Help with water parameters please

[Vpkjules]

Hi!

We just started our Aqua Medic Blenny tank. It's running for a week now.
Our first parameters:
salinity: 1022
KH: 5d
PH: 8
No2: 0,05
Fe: 0
NO3: 1

Now a week further:
Salinity: 1024
KH: 6d
PH: 7,2
NO2: 0,005
Fe: 0
NO3: 0,5

Do we wait it out, will the parameters get better by themself? Or should we take other actions?

Thx for the help!

 

[Dogshowgrl]

Wait it out. I know it's tough but you will create more issues if you are quick to make changes.

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[scooter31707]

Wait it out. Your tank is going through it's cycle so it will have some ups and downs.

 

[mcgyvr]

Typically it can take 4 weeks for a tank to fully cycle..
As you still have nitrites you aren't cycled yet..
"cycled" is when ammonia and nitrites are ZERO..

Have you been ghost feeding or anything to introduce ammonia into the system?

You aren't measuring ammonia.. Thats important..
Don't need to measure iron..

Alk is low.. Should be 7-11 dKh seems your salt mix is a bit low in alk.. but with fish only it really doesn't matter and your PH is fine..

and you need to be topping off with "Fresh" water to account for losses due to evaporation.. The salt does not evaporate but the water does.. Hence why your salinity is increasing.. It should be stable at 1.025

and here
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[vhuang168]

What are the ammonia levels? I'm hoping you don't have Blennies in there already!?!


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[Vpkjules]

Hey,

Thanks for the replies!

Well the salinity raised because the start was 1022 so we added some salt with the first water change so it became 1024.

The only thing we have done for now is: live rocks and sea water

Tomorrow we will buy an ammonia test, wich one do you recommend? We have read about salifert?

 

[Vpkjules]

Do we wait to raise the KH or? We bought the sea water in the store. But when we did a first water change we added some sea salt and the KH raised with 1dKh

 

[mcgyvr]

Hey,

Tomorrow we will buy an ammonia test, wich one do you recommend? We have read about salifert?

anything but API.. salifert/red sea,etc..

 

[mcgyvr]

Do we wait to raise the KH or? We bought the sea water in the store. But when we did a first water change we added some sea salt and the KH raised with 1dKh

As soon as possible and keep it stable..
Do you plan on having corals?

 

[Vpkjules]

As soon as possible and keep it stable..
Do you plan on having corals?

Our plan is to have corals in the future.
But first a stable aqua ����
We have read about Colombo KH+ to raise the KH. What is your opinion about this?

 

[mcgyvr]

I think your problem is the sea water you are buying..
Thats always a rip off IMO..
Make your own..
The cost of a RO/DI system will pay back fairly quickly..

I avoid anything sold as a "buffer"

 

[Vpkjules]

Well for the next water change we will use osmosis and sea salt so wa can make it our own. So in meanwhile wait with buying a product to raise the KH? For example Colombo KH +

Also about the osmosis system, would it be good to buy a 50 BA with an DI filter behind?

 

[Vpkjules]

I think your problem is the sea water you are buying..
Thats always a rip off IMO..
Make your own..
The cost of a RO/DI system will pay back fairly quickly..

I avoid anything sold as a "buffer"

Forgot to ask, we have 'red sea salt'. Would this be ok for the job or what do you recommend? Because we have read about H2O also

 

[Vpkjules]

Typically it can take 4 weeks for a tank to fully cycle..
As you still have nitrites you aren't cycled yet..
"cycled" is when ammonia and nitrites are ZERO..

Have you been ghost feeding or anything to introduce ammonia into the system?

You aren't measuring ammonia.. Thats important..
Don't need to measure iron..

Alk is low.. Should be 7-11 dKh seems your salt mix is a bit low in alk.. but with fish only it really doesn't matter and your PH is fine..

and you need to be topping off with "Fresh" water to account for losses due to evaporation.. The salt does not evaporate but the water does.. Hence why your salinity is increasing.. It should be stable at 1.025

and here
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

Bought the ammonia test (actually bought a lot of tests from Colombo), and tested 0.
We're not ghost feeding nor intoducing any ammonia in the system, is this something we have to do?
We're cycling for two weeks now and these are our testing results:
Salt: 1024
KH: 7
PH: 8,3
Nh4: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 0,25
PO4: 0,03
CA: 400
What do you think? Our algues started growing a bit, but not bombastic like we thought they would have by now... Or is it silence before the storm? :strooper:

 

[mcgyvr]

So you are 2 weeks into it right?
Did you use any "live rock" or "live sand" ?
If so your cycle "may" have already completed but you have very little nitrates so I'm kind of skeptical about that..

I would probably recommend adding ammonia to get levels up to 2ppm and then test 12 and 24 hours later to see what you get now.. (test both ammonia and nitrites after 12 hours then nitrates/nitrites/ammonia after 24 hours)..


If its taking that ammonia and nitrites to 0 in that 24 hours and assuming you started with live rock your cycle may be complete.. (but it won't hurt at all to wait another 2 weeks)..
If ammonia/nitrite is still present after 24 hours (or you didn't use live rock/sand) then you are not cycled yet.. You may repeat the ammonia dosing a few more times after that if you aren't cycled yet but thats it don't keep doing it more than a few times..

and no matter what I'd still wait another 2 weeks.. I will always recommend 4 week cycling no matter what..
Nothing good happens fast in saltwater..

 

[Vpkjules]

Help with water parameters please

So you are 2 weeks into it right?

Did you use any "live rock" or "live sand" ?

If so your cycle "may" have already completed but you have very little nitrates so I'm kind of skeptical about that..



I would probably recommend adding ammonia to get levels up to 2ppm and then test 12 and 24 hours later to see what you get now.. (test both ammonia and nitrites after 12 hours then nitrates/nitrites/ammonia after 24 hours)..





If its taking that ammonia and nitrites to 0 in that 24 hours and assuming you started with live rock your cycle may be complete.. (but it won't hurt at all to wait another 2 weeks)..

If ammonia/nitrite is still present after 24 hours (or you didn't use live rock/sand) then you are not cycled yet.. You may repeat the ammonia dosing a few more times after that if you aren't cycled yet but thats it don't keep doing it more than a few times..



and no matter what I'd still wait another 2 weeks.. I will always recommend 4 week cycling no matter what..

Nothing good happens fast in saltwater..

Well we used live rock from indonesia (8kg on a aqua medic blenny) and fresh sea water, we wanted to add live sand in the future after the cycle has been done. But we are confused with the spikes of nitrite and ammonia since we never had one. Only a little algue growth thats al.



The only thing we added this week was Colombo Bacto start?



About adding ammonia, can u please explain what we have to do for this? So we can test it out.



Well we dont want to work to fast but we are/were confused when to add the live sand & a small clean up crew (but not together in 1 time)



Thanks!

 

[Vpkjules]

Yes we are 2 weeks, this a picture of our tank and its algue "growth" [emoji85]

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