I retested the Ph today. Much better at 8.2 I opened the window next to the tank and turned the ceiling fan on. Between that and the airstone, all is well with the ph.

I have a few more updates to add so here goes:

Since this is a brand new set up and I wanted to add a ton of macros and sea grasses, I had to figure out what was the best way to "age" the sand bed. The macros and grasses will need more nutrients than the tank can supply in the early stages. My biggest concern isn't as much for the macros as it is the sea grasses. After a ton of research and questions I was advised to add Fiji reef Mud directly to my sandbed. This will feed the plants from the roots and they will thrive. I gues it's kinda like a plant fertilizer.

The mud is too thick to add with a turkey baster so I took 5 tablespoons of mud and watered it down with tank water. (I had to pick out the pieces of shell that didn't fit in the baster.) I then sucked up the liquified mudd and injected it directly into the sandbed of my 47G tank. I injected it about 1/2 to 1 inch under the top layer of sand. I tried to cover the entire area that wasn't covered by LR. This is a messy process and I did get some on top of the sand....yup, looks like mud to me. So much for my nice white sand bed.

If I would have researched this earlier, I would have done it the easy way. Add 4-5 inches of sand then a layer of mud, then add the last inch or so of sand over the mud. Much easier. Since the tank is cycling, I figured I better do what I could before I have the tank full of goodies!

I have seen pics of tanks that have used this method and the sea grasses are very healthy.

I will let everyone know how well this works. Has anyone here ever done this?

Angie