Nano Reef Diary :O)
- Thread starter nanoreefnoob
- Start date
nanoreefnoob
Member
I also want to a get a blue hermit just because I want something that has some blue on it inside the tank. I'm trying to stock by color as well as species 
OOoooook now to the nightly water testing
07/20
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:Between 1 and 2. Prob 1.5
Nitrite:0
Calcium: 540 (27 drops)
Carbonate (Hardness):232.7 (13 drops)
Phosphate:0.00
Nitrate:between 5-10
Also, maybe you can answer this so I don't have to start a new post. I noticed the surface of my water seems to be completely colored in minature particles. Is this normal? Anyway I can skim it off? If it doens't affect anything I'll just ignore it, but was curious as to whether or not its normal?
OOoooook now to the nightly water testing
07/20
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:Between 1 and 2. Prob 1.5
Nitrite:0
Calcium: 540 (27 drops)
Carbonate (Hardness):232.7 (13 drops)
Phosphate:0.00
Nitrate:between 5-10
Also, maybe you can answer this so I don't have to start a new post. I noticed the surface of my water seems to be completely colored in minature particles. Is this normal? Anyway I can skim it off? If it doens't affect anything I'll just ignore it, but was curious as to whether or not its normal?
nanoreefnoob
Member
Nope no fish in there yet. Nothing living except the rock
Is there something in my results that lead you to believe that I have fish in there? Oh man I hope something isn't serious wrong haha.
Will post water test results for tonight around 11-12 before I got to bed.
Also, I didn't leave my AC on today or open the windows and I live in a studio apartment. Ugh... it smells so weird in here right now. It smells slightly like fish and something else. I'm pretty sure it's from the tank. Whatever it is is disgusting. Got the windows open and some air freshner /spray /spray /spray gross
Nissan, seriously though, thanks a lot for checking this daily it's much appreciated!
Is there something in my results that lead you to believe that I have fish in there? Oh man I hope something isn't serious wrong haha.
Also, I didn't leave my AC on today or open the windows and I live in a studio apartment. Ugh... it smells so weird in here right now. It smells slightly like fish and something else. I'm pretty sure it's from the tank. Whatever it is is disgusting. Got the windows open and some air freshner /spray /spray /spray gross
Nissan, seriously though, thanks a lot for checking this daily it's much appreciated!
nissan577
Active Member
Originally Posted by nanoreefnoob
http:///forum/post/3091437
Nope no fish in there yet. Nothing living except the rock
Is there something in my results that lead you to believe that I have fish in there? Oh man I hope something isn't serious wrong haha.
Will post water test results for tonight around 11-12 before I got to bed.
Also, I didn't leave my AC on today or open the windows and I live in a studio apartment. Ugh... it smells so weird in here right now. It smells slightly like fish and something else. I'm pretty sure it's from the tank. Whatever it is is disgusting. Got the windows open and some air freshner /spray /spray /spray gross
Nissan, seriously though, thanks a lot for checking this daily it's much appreciated!
ofcourse bro! anything to help out a reefer and make this tank
also you think thats bad my room smells like the ocean and i love it!
and cause i saw the fish you listed i thought you had it.
http:///forum/post/3091437
Nope no fish in there yet. Nothing living except the rock
Is there something in my results that lead you to believe that I have fish in there? Oh man I hope something isn't serious wrong haha.
Also, I didn't leave my AC on today or open the windows and I live in a studio apartment. Ugh... it smells so weird in here right now. It smells slightly like fish and something else. I'm pretty sure it's from the tank. Whatever it is is disgusting. Got the windows open and some air freshner /spray /spray /spray gross
Nissan, seriously though, thanks a lot for checking this daily it's much appreciated!
ofcourse bro! anything to help out a reefer and make this tank
also you think thats bad my room smells like the ocean and i love it!
and cause i saw the fish you listed i thought you had it.
nanoreefnoob
Member
07/21
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:Between 1 and 2. Prob 1.5
Nitrite:0.25
Nitrate:between 10-20 prob 15
Too lazy to test these tonight. They never seem to change anyways (hopefully they will with the WC you were talking about Nissan) Calcium, Carbonate, Phosphates.
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:Between 1 and 2. Prob 1.5
Nitrite:0.25
Nitrate:between 10-20 prob 15
Too lazy to test these tonight. They never seem to change anyways (hopefully they will with the WC you were talking about Nissan) Calcium, Carbonate, Phosphates.
nissan577
Active Member
Originally Posted by nanoreefnoob
http:///forum/post/3091695
07/21
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:Between 1 and 2. Prob 1.5
Nitrite:0.25
Nitrate:between 10-20 prob 15
Too lazy to test these tonight. They never seem to change anyways (hopefully they will with the WC you were talking about Nissan) Calcium, Carbonate, Phosphates.
it should. but dont test right away. test it like 4 hours later.
http:///forum/post/3091695
07/21
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:Between 1 and 2. Prob 1.5
Nitrite:0.25
Nitrate:between 10-20 prob 15
Too lazy to test these tonight. They never seem to change anyways (hopefully they will with the WC you were talking about Nissan) Calcium, Carbonate, Phosphates.
it should. but dont test right away. test it like 4 hours later.
nanoreefnoob
Member
Alright. Didn't post last two nights. Ended up going out and didn't get around to it.
Anyways, here are tonights results. /drumroll
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:0.00
Nitrite:0.00
Nitrate:20
Thoughts?
If Nitrates move to 0 and stay there (as well as Ammonia and Nitrite) for a couple days, would this mean I have cycled?
How will this affect cycling. Should I do it, not do it?
Anyways, here are tonights results. /drumroll
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia:0.00
Nitrite:0.00
Nitrate:20
Thoughts?
If Nitrates move to 0 and stay there (as well as Ammonia and Nitrite) for a couple days, would this mean I have cycled?
How will this affect cycling. Should I do it, not do it?
nanoreefnoob
Member
At my LFS they had two huge tubs of prob 300-500lbs of LR. One was premium, one wasn't. So I duno if that counts. I'll test PH in a minute
Is it ok for me to do a WC or should I wait till fully cycled?
****UPDATE*****
PH It is off the range of my freshwater test card, which ends at 7.6 It is at least 2 shades deeper. I'm thinking between 8.0-8.2 gonna pick up a high range test tomorrow.
Also isn't there a Diatom bloom thats supposed to happen? I've yet to see it.... that or any type of algae growth
Is it ok for me to do a WC or should I wait till fully cycled?
****UPDATE*****
PH It is off the range of my freshwater test card, which ends at 7.6 It is at least 2 shades deeper. I'm thinking between 8.0-8.2 gonna pick up a high range test tomorrow.
Also isn't there a Diatom bloom thats supposed to happen? I've yet to see it.... that or any type of algae growth
nanoreefnoob
Member
Wow, didn't see you responded last night because it jumped to the second page. Sec.. gonna find a picture of the color
Its a royal blue color? Should it be purple. I wish someone else would ever look at this thread haha and maybe post their PH card. I google image searched for a ph scale that had 8.0-8.9 but most of them just show like 7-10 without the .1 increases. So it's hard to determine the color
*edit* i will be buying a new ph card tonight. Nitrates have dropped to 10. I will be purchasing 1/4 of my clean up crew tonight. Prob just a single crab and a couple snails.
Its a royal blue color? Should it be purple. I wish someone else would ever look at this thread haha and maybe post their PH card. I google image searched for a ph scale that had 8.0-8.9 but most of them just show like 7-10 without the .1 increases. So it's hard to determine the color
*edit* i will be buying a new ph card tonight. Nitrates have dropped to 10. I will be purchasing 1/4 of my clean up crew tonight. Prob just a single crab and a couple snails.
nanoreefnoob
Member
Just got back from LFS. They took my PH. It turned out to be 7.8 Not goooood! Although he is ordering me a kit that should be in tuesday.
He convinced me (prob against my better judgement) to buy a $12.25 bottle of http://www.aquavitro.com/Products/balance.html
It should raise my ph a little. I put enough in to raise it to about 8.2. I also got 3 gallons of ro di and will be doing a water change tomorrow (mixing salt now for 24 hours)
Soo hopefully that will even everything out, when I go in on tuesday my PH will be fine. Then I will be buyin my CUC!!
All that really high quality LR paid off I'm thinking. Unless I see some major swings in levels I think I may have the quickest cycle yet! (Day 8 Currently) but heck it's not over yet. Gotta get those nitrates down and that PH up!!
He convinced me (prob against my better judgement) to buy a $12.25 bottle of http://www.aquavitro.com/Products/balance.html
It should raise my ph a little. I put enough in to raise it to about 8.2. I also got 3 gallons of ro di and will be doing a water change tomorrow (mixing salt now for 24 hours)
Soo hopefully that will even everything out, when I go in on tuesday my PH will be fine. Then I will be buyin my CUC!!
All that really high quality LR paid off I'm thinking. Unless I see some major swings in levels I think I may have the quickest cycle yet! (Day 8 Currently) but heck it's not over yet. Gotta get those nitrates down and that PH up!!
nanoreefnoob
Member
Just tested my calcium to see if it would go down after my water change and it did!!
Down from 540 to 480!!!!! yay! Almost there!!!
*** Update ***
Nitrate Test in. It's at 0!!
I will retest everything tomorrow and post results.
If everythings at 0 I will bring another sample to my LFS and if it's anywhere between 8.0-8.4 I will buy my CUC!
Will this high calcium level do any harm to my CUC? Should I maybe do half my clean up crew and a small coral to help absorb calcium level. Or should I just add the CUC and let the calcium go down again next week when I do another 3g water change?
**Also** I noticed I do have some hitch hiking LR. I found a small 1 inch fully stretched out, but extremely skinny. BRIGHT BRIGHT BRIGHT ORANGE bristle worm. Man is he tiny. I bet theres more!
**Alsooo*** I noticed that some of my coraline seems to be dying. White spots and bits forming on parts of it. I have read it will turn green and eventually purple again. Normal die off I suppose /shrug.
Hey Nissan. Also. haha. Theres lots of little plants, green looking grass, and some red looking plants, all very tiny, growing from my LR. What would u reccomend to eat it off? That way the rock can look less foresty haha.
Down from 540 to 480!!!!! yay! Almost there!!!
*** Update ***
Nitrate Test in. It's at 0!!
I will retest everything tomorrow and post results.
If everythings at 0 I will bring another sample to my LFS and if it's anywhere between 8.0-8.4 I will buy my CUC!
Will this high calcium level do any harm to my CUC? Should I maybe do half my clean up crew and a small coral to help absorb calcium level. Or should I just add the CUC and let the calcium go down again next week when I do another 3g water change?
**Also** I noticed I do have some hitch hiking LR. I found a small 1 inch fully stretched out, but extremely skinny. BRIGHT BRIGHT BRIGHT ORANGE bristle worm. Man is he tiny. I bet theres more!
**Alsooo*** I noticed that some of my coraline seems to be dying. White spots and bits forming on parts of it. I have read it will turn green and eventually purple again. Normal die off I suppose /shrug.
Hey Nissan. Also. haha. Theres lots of little plants, green looking grass, and some red looking plants, all very tiny, growing from my LR. What would u reccomend to eat it off? That way the rock can look less foresty haha.
nissan577
Active Member
lol. well the cal is good. good reef aquarium cal is 450ppm to 500ppm.
you can get s cuc. the cal is fine. dont worry about it. make sure the PH is were it needs to be.
the worms might be bristle worms.
also the little plants can be algae growing. get nass and astrea snails. they work perfect. no hermit crabs.
you can get s cuc. the cal is fine. dont worry about it. make sure the PH is were it needs to be.
the worms might be bristle worms.
also the little plants can be algae growing. get nass and astrea snails. they work perfect. no hermit crabs.
nanoreefnoob
Member
Oook so I just got back from LFS. I bought 5 astrea snails. 5 very small blue leg hermits. 2 scarlet hermits. and an emerald crab.
I was told to mix a little water every 10-20 minutes for an hour into the snails. but the rest just get them up to temp by floating.
yay!!
$48 Total. (I like to keep my paper trail so I can add up total costs one day and cry)
What is alkalinity, he was asking me what mine is at? Is that carbonate KH? ..? Or do I need to buy another test?
Oook so I looked in my testing kit, it is the same. Just took a reading.
It says it should be between 8-12dkh
Mine is about 12.5-13
Sigh. Well we will see how this goes i guess /shrug
I was told to mix a little water every 10-20 minutes for an hour into the snails. but the rest just get them up to temp by floating.
yay!!
$48 Total. (I like to keep my paper trail so I can add up total costs one day and cry)
What is alkalinity, he was asking me what mine is at? Is that carbonate KH? ..? Or do I need to buy another test?
Oook so I looked in my testing kit, it is the same. Just took a reading.
It says it should be between 8-12dkh
Mine is about 12.5-13
Sigh. Well we will see how this goes i guess /shrug
nanoreefnoob
Member
Good deal. Everything is now in and moving around. Emerald crab, never to be seen again. He is hiding good. haha. I'm excited, finally have something to look at !!
So hopefully these guys will get all this grass looking stuff of my LR. I have a decent amount of what looks like grass, some green, some purplish red. om nom crabs, om nom.
Also two of my astrea snails have gone up so high they are now almost totally out of the water and look like they might be eating some dried salt on the side of the glass. Is this ok? Should I just let them do their thing?
So hopefully these guys will get all this grass looking stuff of my LR. I have a decent amount of what looks like grass, some green, some purplish red. om nom crabs, om nom.
Also two of my astrea snails have gone up so high they are now almost totally out of the water and look like they might be eating some dried salt on the side of the glass. Is this ok? Should I just let them do their thing?