new 55 Gal - NEED ADVICE

[moby]

If you have not purchased a test kit, now would be a good time to go get one.
You will need it to monitor the cycle process. Some folks take their water to the LFS. IMO, this is not always the best way to do this. I have a hard time trusting most LFS and it is really a good idea to learn how to do this anyway. Self sufficiency is much better and it will teach you more in the long run.

Moby

 

[bsdubois00]

My roomate has the test kits, my Nitrite is at 0 my pH is at 8.1, the only thing is my salt level was alil high, it was at 1.27 or 1.28, what should be my next step everyone?
Brandon
btw, the window has wooden blinds on it, which are never opened, and it only looks under a carport, so there will never be direct sunlight on the window, im also going to put a background on the tank as soon as possible.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by bsdubois00
My roomate has the test kits, my Nitrite is at 0 my pH is at 8.1, the only thing is my salt level was alil high, it was at 1.27 or 1.28, what should be my next step everyone?
Brandon
Take out a gallon and replace with a gallon of fresh RO water until you reach the desired level depending on what you want to keep. For me, I keep mine around 1.025-1.027 and I keep corals, fish, and inverts. IMO, I really wouldn't worry that much about salinity level at 1.028 since your just cycling right now. You can always lower them later after cycling when you do a water change (use lower salinity level around 1.023-1.024 to do a water change around 15-20% would do). I cycled my new tank with salinity level around 1.028-1.029 and it did just fine and I lowered it when I did a large water change. :happyfish

 

[oreo12]

Here is a photo of my 55 maybe you can get some ideas this way having every 55 gal owner post a pic.

 

[mikeyjer]

Here's mine!! I need to get newer pictures of it.... :happyfish

 

[bsdubois00]

So what now, the rocks in, do i HAVE to drop in a dead shrimp or will the cycle start by itself, how do i tell exactly?
Brandon

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by bsdubois00
So what now, the rocks in, do i HAVE to drop in a dead shrimp or will the cycle start by itself, how do i tell exactly?
Brandon
Are those cured or uncured live rock?? If uncured, it will have die offs starting out your cycling process. You will be able to tell by checking on your Ammonia, it will go up!! Then follows by Nitrite, then ending up with Nitrate. :happyfish

 

[bsdubois00]

Its, uncured, so basically ill be ok with the rock starting the cycle? so just test the levels bi weekly?
Brandon
I checked my nitrite levels quickly before i ran out the door to dinner, they have gone up to about 1.0 is this fine? when they level out it shoudl be fine to add fish correct?
Brandon

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by bsdubois00
Its, uncured, so basically ill be ok with the rock starting the cycle? so just test the levels bi weekly?
Brandon
I checked my nitrite levels quickly before i ran out the door to dinner, they have gone up to about 1.0 is this fine? when they level out it shoudl be fine to add fish correct?
Brandon
When your Ammonia and Nitrite goes down to Zero. Then do a water change to lower your Nitrate level down to as close to zero as possible <20ppm, zero being the best. Then you can add a hardy fish to test the water. Just one or two hardy fish like a green chromis. :happyfish