Reef tank chemical help?

[Anthony.Luciano710]

ok so i am preparing to start a reef tank by keeping my fowlr tank the reef parameters but im still confused on why everything keeps going out of wack. the tank is only 3 days old so its still cycling and that might be part of the problem but there are 3 starter fish in it right now and the salinity is 1.023 but thats asy to control but now the hard part. my calcium level is about 500 the alklinity is about 10 and the ph is 9.1 which i know i have to add some lemon juice or something to lower that. but i remember that calcium level affects alkalinity or something and alkalinity affects ph so can someone please explain what i have to do to stabilize them and how they affect each other and what to do to make them go to the right number

 

[E.intheC]

if your tank is only 3 days old, you should not have any fish in it. Further, it's too early to start worrying about stabilizing parameters.

Do you have live rock? Use this time (3 weeks, not days to get the tank cycled) to do a lot of reading and asking tons of questions on here (after reading) to get even more comfortable.

Take it nice and slow, that's the only way a reef tank will be successful.

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

yes i have only 8 pounds of live rock for 125 gallons but its really expensive so im just buying little by little and im thinking of making some. and the fish in there are just to start the nitrogen cycle. theres 1 chromi 1 blue damsel, and 1 yellowtail damsel.

 

[E.intheC]

you can definitely add base rock if you'd like (it's just "dry rock" that usually isn't expensive).. Try and find some local people who are selling. Typically you can get live rock from people here for about $2/3 per lb.

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

$2/$3 a pound? wow thats great my local pet shop sold them to me for $12.99 a pound and i wound up spending $134 on only 8 pounds.

 

[reefs4life]

$2/$3 a pound? wow thats great my local pet shop sold them to me for $12.99 a pound and i wound up spending $134 on only 8 pounds.

Yeah that's usually how it works at a typical pet shop but this is the right place for you to buy rock, it usually sells between $2-3/lb,

If you can't find any rock off of individuals you can try these guys, reefcleaners.org, they're one of our vendors and they have some great dry rock, bought 100lbs from them over the summer. Here's a direct link to their 50lb box for $90 w/ free shipping http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?p...ategory_id=15&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=34

I'm not far from you, just out in New Rochelle, so whenever you're ready for coral let me know and I'll hook you up with some beginner pieces.

Good luck,
Fortunato

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

Ok great!! Thanks for your help and I actually go to school in new Rochelle at iona prep

 

[Lenny718]

Cycling a tank with live fish is cruel and completely unnecessary. All you need is a raw cocktail shrimp and some patience :irked:

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

Well if I see the levels get to high I'll put the fish in my other tank that's already established.

 

[Lenny718]

Well if I see the levels get to high I'll put the fish in my other tank that's already established.

Its a nitrogen cycle, of course your levels are going to get high. Why even bother putting living things in the tank in the first place when there's no need to? :splitspin:duh:

 

[InfernoST]

Put the fish in your established tank and buy 1 or 2 medium size uncooked shrimp from your local fish store put then in a filter bag and dump them in the tank, sit back and wait. Too early to check for stability, if you're using a swingarm hydrometer to check salinity, ditch it and pick up a refractometer along with a bottle of pinpoint calibration fluid. One other thing, if you're planning on a reef and do not have an RO/DI unit you are heading down the road of endless frustration, so if you don't have one look into picking one up.
This is a great place to get all the information you'll need and check out the market place for good prices on live rock (you need a bit more than 8lbs) and other things you may need. Good luck

 

[Mattl22]

+1 buy a rodi and tds meter


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

Yes i do have an ro/di unit

 

[E.intheC]

This is why we should ask questions and not give blanket advice. Anthony, your other tank is the ten gallon with two puffers and a clown fish? Because that would not at all be a good place for those damsels...

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

The other tank has to puffers about 1 inch and 1 blue damsel also about 1 inch and a red scooter blenny and I don't know why but that tank cycled in like a week so I'm hoping the 125 gallon does to