testing

[lisat]

Hi all,
I'm new to the hobby and am 1 week into cycling my new reef aquarium I have just bought a red sea Martine care test kit I have done the ammonia which was quite simple to read and was at 0, but I've done the pH and find it quite hard to know what the reading his my test looks like a green colour where as the colours on the chart are a blue colour and start at 7.6, can anyone help me with this I didn't get an instruction booklet just diagrams on the back of the colour charts and I'm not sure what all my test levels should be at, pH,nitrate,nitrite,ammonia,alkalinity please help!

 

[melosu58]

During the cycle only test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Don't test for the others as high ammonia will skew their results.

 

[lisat]

OK great thanks well ammonia was at 0 nitrates are at 5 and nitrites are at 0, so I am assuming that I'm still waiting on the ammonia to peak. So I shouldn't worry about the pH to much then.

 

[huma-huma]

nope, ph doesn't really much matter during cycling. once you are properly cycled and ready for fish, then test pH. I wouldn't test alk, calcium, phos until you are almost ready for coral, (if you want coral that is)

 

[lisat]

Ok that's great thanks very much for your help....

 

[caitlin.knutson]

I just put in a small ocellaris clown fish. I have a 5.5 gallon fish tank and a small live rock in it. My water test today showed ph at 8.1, nitrate 0, nitrite0, ammonia 0, the only thing is my water is really hard and my alkalinity is high too. Is this a problem? If so, how do I change it? Also is there anything else I should look for in my weekly water tests? And is that often enough to test the water or should I do it more than once a week? Thanks.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I just put in a small ocellaris clown fish. I have a 5.5 gallon fish tank and a small live rock in it. My water test today showed ph at 8.1, nitrate 0, nitrite0, ammonia 0, the only thing is my water is really hard and my alkalinity is high too. Is this a problem? If so, how do I change it? Also is there anything else I should look for in my weekly water tests? And is that often enough to test the water or should I do it more than once a week? Thanks.

Your problem is that clown can't be in a 5 gallon tank.

 

[bribo12]

I just put in a small ocellaris clown fish. I have a 5.5 gallon fish tank and a small live rock in it. My water test today showed ph at 8.1, nitrate 0, nitrite0, ammonia 0, the only thing is my water is really hard and my alkalinity is high too. Is this a problem? If so, how do I change it? Also is there anything else I should look for in my weekly water tests? And is that often enough to test the water or should I do it more than once a week? Thanks.

You may want to start your own thread as well. But I agree with bigred that 5.5 is way to small for a clownfish. Alkalinity in sw should be between 7-12 dKh.

 

[dingusplease]

Your problem is that clown can't be in a 5 gallon tank.

Sorry I don't want to thread hijack, but 5 gallons is wayyyy too small for a clown. I recommend returning it and looking for much smaller less active fish, IF any