29 Gallon Reef 1st Saltwater Tank!!!

It seems like the really high quality test kits do not come as a pack. They are individual. I just converted to 100% Salifert here recently. They all come individually. NH4, NO2, NO3, pH, PO4, Ca, Mg, I, ALK. Those are the ones I have. I have heard the Elos brand does a better job at NO3 though. Easier. So, honestly, I wouldn't look at the cheaper brands. I would bypass API, Red Sea, et. al. and do it right the first time. JMO though.

 

+1 on salifert. they're VERY EXPENSIVE, but no more unreliable/unreproducible results like what I was getting with API.

 

Took some tests:
PH 8.2
AMMONIA 0
NO2 0PPM
NO3 20PPM
This about right?

 

Still having some diatom issues. Not sure whats causing it, seems the snails eat a buch of it every night. Once the lights come on in the morning it all come back within about 2 hours.

 

Your test levels are ok. Get some hermit crabs too.
Diatoms are a normal sign of progress in your tank.

 

Good deal now just got to save some money for a skimmer and then start on some coral in about a month.
How well do hermit crabs do? Do they eat debre on the tank bottem? Also do you have to get bigger shells for them to change into?

 

That won't be your last algae bloom so don't worry. It is a normal part of the tank establishing itself. I've had a few I'll tell ya.

Hermits eat a lot crap off the sand bottom and rocks. I think it's best to have a combo of red and blue legs. You do have to have extra shells in your tank or they will kill each other and snails looking for bigger homes.

 

Thanks for the advice. But a alagee bloom of more than 3 weeks is normal with diatoms?

 

I had a few blooms and the took about a week to peak and a week to go away. My cyano which you may or may get happen at about the 5 month period and took a month to clear up. I don't know what's normal, this was just my experience. I think the length of blooms differ from tank to tank. What kind of CUC do you have?

 

Cuc?