Help with water levels.

[Eissie]

I have had the tank set up now for around 2-3 months. Everything that is in it now came with the tank except a coral beauty and an anemone. My levels have been perfect up untill about a week ago and they all seem to be high. I got my nitrates down around 10 with a water change, but shouldn't they be 0 ? And phosphates are around 1.0.
But my calcium is out the roof. My kit doesn't even tell me that high. And the kh test is pretty high too. I know I'm being a bad reef mom, but I don't have any other test because I was told it's all I needed and with a store an hour away it's not very cost effective to drive that far.
So, I am planning a trip this weekend to the store to purchse all that is needed for the tank.
I have instant ocean sea salt, Kent marine pro buffer, essential elements, and pro-ammonia detox and lastly red sea buff. I also have a hydrometer.
Please help me out with the shopping list.
Lastly I only have about 7 cleaner crabs and what not. I know this is far from enough. My sand has been getting a brown " film" on it. Is this where my sand has not been sifted of moved? If so what do I need to do to fix this and just how often does my water need changed and how much?

It would seem I jumped into this hobby and wasn't properly warned. But if I can ever figure out what all I need to do I think we will make it. So... Help??

 

[ErinCahir]

Are you using tap water?
Is your brown "film" dusty?

 

[BL1]

I would make sure you have at least pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate test kits. Calcium, kH, and alk kits aren't really needed until you start keeping quantities of hard corals. Are you using all of those buffers and additives? If so, I'd stop and only use them if your water changes aren't enough to keep your water parameters where they should be.

 

[Eissie]

Are you using tap water?
Is your brown "film" dusty?

Yes I have been using tap water because up untill I joined the forum I was under the impression tap was fine. I guess I need to do better research instead of taking peoples word as truth.

 

[Eissie]

I would make sure you have at least pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate test kits. Calcium, kH, and alk kits aren't really needed until you start keeping quantities of hard corals. Are you using all of those buffers and additives? If so, I'd stop and only use them if your water changes aren't enough to keep your water parameters where they should be.

I have used the buffer maybe twice. But it reads as if it is mostly for keepig the ph stable, abs seeing as how I was told it was fine I haven't been checking or even worrying about it. I'm highly upset with the "help" I have been getting.

 

[Eissie]

Are you using tap water?
Is your brown "film" dusty?

it does seem "dusty"

 

[BL1]

How long has your tank been set up? Dusty brown algae is usually diatoms, it is very common in newer tanks and will eventually go away on it's own once all the nutrients it feeds on have been used up. However, the tap water your using can keep feeding them, which will make them stick around longer.

 

[Eissie]

How long has your tank been set up? Dusty brown algae is usually diatoms, it is very common in newer tanks and will eventually go away on it's own once all the nutrients it feeds on have been used up. However, the tap water your using can keep feeding them, which will make them stick around longer.

I have had this tank at my house set up for around 2-3 months. I tried to get all the cycled water I could when I bought the tank, but when I posted that in another thread I was told that didn't matter. So there is another let down. So now I'm saving up for a ro filter and hopefully a skimmer seeing as how I have neither of the two.

 

[Mr.Diggler]

Try not to get discouraged. This can be a difficult hobby starting out. Keep posting questions on the boards and you will get your answers, chin up.

 

[Eissie]

Try not to get discouraged. This can be a difficult hobby starting out. Keep posting questions on the boards and you will get your answers, chin up.

Thanks so much! I need some encouragement after all the worries I have had over this tank this week. :)