help mixing water

[jerseyguy1996]

What kind of salt are you using for this? Also, I wouldn't suggest having anything living in your tank when you cycle it. The rock will either cycle the tank for you, or if the rock has already been in another tank then it will already have the beneficial bacteria on it that you are trying to culture by the cycling process. This would also be a good time to take a step back and make sure that you have acquired all of the tools that you are going to need to run the tank properly (test kits, salinity test tools, additives). Much better to have it all done before you start adding living creatures to the tank.

[DevilBoy]

Originally Posted by NYer

Um the salt mix should tell you there ratio or mix.. Follow the instructions..

As far as test kits I know most people will not agree I use hte quick 6 tests in one dip strips. (Lol)
Buy a kit sea chem or something for 20 bucks to get you started.

Need to test
PH
Hydrometer for Salinity
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate

Those are the main ones, and if you are getting into reefs add calcium and alkalinity to that list

I would like to add to this list, if someone already did i am sorry, i did not read all the responses.

Those are the basics you need to test for. I would also pick up a kit for Calcium, Magnesium, and Alkalinity. I would buy a pH monitor instead of a kit for your pH. your pH will vary through out the day. Never will get a exact measurement unless you are able to check the pH at the same time testing for pH. You could check in the morning before lights on, middle of your light light cycle, and after lights go off, and average the 3 readings and that should be close to what your pH reading is. I like the monitor all you have to do is peek at the reading a few times a day.

[jph]

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

You always hear people saying how much hydrometers suck, and how inaccurate they are. The funny thing aobut that is that the majority of people dont have their refractometers properly calibrated, and they can be just as bad.

Up until 6 months ago, I was in the same boat. Always used a refractometer, and had always been .003 off of what i thought it was.

FWIW;

when i got my refractometer, i calibrated it with RO/DI water.

now that i'm ready to setup my tank properly (not just curing rock anymore), i ordered a bottle of Pinpoint salinity calibration fluid. and will be using that to recalibrate my refractometer.


J.