Whoops...Crap

edpete97

edpete97

Member
Just started my tank yesterday. I've got a 90gal tank, Wet/Dry Filter. Put the saltwater in yesterday with sand in the bags. Opened the sand today in the tank. My whoops is that I decided to test the water...just for practice. My Alkalinity and KH were high. Alk 4.91 and KH 13.8. So, I did something not so smart. I added the recommended amount of KH/PH buffer. In my defense, my LFS sold it to me and said I'd need it at the beginning. So I put the recommended dose in for 90 gallons. Well, 6 hours later my KH/Alk are through the roof. I read the bottle again, and it raises the levels not lower them. So, I wanted to put my rock in tomorrow. Should I hold off? What do I do to bring the levels down? What are good levels? What are good PH levels? My PH is 8.0 and the test doesn't say what it should be. Any help out there?
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Tank is brand spanking new. What type of filters do you have?????
It will take at least 2 months to cycle. What are your current plans for the tank????
Your water will continue to be off the chart for at least week. I would recomend putting active carbon in your filtration, and doing 10% water changes every couple days.
Salt water takes a lot more time to cycle than fresh water. Live rock is the next step.
So fill us in on the game plan
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
Okay...here we go. Plans are, live rock tomorrow. I was just concerned about what I did with my KH by putting the buffer in. Now my test won't even react. The tank is like this (second hand, one year old)
90 Gallons
Wet/Dry Filtration
I put a Phosphate filter bag in when I started because I used tap water to make my saltwater.
I have a protien skimmer, not installed yet though.
Temp has been sticking at 76 degrees for a day and a half now.
I opened the sand in the tank this morning.
I've got a nice white foam building up in my filter.
My lighting, so I'm told, is really good. I don't know anything about it but I can post a picture if you want to see it. It has four bulbs in it and three LED's. The LED's are on all the time. One set of the bulbs is very blue and the other a white. They are BLINDING. They guy I got the stuff from says they'll support any live reef plants I want to put in the tank.
The plan is to cycle the tank until it's ready for fish and invertabrates, building slowly of course. I hope by Christmas to at least have a few fish to show off while the parents are here. Thoughts?
Erik
 
surferb

surferb

Member
yeah you can do water changes or get some bacter boost it says it'll fully cycle ur tank in 2 days but i'd wait a week just for kicks and giggles and then buy a damsel when ur parameters check out dont just stick a damsel in there right now though. i used bacter boost and haven't done one water change since i set up the tank 8 months ago all of my parameters are perfect too
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
I forgot to mention that I put some biostarter in it yesterday. The bottle says it'll start or contains benificial bacteria. So that's already there.
 
surferb

surferb

Member
you definatly need to get some water conditioner if ur gonna use tap water i use prime. but i didn't say that lol everyone on here is goin to kill me and probebly u too they all say use reverse osmosis water aka bottled water. but i'm a student and don't have 55 bucks to sling out on water.
 
surferb

surferb

Member
without conditioning your water the bacteria will probebly die so i'd recomend doin it again a few hours after u put the conditioner in
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
I did put the conditioner in right after I put the water in. It's some sort of dechlorinator. It was just to fill my tank. I'll never put tap water in it again. I get my water change water from the LFS. It's only $1 a gallon. I'll use $10 worth a month. I just want to get my tank started. Did I make a good deal on the tank?
 
shogun323

shogun323

Active Member
This is how I understand buffers.
IMO In regards to to a buffer such as Bionic, I would not bother with it at this point. Here is the scoop. Ph, Alk, and Calcium all work hand in hand. The purpose of the buffer is to replace the calcium that is being used up by your corals and at the same time stabilizing your alk. Remember all 3 work together. (There is a more detailed description of this in the archive section of the forum. here )
My salt, Tropic Marin, already has calcium levels around 420 and since I have only have some simple softies I dont need a buffer. All major synthetics salts should be around there as well. I test my levels often right before a water change.
My point is while you are setting up and cycling I wouldnt add any buffer. I would only add it when your calcium levels start declining.
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
Originally Posted by shogun323
This is how I understand buffers.
IMO In regards to to a buffer such as Bionic, I would not bother with it at this point. Here is the scoop. Ph, Alk, and Calcium all work hand in hand. The purpose of the buffer is to replace the calcium that is being used up by your corals and at the same time stabilizing your alk. Remember all 3 work together. (There is a more detailed description of this in the archive section of the forum. here )
My salt, Tropic Marin, already has calcium levels around 420 and since I have only have some simple softies I dont need a buffer. All major synthetics salts should be around there as well. I test my levels often right before a water change.
My point is while you are setting up and cycling I wouldnt add any buffer. I would only add it when your calcium levels start declining.
I guess then, my only question is, should I take some water out, put my live rock in and call it a day so to speak. I'm using Fiji Pink sand. It'll have been in a day by the time I get my rock in. Am I good?
 
surferb

surferb

Member
sounds like a good deal i'd get a hydrometer or refractometer and some powerheads if you haven't already
 
shogun323

shogun323

Active Member
Originally Posted by edpete97
I guess then, my only question is, should I take some water out, put my live rock in and call it a day so to speak. I'm using Fiji Pink sand. It'll have been in a day by the time I get my rock in. Am I good?
I think that will be good. I'd put in the live rock and then add nothing. Let it cycle. During the cycle I the only thing you need to do is "top off" the tank with RO water to compensate for evaporation. That as well as test for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Ph regularly.
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
Good. I'll do that. I'll put 30 or 40lbs in tomorrow and let it sit. I'll check the levels every few days to see where I sit. LFS says one or two weeks before I should put fish in. The LR at my LFS is fully cured, so there won't be much die off. It's just expensive. $9 per pound. Oh well...the price of beauty.
 
shogun323

shogun323

Active Member
It may be a couple weeks, it may be longer. The cycle is not complete until your Ammonia and Nitrites are zero. In regards to the live rock, that is alot of money. If you don't mind waiting another day you could save alot by buying your live rock from here. It will save you $160 and it looks great. Plus when you are cycling, die off isnt a bad thing. The die off helps the cycle.
 
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