New tank

[huma-huma]

am i the only person with leaky API test tubes?!?! if it did this, id be wearing the solution. as for gobies you are pretty open in terms of which ones, only one id be hesitant with is the engineer. they are more like eels than gobies and can get 10-12 inches long. look into diamonds, tiger wardis, banded sleeper gobies. those are just a few. but keep in mind that they are moderately active and will move a TON of sand around. and they dont discriminate. they will dump sand all over rocks and corals.

[Lloydxmas]

Yeah I want a diamond goby. What do you think about my water tests?

[BigRedsReefs10]

Tests look good I usually wait a week to make sure I don't get another ammonia spike (but I'm kinda anal about it) so if you want you can probably add some life, but do it slowly

[nelix10]

You still have some ammonia! That's not giod

[Lloydxmas]

How can I have ammonia with no nitrites but have nitrates?

[BigRedsReefs10]

IME that's what a 0ppm is on the api kit. To be sure take it to a lfs (a dedicated marine one would be best) and gave them double check

[Lloydxmas]

Could it be due to the fact I still have the decaying shrimp in because I have no fish?

[gleach]

I've heard you want your nitrates at 20ppm before stocking fish. I was told to wait 6 weeks and that I did.

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[TheTodd]

Originally Posted by gleach

I've heard you want your nitrates at 20ppm before stocking fish. I was told to wait 6 weeks and that I did. Sent from my SCH-I605 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

I'm not sure what waiting six months does. Never heard that one before. It is about the levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, not so much time. Typically you are looking at 4-6 weeks.

If you started with zero everything...got ammonia and nitrites,...got nitrates and eventually the ammonia and nitrites went to zero, but nitrates were high, you are good.

[gleach]

Weeks

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[gleach]

I know about testing and cycling my lfs told me 6 weeks they haven't steered me wrong yet.

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[gleach]

A refugium will help eat up your nitrates.

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[TheTodd]

Originally Posted by gleach

Weeks Sent from my SCH-I605 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Not sure how I saw months. Time for glasses? Six weeks is typical though. Could be a little longer or shorter.

[gleach]

Specticalls... It's all good it will make you look distinguished.

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[TheTodd]

I just saw the pic from the last test. That looks like everything is zero. If you are cycling and did not do a big water change, then your nitrates should not be zero. They should be high. Are you sure you are testing correctly?

[Lloydxmas]

My nitrates aren't zero. My nitrites are zero and I can't tell whether ammonia is zero or. 25

[TheTodd]

In that picture, it looked like nitrates and nitrites were zero and ammonia looked higher.

[Lloydxmas]

Sorry the colors look different in person.

[peterj]

You should get a better test kit. Spend 40 bucks and get the red sea test kit. I just went through the same thing. You'll see the difference. Api is good for freshwater. Not really salt water. Just the fact that you have 4 different people looking and all have a different opinion on what the results are should tell u something.

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[Lloydxmas]

Well i got cleaner shrimp. I acclimated them for an hour and a half. Once I put them in the tank I left the lights off for four hours. When the lights came back on I sat and watched them for awhile then fed them. They ate and ate a lot....