Trying SW once more part 2

[willekach]

Hi, looked thru the site and saw a lot of good posting and joined. I have a 100 gallon tank that will be my reef tank, VHO lighting Berlin method, approx 100lbs rock that has been in water no lighting and pretty much dead for at least a year and a protien skimmer. I had cancer and wasn't around much. I set it back up just over two weeks ago. PH 7.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 70-80 nitrate. Just started seeing very small patches of green, pink coraline growth, lot more patches of brown growth. I use a Kalkwasser addition to my water replenisher and have been adding 4oz TLC once a week and Purpleup approx every other day. No fish or coral. Any other suggestions?[/quote]

 

[willekach]

Sorry new to using this forum, above is a picture of the day one start of my aquarium which did not come thru on first post. Since then I have been busy trying to get my business back up to speed as well as this tank. Thanks for all the helpful posts. I removed the glass covers and added another powerhead which got rid of the slick. I stopped the Purple UP two weeks ago. I have not done any PWC's. I use ROI for my water and have tested for Phosphates and have none. This tank has been weird in that I never got an ammonia or Nitrite spike, 0's from the beginning. I am down to under 40 on Phospate. I used TLC for saltwater a live bacteria product which I have used before, great for startups and occaisionally to reduce water changes. I stopped it too after second week. I have not done a water change cause I was always told not to do one until the tank cycles or you add fish. I hope this adds more info out there. Also added a gallery to show progression of pictures.

 

[Ziggy953]

Purple up really isn't the greatest thing to be adding to your tank. Regular PWCs as has been mentioned will replinish your essential elements. Right now your tank is "new" so putting addatives in really isn't going to benefit you. With your nitrAtes being as high as they are I would test your source water for sure as Cmor said. If you aren't using RO/DI water then chances are you are getting those nitrAtes from your source water.

Kalkwasser helps to maintain CA levels but will not raise them. If you aren't testing your CA ALK you should be. I would stop all additions to the tank for now and do a major PWC and then test your water params again.

 

[melosu58]

I`m going to split this thread and send this start up part to the SW start up se ction. You`ll get more answers there then in the welcome area. Glad to see the progress.

 

[roka64]

I would rearrange some of that rock work, to include caves, shelves and maybe a tower. You want to give your critters a place to stake out and a place to swim around/under/over and for hiding.

 

[cmor1701d]

Add few pieces of LR from a LFS or mail order a box. That will get your tank cycled and get the coraline going. Do teh suggested large pwc and then start testing. Do not add anything till after the tank has completely cycled.