Our results for our tank...Good?

[SteveNMegz]

hey guys
we just did another test on our tank.. after cycling for 3 weeks with curing live rock
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:7
PH:7.8
Phosphate:0
SG:1.023

We still have to put aqnother 30lbs of LR in our tank this week.. we were just wondering if we were on the right track.
Thanks GUYS!!!
Merry CHristmas!!!!

[InvaderJim]

pH is a little on the low side as well as the salinity. Shoot for a 8.0-8.3 pH and salinity of 1.025-1.026.

Everything else looks good.

[Acillaton]

Looks good. Ph low but not critical and nitrate is probably on its way. Good luck.

[Sk8r]

Get an alkalinity test as well. That should read 8.3-9.3. It will help general water quality as you add fish and/or corals. But don't expect too much during cycling: nothing but your salinity is that readable during that period. Have you seen the ammonia come up and fall yet? It should rise, then hit zero, along with nitrate and nitrite, once your sandbed matures.

[SteveNMegz]

thanks guys

and yes we did have an ammonia spike, during the last couple weeks and just today everythings reading as it is..... our sand bed is covered in diatoms.... How can we raise our Ph will this eventually raise itself or should we buy a buffer??????
THHANKKKSS!!

[Sk8r]

If you're past your cycle, you can now do a 10% water change preparatory to getting a cleaning crew.
That will help.

THe chemistry of ph, alkalinity, and other additives: in general, there are 3 main additives for a reef, two for a fish-only...besides your weekly 10% water changes. Trace elements are in your salt mix, and that regular change will do for them.
1. additive 1: dkh alkalinity buffer, must be used alone, not with calcium, or you get a snowstorm of precipitate. Test your water. If under 8.3 dkh alk, adjust it upward with the buffer, at the rate given on the label of additive. It takes time to percolate, so wait 24 hours on another dose.
2. additive 2: calcium. Used in coral reefs. Add it 12 hours apart from the buffer. Reading should be 400-450. 420 is real good.
3. magnesium: set at 1300. Kent Tech M is a good dose. If alk and cal are low and won't rise, or start to drop dramatically, you're probably low in magnesium.
If these three are in balance, your ph should steady and correct. If not, there's another problem that will have to be addressed.

Note: as you can see---this can get into quite a procedure if you have hungry corals. There are several ways to dose sanely. One is Randy's 2-part, excellent particulary for small tanks. Another is by 'dripping kalkwasser, or kalk]---the method for that is to stir kalk [pickling lime] into your topoff freshwater. As it hits the saltwater it automatically supplements calcium AND adjusts the buffer. All you have to add separately is mg. This is for tanks of 40-100g, effectively. There is the calcium reactor, for still larger tanks or tanks that for some reason don't evaporate water fast enough to let a kalk reactor work.

But right now---you would seem to be very close to ready for whatever it is you are going to have: now would be the time to:
1. do your waterchange and get that rock in ASAP...if there's to be any more dieoff on the new 30 lbs of rock it could delay your next step.
2. test again and buffer as needed. Be very careful that new rock doesn't screw your tank and start another cycle.

Once you are sure you are done cycling...ie, there is no more ammonia, and your sandbed is doing its job...
3. get a cleaning crew and let them work: acclimate them! Their bag salinity must be very slowly adjusted to your tank salinity and alk, and DO NOT let bag water touch your tank water. Transfer them in by hand.
4. get your first fish and quarantine them in a small bare tank to prove they are not going to break out in ich: this is something you do not want in your tank. Quarantine means you can catch them, you can treat them, and they'll be healthy and live long and happily when they hit your tank.
As soon as you are through with the phosphate spike [cleaning crew will be eating algae, which will mop phosphate up from your new rock.As soon as you have a cleaning crew eating algae, run phosban or have up a refugium...and if you're going to have fuge, now would be a good time to start setting it up.

[Bygkid]

Parameters look good to me. Salinity is a bit low for me. I usually try to maintain 1.024-1.026

[OceansWonders]

I would be careful adding more live rock once it cycles as it could start another mini cycle.