Enigma's 10 Gallon Reef

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by aqure591

You started your tank on March 17th and have already added so much live stock... Just curious to know how your water parameters are and if your tank has been fully cycled yet or not ??

(all tests but nitrate test are API tests . . . My nitrate has never been high enough in this tank to even register on the API test)

pH: 8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0.5 (ELOS test . . . Not totally colorless but not as pink as 1)
Phosphate: 0
dkh: 11
Calcium: 460
Magnesium: didn't test this morning
Temp: 77
SG: 1.025

I started with fully cured live rock rubble. I did go through a very minor cycle, which made me very nervous after I added some livestock. None of the levels of anything became high enough to be stressful for the livestock, and I did a 10% water change a day for a week during the mini cycle. I did have a very minor diatom bloom when the cycle completed.

Considering the very bad advice I recieved when I started this (found the forums after this was all on the go) things have gone much better than they should have. I've been very fortunate. I think I've been able to remedy most of the issues.

I test ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates every day.

I do have a second tank that I'm working on. I'm taking everything I've learned so far and am doing that one "the right way." I'm doing a fishless cycle with no live rock with that one. It is close to being cycled.