think the cycle is done?

[sir_dudeguy]

My tanks been cycling for about..oohhhh..probably 5-6 weeks now. I took in my water to the lfs to get it all tested.

Here's what they said:

Amonia-0

Nitrite-0

pH-7.7

they didnt test for nitrate, cause they charge 2 bucks for it, and i didnt have the 2 bucks. Also, is my pH too low? Would a water change help that? I havent done a PWC for about 2 weeks now, cuz i've been really bussy and out of town.

 

[Marc118]

Wow they charge for testing? Id pick up a test kit if that was the case. Your pH should be 8.2-8.4. You may want to look into dosing since its been 5 weeks. Kent Marine makes a really nice buffer.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, they charge just for the nitrate test. I'd rather pay for the test than buy a kit tho, they're about 30 bucks there. And the pH was fine at first, i just havent checked it lately, till about 30 minutes ago at the lfs. Also, doesnt the salt that you mix in the water buff it up? I've got the aragonite sand in there too, w/some lace rock. theres nothing else that i could think of that would lower the pH in my tank tho...a few weeks ago i had carbon in the filter, but i took that out a few weeks ago....and now that i think about it, that was the last PWC that i did. I've been topping it off all the time too, with fresh water.

and for the SG, the lady either said it was 1.023 or 1.025...i'm think .025 tho, but i cant remember. Is that ok if its .025? little high isnt it? idk...

and is 7.7 really that low, or is it ok? i know 8.2 is what most shoot for.

thanks for the quick reply too.

mike

 

[Marc118]

Your SG is fine, 7.7 isnt something i personally would put a fish in. What mix are you using IO?IO is great for pH but I wouls dose for calcium if you do coral. I use IO, but Im thinking about switching to NSW.

 

[ryguy]

First of all, a pH of 8.0 to 8.5 is completely acceptable, but 7.7 is a little low. The most important thing with pH is keeping it constant once it's in the right range. To say it needs to be between 8.2 - 8.4 isn't entirely accurate. That's a nice range to shoot for, but if you keep your tank at 8.0 and maintain it, that's quite fine too. You just don't want it fluctuating.

What kind of salt are you using? Your salt and sand should buffer it above 8.0.

I would do another pwc and definetely buy test kits to test for NO3, Alk, Calcium and PO4 woulnd't hurt either.

1.025 is fine for SG but it's not needed unless you are planning a reef tank. corals do better with a higher salt content, but's it's not need with FO. anywhere from 1.020 to 1.023 is fine for FO. 1.025 is just extra cost if you don't want a reef tank.

Also, you don't need to dose unless you have a problem... a new tank shouldn't need any dosing. If you use a good salt and to regualr pwc's, then you'll have adequate calcium levels, and as well as alkalinity.

My advice is to never dose just because.... and NEVER do it with out knowing what your parameters are before you start and without constant testing throughout.

Cheers,
Ryan

 

[sir_dudeguy]

no, i'm using oceanic, as i got it for 5 bucks for a 50 gallon jug of it..i got 2 of them. I've heard mixed reviews on it, but most i've heard from a lot of people from around where i live that they use it with no problems. I'd rather not dose somehting if i dont have to. I'll do a PWC tomorrow and see what happens when i get the new saltwater in there. Is 7.7 bad, or is it unhealthy at all?

lol, i think i just answered a couple of your questions, ryan, before i even saw that post. We must have been writing at the same time.

oh, and i only plan on having some gsp's later, and stuff like that, but not for a long time, prolly 6 months at least

 

[ryguy]

7.7 is on the acidic side and may stress fish out. I would try to bump it up before adding any animals.

Do you have any test kits?

If not, you need some. I really think that should be a part of every fishkeepers inventory.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, i've got a pH one for fresh water but not for salt, so i've just been testing the pH whenever i go to the lfs. would the fresh work the same on salt? actually nevermind, because the chart only goes to 7.8 i believe. Its been fine, but i havent done a PWC for a couple/few weeks, and i hadnt checked it for about a week till today. And i'll do a pwc tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[ryguy]

Are you saying that you're going to rely on LFS to always test your water?

 

[sir_dudeguy]

no. What i did was i used my test kits for everything except the pH, because i dont have one for salt water. Since the beggining of my cycle, my tests have been consistant w/the lfs's and i know the person that works there. So just today, i was going over to the lfs anyways, so i figured i'd get it checked by them, because they can test for pH too, whereas i cant. And i know i should have just gotten a pH test a long time ago, but their tests have all been consistant with mine and everything, so i just have them test the pH when i'm over there, along with all the others.

what i posted earlier as my results were the results from the lfs. Just a few minutes ago, i tested the amonia and nitrite with my test kits and they were the same.

overall, i test my water myself about 1 or twice a week, and i've been getting it done by the lfs too whenever i go there, which is also about once or twice a week, with the same results, so i trust that their pH is acurate too.