Jennystyyle’s Red Sea Nano Max G2 Journal

[jennystyyle]

If the heater were to go out on you or say summer hits and temps go high, does the meter have any kind of alarm?

That's one of my concerns this summer is our current home is like 80+ years old with horrible AC type issues lol.

It didn’t say in the product description. I got it yesterday. Browsing the instructions, it looks like it does. I’ll let you know for sure when I set it up

 

[jennystyyle]

Cycle is coming along
Ammonia has dropped to 0.35
Nitrite up to 200ppb

Hopefully another week.

Gives me time to get the temperature stabilized

 

[Reefing102]

I don’t have an inkbird but last I knew they do have alarms.

 

[jennystyyle]

The inkbird is all set up. I set from 77-79.
Thoughts? Should I change the range? Increase?

 

[griss]

That range should be good.

 

[jennystyyle]

lol. I think I had a 20 high with homemade baffles. No ATO. Live sand and chaeto, stocked with pods. Skimmer in one section. I had to babysit it to make sure it didn’t overflow in a power outage. I had a sharpie line on it for max min fill

I used Tampa bay “package” back then. While the rock was beautiful, I had soooo many mantis shrimp. I was catching them as I could. I lost so many fish and shrimp because of them (I think). I finally got the last one when I had basically gave up on the maintenance of the tank and he died on his own.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I had 3 in my small package.

 

[jennystyyle]

I had 3 in my small package.

I had at least 9 or 10

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

If you spray the rock with Peroxide & they're small, they jump out & die.

 

[jennystyyle]

I just opted not to use them for this setup.

 

[jennystyyle]

Been watching the tank for a month now.

Todays tests. All with Hanna
SG 1.024
Temp 78.3 F
Ammonia 0.10 ppm
Nitrite 200 ppb. Maxing out the test. It’s been stuck there the entire cycle. Looking at color charts, the color looks closer to the 0.2ppm than the 0.3ppm
Nitrate 35.8 ppm

I’ve dosed ammonia twice since the initial dose to start the cycle . Both times it dropped off in 24 hours.

Should I add the first fish or wait for nitrite to drop off. From reading, I see that nitrites are not as toxic as once thought and many don’t test for it. Thoughts?

Fish I’m thinking is royal gramma.

 

[griss]

If it were me, I’d do a water change and test again.

 

[jennystyyle]

On a 20 gallon tank, I do 8 cups change daily.

 

[griss]

Gotcha. Maybe try a different test to validate your test results?

I would expect, after a month, the ammonia to be zero and nitrites lower than 200.

 

[griss]

Oh, wait, you said 200 ppB not ppm.

 

[jennystyyle]

Yes ppB

 

[griss]

I tend to be overly cautious. I think you could probably add a fish at this time.

 

[jennystyyle]

I am being very cautious. I did add copepods and started dosing phyto 3 days ago. I still see the copepods swimming around. Gotta look very close.

I started the lights maybe a week ago. Had a bit of algae on the sand start but the phyto has been starving it out since it is disappearing

 

[griss]

I am being very cautious. I did add copepods and started dosing phyto 3 days ago. I still see the copepods swimming around. Gotta look very close.

I started the lights maybe a week ago. Had a bit of algae on the sand start but the phyto has been starving it out since it is disappearing

Sounds like you’re doing a great job.

 

[jennystyyle]

Thanks. I’m trying to right my mistakes that I made on my last tank lol. And being a nano, I want slow to keep it interesting rather than just monitor.
I’m thinking 1 fish. Wait a month. Then snails. Wait a month first Zoanthid. Wait a month second fish….