saying you can't keep it, just be aware it is a stony.
Thanks for the info. I have 2 stony corals I just dont know the name of the other, and they are both doing fine, so far
 

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