Water parameters on my new tank

[Turlington]

Hi,

Would like some help/advice if my water tests are okay. I set up the tank last Thursday, 2/3/5. 58g, eheim canister, bak pak skimmer, powerhead and heater. I have about 80 lbs of live sand and 50 lbs of live rock.

I took the following tests just now:

Ammonia = 0 ppm
PH = 7.8
Nitrite = 0 ppm
Nitrate = 0 ppm
Salinity = just below 30
Specific gravity = 1.022

When should I change water and how much?

Thanks,

[btang]

PH is low, should get up to 8.1 - 8.2

Salt is a bit low, should get up to 1.024.

You can change water every two to three weeks. (thats what I do) about 10%. But other may have a different routine.

I would look to get rid of the canister as a full time filter. How big is your tank?

Welcome to TRT!

[Turlington]

Hi btang,

My tank is 58 gal. How do I get my PH to 8.1 or 8.2? What should I replace my canister with? Also, I may change my skimmer to a quieter one. The bak pak operates a bit noisy. Any suggestion?

I really appreciate your help.

Thanks,

[btang]

You just dont need the canister (can cause problems down the road , high nitrates), The live rock and the protein skimmer is all you need. I dont use a Protein Skimmer, I have a bit of a different setup. But most folks do and I'm sure one of the will give some recommendations.

PH problem??? Have you tested the PH of your fresh Salt water before it does into the tank? Are you using RO? Do you have good water movement in the tank? Lets hope one of the expert salty dogs is reading this and will sound in. How often are you doing water changes, how much are you changing? How deep is your sand bed?

[btang]

Sorry, I just reread your first post, you just set up your tank. Check your salt water mix on the PH.