45 gallon setup week 1

[Criptix]

So I was up bright and early this morning and I did a 10% water change with my new Instant Ocean aquarium salt.After the water change,I did a water test for PH and it was 8.0.In a new setup is it normal for PH to drop naturally?What can I do to get it to level off or even better get it back up to 6.2-8.4?I read that you can use 1 tsp of baking soda to bring up the ph. Is this the most effective method?I was planning on putting in the Ammonium chloride today to start the cycling,should I wait to bring up the ph until after the cycle or can I do it at the same time?Does it even matter if I bring up the PH a little since I am doing a fishless cycle?Here is a pic of my setup:
Any help would be appreciated.I just want to iron out all the kinks before introducing the coralline algae and live stock.Thanks!

 

[Criptix]

Okay one more question.I mentioned that i did a 105 water change.Well I didn't get the desired result a higher salinity...I wasn't looking for much of a difference but a difference none the less.Do I do another water change maybe a 20% or higher to achieve the desired salinity(1.024) or can I just add more salt to the water since I have no fish in the tank?Current and stable silinity is 1.018.I have a refractometer but I don't know how to use it yet.The instructions are to small for me to read even with glasses...my hubby is going to read instructions and let me know what to do this weekend.

 

[Tmar]

I am really new to saltwater aquarium keeping as well, but after only a week your tank is still cycling and most folks told me to keep my lights off. However, I also read a couple of articles that say turning your lights on for 8-10 hours a day will bring up pH (which drops at night in dark) but will also heighten the chances for an algae bloom.
I don't think the pH matters quite as much as the rest of the water parameters like ammonia (which you must introduce somehow in a fishless cycle to "feed" beneficial bacteria), nitrites and nitrates.
I too am doing a fishless cycle (almost finished 2nd week) using PURE household ammonia (goldex brand) that I bought at walmart for $2. I just add 1.0 - 3.0 ml per day to bring my test reading up to 4ppm. I will continue to do so until BOTH ammonia and nitrites read 0 and nitrates read 20+. Then will do a huge (60-90%) water change!
Once that is all said and done, I will then take a cup or so of my tank water to my LFS for a final test by a pro before adding any real livestock. This being my first tank I cannot trust myself to read the tests successfully enough to jeopardize the clownfish I want to have.

 

[Phranque]

Don't worry about attempting to adjust your pH.

Absolutely keep your lights off during your cycle to prevent problem algae growth. And, during your cycle, you do not want to do a water change unless you happen to overdose your ammonia. As far as doing a fishless cycle, I would highly recommend the "dead shrimp" method vs. adding ammonia..... With a dead shrimp, you drop it in and forget about it.... just do occasional testing to see how it's progressing. With liquid ammonia, once the beneficial bacteria begin to develop, you need to worry about a continual dosing regimen to maintain your ammonia to feed the bacteria.

 

[Criptix]

Don't worry about attempting to adjust your pH.

Absolutely keep your lights off during your cycle to prevent problem algae growth. And, during your cycle, you do not want to do a water change unless you happen to overdose your ammonia. As far as doing a fishless cycle, I would highly recommend the "dead shrimp" method vs. adding ammonia..... With a dead shrimp, you drop it in and forget about it.... just do occasional testing to see how it's progressing. With liquid ammonia, once the beneficial bacteria begin to develop, you need to worry about a continual dosing regimen to maintain your ammonia to feed the bacteria.

I did the water change before "officially" starting the cycle in hopes of increasing the salinity level.Since I added the Ammonia I won't do the water change until cycle is complete.

 

[Phranque]

I did the water change before "officially" starting the cycle in hopes of increasing the salinity level.Since I added the Ammonia I won't do the water change until cycle is complete.

What salinity are you running?


And as far as the pH, stability is the most important thing. It can be a little low, as long as it's not bouncing around...... trying to add buffers is just going to cause you to chase your tail.

How much rock do you have in there? From the looks of it, you're a little light. Don't know what your tank plan is, but recommended is 1 to 2 pounds of rock per gallon. If you plan on "adding more later", I recommend getting it in there now while you're doing your cycle, otherwise the additional rock will require curing prior to placement into your system.