IDK I've sampled using the API strips the skimmer waste water, and it always samples higher in nitrates and nitrites compared to the actual tank water. anyways, my main issue is low or zero phosphate based on strip testing and Salifert i've been told Hanna is more reliable.
. I don't know if you would call it an issue because I have a new tank and it's just I'm sure part of the process. what is interesting is several days ago I had a cyano, pseudo hair algae outbreak all over my live rock , (but not the live rock that I keep in my sump that had no growth ) I took out each individual live rock and scrubbed em down and brought them back into the tank. in the process, I lost a juvenile blue damsel by accident.it must've come out with one of the rocks. That's been four days and there's been no sign since then of any cyano growth. So I'm happy about that. cannot find even a strand or air of growth on any of the rocks four days later. I do have the odd string of Dino on the sand.
also, I know I am a reef forum pariah because well I was talked into or talked around into getting a juvenile purple tang by a reputable local fish shop which mostly sell corals. The rational was it would help my bioload. have at it I'm sure there will be 1000 rebuttals here. since I have no phosphates it was considered a way to increase the tanks bioload. yes I know there's already gonna be 1000 responses telling me that that was wrong, that it won't help the bioload that it should not be in the tank, etc. etc. etc.. I know that getting the purple tang officially gives me a pariah status on these forums. I don't plan on keeping her more than the to the point where she outgrows the 42 gallon tank. I will either get a larger tank or re home her. anyways, I don't think having a juvenile purple tang love in a 42 gallon tank is any different than having an adult tang live in a 100 or 150 gallon tank proportionally. But somehow people rationalize that tangs should never go in a 42 gallon tank that they are open ocean fish; but it's fine for elitist reefers to put adult tangs in 100+ gallon tanks that's OK. They're open ocean fish they need to be in at least 100 or 150 gallon tank. Kind of strange. well here is a picture of the tank today, and a picture of what the tank looks like four days ago.
