First Time Water Test Myself

[dskirtech]

Good Evening everyone. Ill cut to the chase...

100 gallon Tank / 30 Gallon Sump w/fuge. Sump is new (3 days) and tank is 4 weeks old (setup with water) today.

Just bought my first reef test kit and the additional Amonia and Nitrite test kits... Here are my results. Can somebody give me the low down on the new items for me? Im very used to Amonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates tests, but PH, Alkalinity, Calcium, Phosphates are new to me. I somehow managed to get out of there without a PH kit, so Im basing my findings off the LFS test of my PH this past weekend of 8.4:

Amonia - barely readable so Im guesing 0.0 ppm
Nitrites - 0.1 ppm
Nitrates - 5ppm
KH - 125.3
Ca2 - Around 520
Phosphates - Dead Zero

Currently in the tank, I have a half week old cleanup crew and around 70 pounds of live rock a month old.

If i have had no fish in my tank, is it really possible that it has already cycled?

Anything I need to be watching for?

Thanks everybody!:bounce::bounce:

 

[dcantucson]

It is possible after 4 weeks... but usually you begin testing after 3-4 days after the start of your cycle and continue testing every 3-4 days during. You will see a spike in your readings and then they will go back down. At that point your cycle is complete.

 

[tankedchemist]

throw some fish food or a shrimp (uncooked, from the store) and let it degrade a few days. if you don't see the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spike, then your cycle is probably done.

 

[dskirtech]

Awesome Ideas. And again, thanks for the help!

 

[ckckck]

hi im a little confused here in the uk the lfs only sell cured live rock just add it to tank no cycling. is the rock on ur side of the pond sold uncured

 

[dskirtech]

hi im a little confused here in the uk the lfs only sell cured live rock just add it to tank no cycling. is the rock on ur side of the pond sold uncured

Ya know, I think it depends on the LFS ckckck. My first round of Live Rock looked good but Im not 100% sure that it wasnt seeded locally and not real old, therefore it could have NOT been fully cured which could have resulted in a mini-cycle.

My second (much larger) batch of rock was definitely cured and hasnt gone through the smelly / nasty looking transofrmation that the first round went through.

And i tested the water again last night and all my parameters are still holding steady.

Amonia - 0, Nitrites 0.1, Nitrates >5

gonna keep sitting on it and give it a week or two more. Then I think Im going to do as the "clean up crew" article recommended and add something like a Scopas Tang or something in anticipation of the remaining Algae phases I have yet to go through.

But of course, all that is a couple weeks away and I will have had a chance to further research it, and ask the pro's here first.

 

[ckckck]

yep ur doing the right thing.dont add nothing until nitrites are zero have you got a refuigium and what test kits you use manythanks

 

[dskirtech]

I bought a SeaChem Reef kit and then two indivudual test kits for Amonia & Nitrites.

I have a Fuge in my newly installed SUMP system. I have been searching the past couple days but cant seem to find any SOP's for how / what to add to the Fuge.

My Fuge is in the Middle section of my Sump and has a pretty significant amount of water flow. As you can see the LR is competely submerged, and I have about 6" of live sand.

Would I turn off my water flow to seed my Fuge? What would you reccomend seeding it with? (brand, type, etc). To keep the pods, etc from just getting washed away do I need to inject them deep into the sand bed?

What about Cheato? How Much to add, When? Also, HOW do you pronounce the full name of this stuff? My LFS has no idea what Im talking about.

Any Fuge Setup info would be greatly appreciated.

Fuge Pics:

 

[Piggy]

All I did when I set up my sump is the sand anf LR. When my tank cycled I got pods in both my MT and sump. I added a small piece of cheato, That stuff grows quickly and makes great food for my tangs. Is your full system up and running?

 

[dskirtech]

Piggy, Yes it is... You can quickly skim over where I am, etc here:

https://www.livingreefs.com/danes-100-gallon-marine-setup-t19451.html

I figured the pods would occur naturally, I just want to be sure I have a good start. I have heard people tell me that "Live sand in the bag" is not really live sand, and in order for my Sand Sifting Stars to survive, I need plenty of pods, etc.

My LFS can order "Bag-O-Pods" and I can seed my Fuge. anybody done this yet?

 

[ckckck]

imo the whole point of cheeto is to remove nitrate and phos is to trim often and through away. so when you feed your tangs it your just adding it all back to the tank manythanks

 

[Piggy]

If I'm adding it back into my tank I should have nitrates which I don't. I have 0.

 

[tankedchemist]

I bought a SeaChem Reef kit and then two indivudual test kits for Amonia & Nitrites.

I have a Fuge in my newly installed SUMP system. I have been searching the past couple days but cant seem to find any SOP's for how / what to add to the Fuge.

My Fuge is in the Middle section of my Sump and has a pretty significant amount of water flow. As you can see the LR is competely submerged, and I have about 6" of live sand.

Would I turn off my water flow to seed my Fuge? I wouldn't What would you reccomend seeding it with? I think you're talking in terms of pods-- in which case, the only thing tht will breed in our tank is a bottle of Reef Pods. No Trigger pods, or arcti-pods, or any of the others the LFS may try to sell you... they're cold water pods and don't like our tanks. (brand, type, etc). To keep the pods, etc from just getting washed away do I need to inject them deep into the sand bed? If you have a lot of flow through your fuge, you can make a condensed pile of live rock, and inject the pods into the middle of that. THey wouldn't survive well in the sand, though, as they do need to swim around to get their phyto.

What about Cheato? It's great stuff! How Much to add, When? Any time, just get a clump of it from the LFS, and throw it in. Also, HOW do you pronounce the full name of this stuff? "kay-toe-more-fa" My LFS has no idea what Im talking about. Most people just say "kaytoe"

Any Fuge Setup info would be greatly appreciated.

Fuge Pics:

Ck-- most LFS's here sell cured rock, but a lot of people get their rock online-- in which case, shipping causes die off and you often see a new cycle.

 

[Bifferwine]

People around here pronounce it "kee-toe-more-fa" or "kee-toe". Maybe there isn't a correct pronunciation, since I've heard it pronounced a million different ways!

 

[dcantucson]

Sounds like we're goin' to a Pow Wow! :lol:

 

[dskirtech]

Ck-- most LFS's here sell cured rock, but a lot of people get their rock online-- in which case, shipping causes die off and you often see a new cycle.

AWESOME!

Thanks for the responses. I do have a pretty compact, concentrated area of LR in my fuge. I will set out on a mission this weekend to locate some "Kay/Key-toe" and a bottle of reef pods.

Dane