Advice? Help with water parameters?

To echo what @xroads said, listen to opinions/options, do some research, and then decide on you own. There is not 'one' perfect way to do it - and everyone will have a bit different opinion on what is best and what 'priorities' should be.

I also would not throw out the API test kits. They aren't the best, but they aren't bad. The problem with them comes primarily (IMO) from having to judge the color changes. So, if you are fairly precise and pay attention, you will judge the color the same way each time, and you will get fairly consistent results. With test kits, the two concerns are consistency and accuracy. If you can get consistent results, you will maintain stability. Then as long as the accuracy is within reason - you can be ok. So I would wait until you use up the test kit and then switch to a better one. Just starting out with corals, you don't need to be chasing the numbers that much as long as they are consistent and within the desirable range. I used API kits for quite a while until I switched to the Salifert test kits. Same goes with the hydrometer. I used one for several years. Once I found out it was inaccurate, I compared it with someone that had a refractometer. Then I used a magic marker to put a mark on the true spot for a salinity of 1.026. It was probably a year after I started adding corals that I got a refractometer. Not saying that that wouldn't be one of my first priorities, just saying first decide on your priorities.

Since you don't have a sump, do you have a skimmer? That wasn't mentioned. If you don't, getting one would be a top priority.

If you are needing a skimmer or better one, you can often buy a used one from a club member at a reduced price. (You are planning to join soon - right????? Its well worth it. Get in free to the Fests, attend club meetings, buy club fish/coral food.......) You could post that you are looking for a skimmer... I bought a used Reef Octopus skimmer off a club member back in 2010 and used it for 4 years. It was way better than the one I originally bought.

Salt mix: If your calcium levels are truly high, using Instant Ocean (not their Reef Crystals version), is an option with lower calcium that will help keep your calcium levels from increasing so much. It is cheaper than Reef Crystals. So, you could use it for awhile until you have enough coral that start needing the added calcium - and then switch back to Reef Crystals.

Also, don't forget that Black Friday will be coming up in about a month. You can usually get some good deals on the additional equipment and/or test kits you may want. As an example, last year when I was ready to purchase a new skimmer, I decided on the Vertex Omega. The regular price for it was $399. It was HUGELY discounted and I got it for $250. Now, I'm not saying that everything is discounted 35%, but you will find many things discounted 10 or maybe 20%.

10 gallon water change: While this will help some in reducing your nitrates and phosphates, keep the following in mind. Assuming that you have 40 gallon of water in your tank, a 10 gallon water change would be a 25% water change. So if your make-up water has 0 Nitrates in it, and the water in your tank has 10 nitrates - your end result will be 7.5 nitrates. Don't be surprised if you can't tell the difference on your color scale of the test kit! If your phosphates are .5, that amt of water change would reduce them to .37 What test kit are you using for that?

 

Just a word of caution. If your salinity is off - getting it to 1.026 will have an impact on Calcium and alkalinity. I don't know the math there, but I would want to get to 1.026 before I determined how far off my calc and alk were really.

Skimmer: Hmmmmm. I'd be interested in what opinions others had. I almost think that getting a better skimmer would do you better than a reactor - in reducing both your nitrates and phosphates.

I doubt you will need the alk supplement for awhile. And when you do, you should be dosing calcium as well.

 

1.025. I feel better about that. I would try to stay in the 1.025 - 1.026 range. I personally shoot for 1.026 - but not everyone would agree on that I think.

Post your results after a visit to LFS. And definitely get a salinity reading from them.

 

Those numbers sound more reasonable. I'm interested in what you get for a 3rd set of numbers.