First water test on SW tank

[Dripline]

My SW tank has been running with the LR in it for 11 days...I just noticed some new teeny-tiny feather dusters...more polyps are growing...some red algae...lots of macro...and lots of green hairish algae...

Playing with the skimmer...getting some skimmate, but not very much, compared to what I expected...with the die-off I expected a serious amount...

Did my first water test:

Calcium 520+ ppm
KH 7o dKH
Phosphate 0 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm

That's all my kit tests for.

As far as I can tell...calcium is good
KH is a wee bit low
...and the other two perfect...

However, with the algal growth I was expecting phosphates and with the tank being so new I expected nitrates...

Any ideas? I can't possibly be cycled yet, can I?:help:

[Dripline]

Apparently the API Reef Test Kits aren't all that reliable...

So I picked up a Sailfert Nitrite test yesterday (plus a couple of books to tide me over until I can actually buy some livestock)...hoping I actually had some nitrites so I know for certain the tank is cycling...

...and my nitrite reading is:

0 ppm :Ponder:

[Evolution]

Judging by the diatom and algae outbreaks in your other pictures, your cycle could be almost complete. If your ammonia and Nitrite are being consumed, you may not have any trace of them. I'd watch for the Nitrate to start spiking.

If your ammonia and Nitrites go up before the nitrates, then your cycle hasn't started yet. It is just beginning. If your nitrates go up and the ammonia and nitrite stay at 0, then your cycle is almost complete.

Just give it some time and wait for something to spike. Which ever it is, will tell you where you are in your cycle.