corals after cycle if properly maintained?

Not a huge problem, just add more fresh water to top off or remove some display water and add some fresh slowly over the course of a couple hours to get the SG down. It's no biggy.

 

1.028 isn't really crazy high but you certainly don't want to keep it there. I run mine at 1.026

 

I would have your water tested by a local fish store if you can. I personally wouldn't trust API with calcium, not salinity with a hydrometer. If you already use Red Sea for Mag & Alk, I would just get it for Calc as well. They make a kit (Pro I think) that has all 3 in it. And ideally you would want a refractometer calibrated with 35ppt (1.026 sg) solution every time you use it.

 

Dang! U think im made of money?! Haha. i just want a few coral to keep alive. im hoping i can this time since im trying to do everythin right. when i first started 8 months ago, i tried a condy anemone in the first week. lol i dont remember ever seeing a cycle back then either. but this time im in the cycle, past the bacterial bloom, and now with a small amount of diatoms. and im trying my best to keep everything stable.

 

ok so im guessing cycle is over. ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0. still small amount of diatoms. problem though: ph went down to 7.6ish. alkalinity went down to 8. so whats going on? why did it go down? calcium 480, magnesium 1360.

 

What do you have for a substrate? How long are your lights on? Do you have a glass top on the tank?