after cuke nuke/ pink cucumber

mohammadali · #1 07-17-2012, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

Your test kits are more for every day, long term use, IMO, as opposed to mainly to test for right now (post-cuc-nuke). Use them to check regularly over the next several months till your tank matures and recovers fully from the cuc-nuke.

whats IMO ?
and how do i check the cuc nuke ?

scherzo · #2 07-17-2012, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohammadali

whats IMO ?
and how do i check the cuc nuke ?

IMO means "In My Opinion"

You can't test for the "Cucumber toxic stuff". You just have to check for other things to see if it is safe to add more livestock.

Start with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

Basically what happens if you start a new tank or have massive death is that your tank will produce ammonia (which is really bad for livestock - it would be the equivalent to trying to live in a room filled with smoke from a house fire - you might not die right away - but it will be painful to your lungs)

Then the ammonia will change to nitrite - then over time the nitrite will change to nitrate which is less harmful to the livestock.

That is why we test for those things.

All other tests are secondary - Calcium, Alk, Magnesium, Phosphates are for the health of corals but many can just tell something is up by looking at how happy they are.

Don't worry about pH so much. I know you have a pH test kit but it doesn't tell you too much.

mohammadali · #3 07-17-2012, 03:46 PM

okay ill keep doing water change for the next 2 weeks then ill go test my water

Megalodon · #4 07-17-2012, 07:17 PM

Don't bother getting a nitrite test kit if money is tight. Nitrite isn't as nearly as toxic in seawater as some people believe. For the nitrogen cycle, worry about ammonia, and because it accumulates, nitrate.

mohammadali · #5 07-17-2012, 09:21 PM

im getting this 4 test kit pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
this is a package test kit

canadianbudz604 · #6 07-17-2012, 09:57 PM

Thats the saltwater test kit from api? Its definatly better than nothing.

albert_dao · #7 07-17-2012, 10:04 PM

Tough crowd in here!

Megalodon · #8 07-18-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohammadali

im getting this 4 test kit pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
this is a package test kit

You absolutely need calcium and alkalinity test kits as well. Magnesium can be tested less frequently and therefore you can get away with having the fish store test it on occasion.

burgerchow · #9 07-18-2012, 10:05 PM

don't bash me, but I haven't tested my water for over 3 years..