Todays water parameters....10 days after starting tank

[dustintx]

Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 1.6
Nitrate 50 ppm
SG 1.021
Salinity 28
KH 9
PH 7.5
Co2 9 mg/l
So whats everyone think so far?

 

[drew2005]

Parameters looks good. Your cycling. You should adjust your sg to 1.024-1.025. Other than that all you can do is wait for your nitrite to reach 0 and do a water change to get your nitrate down to as close to 0 as possible.

 

[dustintx]

Why raise my sg?

 

[reefkprz]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DustinTX http:///t/390937/todays-water-parameters-10-days-after-starting-tank#post_3464627
Why raise my sg?
if you're going for a reef tank you want your sg between 1.024 and 1.026
if you're doing fish only 1.021 is just fine.

 

[drew2005]

It really depends on what you plan on keeping. For reef tanks it is recommended to keep salinity 1.024-1.026. Inverts typically require these salinity numbers. However in fish only tanks you could do good with lower salinity say in the 1.021-1.023 range. Salinity does vary in different oceans. Some have higher ranges. So sometimes choosing some species or coral or fish is important.

 

[dustintx]

In the long run corals and.fish,but until I get the hang of it just a fowlr

 

[drew2005]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DustinTX http:///t/390937/todays-water-parameters-10-days-after-starting-tank#post_3464657
In the long run corals and.fish,but until I get the hang of it just a fowlr
Then your sg is good for now. When you do decide to get into corals remember to increase your sg a little at a time as to not shock any livestock you have in the tank. Good luck. Im in the process of setting up my 75g to replace my 46g. I just got the water in today. Im about to power everything up and put salt in it and get my cycle started with some live rock. Very exciting

 

[dustintx]

Then your sg is good for now. When you do decide to get into corals remember to increase your sg a little at a time as to not shock any livestock you have in the tank. Good luck. Im in the process of setting up my 75g to replace my 46g. I just got the water in today. Im about to power everything up and put salt in it and get my cycle started with some live rock. Very exciting :jy:
Congrats. Keep us updated.

 

[dustintx]

Well my nitrates rose to 80 ppm this morning. Any suggestions?

 

[bang guy]

a large water change

 

[drew2005]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/390937/todays-water-parameters-10-days-after-starting-tank#post_3464702
a large water change
+1 about 20% change to get those nitrates down and under control.

 

[sepulatian]

20% brought it down ok? Be sure to check your readings. You can do a larger one to get it down lower while there is nothing in there. Sounds like you are off to a great start!

 

[dustintx]

Yeah,i changed 2 gallons and my ppm went down to like 40. Thanx guys

 

[reefkprz]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DustinTX http:///t/390937/todays-water-parameters-10-days-after-starting-tank#post_3464768
Yeah,i changed 2 gallons and my ppm went down to like 40. Thanx guys
unless your tank is 4 gallons there is no possible way a 2 gallon change will take 80 ppm and drop it to 40 ppm thats a 50% reduction. I would double check your tests.

 

[xandrew245x]

unless your tank is 4 gallons there is no possible way a 2 gallon change will take 80 ppm and drop it to 40 ppm thats a 50%  reduction. I would double check your tests.
+1 it sounds like your tests are bogus, or your doing them incorrectly.
Its a possibility, I bought a red sea kit while my tank was cycling and kept getting an ammonia reading, turns out I had no, and the test was just wrong.

 

[dustintx]

Im doing them exactly as instructed. With cycling tanks it is possibible to get false readings from time to time,relax guys. But it is a 20tall tank and it did bring it down. Maybe false readings,so no water changes for a week and ill just keep testing and see where it goes.

 

[xandrew245x]

I have never heard that you get false readings during cycling, it more sounds like, unless you bought an expensive reliable test kit, that your test kits are no good, you should really look into it.

 

[2quills]

I can understand getting a false negative test but a false positive I dont see how thats possible. Reagents react to whatever is or is not in the water that you test. Old or outdated kits should give you more of a non positive than a positive reading. If youre getting color from your test kits then I would be inclined to believe its not negative.

 

[dustintx]

Exactly! Tests are right and brand spanking new too! It did go down 40ppm after water change because I checked it again like 2 hours after water
change. It the same thing as some people getting a fowlr to run good with just a hob filter....weird,but not impossible.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DustinTX http:///t/390937/todays-water-parameters-10-days-after-starting-tank#post_3464827
Exactly! Tests are right and brand spanking new too! It did go down 40ppm after water change because I checked it again like 2 hours after water
change. It the same thing as some people getting a fowlr to run good with just a hob filter....weird,but not impossible.
I had API tests kits..brand new just opened..but the test kits expiration date read 2008 and it was 2010. It would drop the nitrates in half like what you got right after a big water change, but by the next day the test would read back up to 80+...I added the plus because the color was darker than the highest reading. So new out of the box means nothing...look for the magic expiration date. I now use SeaChem test kits, they all come with a regent so you can double check that the test is reading correctly.