Coming back after 15 years...

[griss]

Ammonia = 0
Nitrate = 1.2
PH = 8.0 (maybe time for some two part?)
Phosphate = 0
Salinity = .023 (tad high I think, I'm using a swing arm hydrometer, should I get a refractormeter?)
Temp = 79.5

Any input from you guys on these numbers is much appreciated!


I posted a video on FB. Let me know if you guys can see it. I may be set to private, I don't use social media much.

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Looks good, PO4 is low, you can bump that, IME, with frozen Mysis.

I’ve noticed on various different forums that Arabic thing happens…don’t get it???

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

First inhabitant went in yesterday! Golden Tail dwarf moray from Corner Reef. He's about 8" long & ate his first silverside about 5 hrs after being in the tank.

I did some cable management in the back. No more wires on the ground behind the sump. Everything is tidied up. Not super pretty but good enough!

 

[griss]

Nice eel.

You think that’s messy wiring? You should see my mess.

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

I put in 6 blue/green chromis on Friday. They are doing well & eating. Feeding frozen mysis. So far, Mr. Eel has not made a meal of one yet

To this day, since the rock has been in the tank, I have yet to register an ammonia reading other than 0. Last 3 nitrate readings were 0.0, 0.6, and 0.2 with the Hanna checker. I bought a Salifert master kit, arrives tomorrow, going to see if that Hanna checker is giving me false readings.

What do you guys use for 2 part? I want to get ph/alk/calcium to optimal levels to get conditions perfect for corraline algae to start growing.

 

[JCOLE]

I put in 6 blue/green chromis on Friday. They are doing well & eating. Feeding frozen mysis. So far, Mr. Eel has not made a meal of one yet

To this day, since the rock has been in the tank, I have yet to register an ammonia reading other than 0. Last 3 nitrate readings were 0.0, 0.6, and 0.2 with the Hanna checker. I bought a Salifert master kit, arrives tomorrow, going to see if that Hanna checker is giving me false readings.

What do you guys use for 2 part? I want to get ph/alk/calcium to optimal levels to get conditions perfect for corraline algae to start growing.

Nice! I use BRS Soda Ash and Calcium Chloride on a doser. That is on my holding tank in the garage but I am going to start with Kalkwasser once my DT finishes cycling, then add the Calcium Reactor, and supplement with 2 part as well.

You could probably just get away with kalkwasser at the moment since the demand is low then move to 2 part as the demand increases.

 

[griss]

I use BRS as well…Soda Ash, CaCl and Mg. Occasionally drip Kalk…Mrs Wages pickling lime.

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

Skimmer breaking in nicely. Haven't changed socks for 6 days & intentionally overfeeding to try & get a nitrate reading. Yesterday it was 0.4 - ammonia 0. Maybe it's working too well! Still no ugly stage to speak of. Pods all over the sides of the fuge eating away! Making a few gallons of RO to mix two part. Doing first water change tomorrow, 50g. Going to lunch, then a movie, then to Corner Reef, maybe get a fish! Or try a small digi frag to see how it does. Should I, or still too soon?

 

[griss]

No nitrite, correct? If that’s the case I say go for 1 fish and 1 easy to keep coral.

 

[ZOAKEEPER]

ClarkiiClownfish. Funny, after many years here I am. Thinking the same thing. Been a long time. Hope all goes smoothly. And keep us posted!

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

Basically none.
.04 Nitrate yesterday afternoon.

We went to Corner Reef after lunch & picked up a few frags. They didn't have any fish that I wanted. Wife paid for them for a Birthday present. Came home & mixed up & dosed 2 part for the first time & setting up for a 50g water change on Monday.

Ca = 360 ppm
Alk = 7.7 dKh
Mg = 1170 ppm

I used BRS calculator for Ca & Alk & dosed 3/4 amount that it said as I only have 4 teeny frags. I didn't mix or dose any Mg yet. Should I mix it & bump it up a bit?

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

Zoakeeper
I really enjoy being back! Nothing has gone sideways.... yet.

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

Oh Griss, you said Nitrite. I'll check it tomorrow. I have a test kit.

 

[JCOLE]

Oh Griss, you said Nitrite. I'll check it tomorrow. I have a test kit.

Looking good!

Yes, check for nitrites. I am in the same boat. My tank is still currently taking its sweet time to cycle and drop nitrites to 0. If you're getting nitrates, then more than likely nitrites are 0, but sometimes high nitrites can cause false nitrate readings.

I would also increase your parameters to a level you plan to maintain for the long term, ensuring stability. What are you going to shoot for? I would at least bump calcium to 440 and mag to around 1300.

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

Thought I had Nitrite but I don't. Should I get one? Everything I've been reading lately says most reefers don't test for this. I don't recall testing often for Nitrite back in the day. Bought a Salifert master test kit & Nitrite wasn't included, but I can pick one up if needed.

I did a new round of tests this morning:
Ammonia = 0
Hanna Checker Nitrate = 3.4 highest I've ever seen by far! Three days ago it was .04 with same checker.
Salifert Nitrate = 2.5 so which is more accurate?? Hanna or Salifert?
Phos = 0
PH = 8.0
KH = 8.3
CA = 370 ppm
MG = 1130 ppm

I backed off of the Microbacter 7 by half a few days ago. I've been intentionally overfeeding a bit (and haven't changed socks for a week now) just to try & get a Nitrate reading over 1. So I succeeded! I was beginning to think that Hanna checker wasn't working correctly.

BRS magnesium calculator says I should put in more than a whole gallon of mix to get to 1350. Is that correct? I attached the screenshot. How should I proceed here?

I am set up for a 50g water change tomorrow. Should I spike it with some of the magnesium mix? If so, how much of the gallon mix should I put in? I remember putting magnesium in my newly prepared water at water change time back in the day just cannot recall how much. Then I'll add a small amount every other day or so to get it to 1350. But will I really need to put the whole gallon in there over the next couple weeks? Just seems like a lot to me.

Thanks for all your help in retraining me guys! It's been so long, my brain is 30 years older now!

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

Looking good!

Yes, check for nitrites. I am in the same boat. My tank is still currently taking its sweet time to cycle and drop nitrites to 0. If you're getting nitrates, then more than likely nitrites are 0, but sometimes high nitrites can cause false nitrate readings.

I would also increase your parameters to a level you plan to maintain for the long term, ensuring stability. What are you going to shoot for? I would at least bump calcium to 440 and mag to around 1300.

Hello JCOLE!
Plans for tank are eel, chromis, couple tangs maybe, must have is a pair of Clark's clownfish with a Ritteri nem. Trying to replicate my tank from back in the day. I don't care for leathers, just don't appeal much to me. For corals mostly SPS with some LPS. The frags I picked up are yellowish-greenish digi, purplish-brownish digi, red Monti cap & two encrusting corals. He told me all the names but I don't remember.

Honestly I was only going to get one & see how it did, but Steve @ Corner Reef, who has been helping me from the beginning said he is very confident they'll be fine so I did the buy 3 get 2 free thing he has. Steve has more confidence in my tank than I do! These are all pretty easy to keep though, I think. He knows what I have, lights, skimmer, etc & he did the install & he said these will do better in my tank than his so we'll see! I had a lot of Digi's before. I recall they were easy & grow fast.

 

[griss]

I actually only test for nitrite during the cycle. After the cycle is over, I don’t test for ammonia or nitrite.

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

I think I had an extremely short or even no cycle because I cycled all my rock in a barrel for 2-3 months before it went in the tank. Tests on the barrel water the days leading up to putting it in the tank were always 0 ammonia & 0 nitrate.

 

[griss]

Yep, that might explain it.

 

[ClarkiiClownfish]

I put in a flasher wrasse the other day. He's doing well. He found that hole in a rock right away, he goes in there every night. He's a bit of a bully to my 6 chromis if they get too close.

Corner Reef got in a Harlequin Tusk, thinking of getting him. I had one previously. If I remember correctly he only lived about 2 year. I've been reading up on them, seems they can get mean/aggressive. I don't recall that at all with the one I had, but it was also a very long time ago. He was in with my 2 big Clark clowns. He was bigger than them but if I remember correctly, they bullied him more than he bullied any of my other fish. Anyone else have experience with a Harlequin Tusk?

 

[griss]

Never had any Tusk but, heard they can be aggressive. Sounds like your Clarkii’s might have kept him in check.