About to start my 55gal tank

I just brought my water to get tested and this is what I was given.

10-27
ALK .15
CAL .19
A 0.6
N 0.3
N 40
P 0.25
PCH 8.1

Now I know what some of the reading are but the two N's are confusing. One of the guys at the store told me to add fish to the tank to start the cycling because it is better than the srimp. Is that true? Currently I have nothing in there just the base rock and Live rock. Should I buy the fish to stick in there?

 

Ditto.

The coraline algae will definitely come over time. There are products out there that are marketed to help the process along, but the best way (IMO) is to keep the Ca~460, the Mg~1500 and the dKh~12. Without corals, once you get these levels up to par, they shouldn't waver much. When you get the corals in place, the elements will be used and you will have to test at weekly.

Remove the carbon from the filters if you have it in. Do not skim until the tank is cycled. Only run actinics until the tank is cycled. Other than that.....You are doing great. Good job.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. My Cal is at .19, you stated it must be ~460.... how in the world do I raise it that much? Also, why didn't they test for Mg and dKH(what is dKH)? Do I have to go somewhere else to test for those or I have to get my own test kit for those? Should I be putting additives in the water now and also that Shrimp in there as well? And lastly, what is actinics?

 

They are using a different scale when they do the Calcium and Alkalinity tests. Alkalinity used to be commonly measured in degrees of Karbonite Hardness or dKH. You dont have anything in the tank that would use Magnesium.

 

actinics is a type of lighting correct?

 

xeddyboi420x you are right...... I went to my store and they told me to purchase some Fritzyme to put in my tank to help it cycle and I added it in, but my ammonia and nitrites are still not zero. Has anyone ever used it before? They told me that it should work in 3 days and it's been more than that.

 

I have tested my water every day and once a week I bring it to my LFS to see if our results match and usually everything matches except for the ammonia readings. They say I have zero and when I test, I get a reading of .25. Should I go with what they are telling me or go with my results? They sold me the water and all of the supplies so you think they are just trying to sell me the "Our stuff cycled your tank fast" talk they been telling me or that my ammonia is really zero?? Also I put that Fritzyme in the tank a little while ago too. I tested just now and here are my results....
Ammonia .25
Nitrite .2
Nitrate 50
PH 8.2
Alk 3.6
Temp 83
Does anything look odd?? This saturday will be my 4th week into cycling and for about the last week my reading are the same everyday. Has my cycling stalled??

 

Here is the data I have recorded
Temp Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Alkalinity PH
2/1/2009 73 1.00 1.0 3.60 8.0
2/6/2009 76 0.25 1.0
2/8/2009 81 0.25 1.0 50 8.2
2/13/2009 81 0.00 0.3 25 7.9
2/14/2009 82 0.25 0.5 25
2/15/2009 82 0.25 0.2 50 8.0
2/17/2009 78 0.25 0.2 50 3.60 8.2
2/19/2009 83 0.25 0.2 50 3.60 8.2

 

Don't listen to them. You're still cycling. I'm against putting chemicals in to speed it up. You need the ammonia to be there so the right amount of bacteria grows to turn it into nitrites, and so on.

Looks like your numbers are moving along fine. Just be patient with it. Nature is doing her thing

 

Looking at the timeline of your posts... it looks like it is trying to get the cycle going again after you put that fritzyme in. Like you put the fritz in there on the 10th and your 13th date test is where that started.

I'd not put anymore of that in and just wait it out. That may end up slowing you down instead of speeding it up