Biocube filtration?

[Bitchwheur?]

I have a 29 gallon biocube,i didnt modify the filter in anyway, My nitrates are at 0, so I think the bio balls are doing just fine, but I don't think there's enough flow or oxygen in the tank. This tank is about five years old,(it recently became a reef tank though, about 2 months old) so my plan is to add a protein skimmer, and a power head. I'm new to this, so don't judge me, but could I add an extra power head to improve the flow rate, or do I just need a better return pump? Would it be okay to just add a power head while keeping my return pump? The ammonia trite and trate are all at 0, but my alkalinity is high, calcium is good, and phosphates are a little higher then they should be, it may be linked to magnesium, I haven't tested for magnesium I thought it came with the master kit I bought, but it didn't.

 

[lion king]

I found the stock pump for the bc29 to be good, it's the same flow rate as a mj1200, so if you needed to replace an old pump just get a mj1200. Adding a circulation type power head is a good addition, you could add 2 small ones, on opposite sides and flow directions. Phosphates and magnesium aren't related to my knowledge, so your source of phosphates are probably coming from somewhere else. With your nitrates being zero, it could be from your water source or even leaching from the rocks. If it were from your source of feeding or some other nutrient source, you would probably also see nitrates.

 

[Bitchwheur?]

I meant my alkalinity may be linked to magnesium, if I'm correct. The phosphates are just a little higher then they are meant to be, and I think it's leaching of a rock I didn't cure, I thought it would just cure it's self during the cycle. I'll probably just do what you said and add the two power heads on each side. Basically I have high alkalinity and my p.h is 8.0, and i was wondering if that problem is linked to magnesium

 

[donnievaz]

What's your Alk level and what salt are you using? Are you using any kind of ph buffer? That will raise your alk.

 

[Bitchwheur?]

It's 11 dkh/ 196.9 kh and I get rodi water with the salt already mixed in it at my lfs (1.025) When I set it up i did use tap, but I'm thinking through all the water changes I've done with rodi water any elements from the tap should be gone, yet my salinity is 1.023. I'll probably just do some more water small water changes over the course of a week, and try a p.h buffer and see what happens. Thank your for your help

 

[donnievaz]

It's 11 dkh/ 196.9 kh and I get rodi water with the salt already mixed in it at my lfs (1.025) When I set it up i did use tap, but I'm thinking through all the water changes I've done with rodi water any elements from the tap should be gone, yet my salinity is 1.023. I'll probably just do some more water small water changes over the course of a week, and try a p.h buffer and see what happens. Thank your for your help

DON'T use a ph buffer. That will raise the alk. That's why I asked if you were using one.

 

[Bitchwheur?]

Alright I'm not using anything, on it rn, it doesn't have coral yet, just live rocks and 1 fish, but I'm just worried my low p.h may harm the one fish I have, although he's been doing fine the past 3 weeks, and seems to be thriving. My hermits keep dying along with my snails and shrimp (They were turbos) , so I did buy 1 Halloween hermit and a couple of snails (Idk the name of) they seem fine rn and the emerald crab I have is doing great, so I'm just going to do water changes add a skimmer and power heads, and see if that helps.