HELP 55g Need to Save Corals!! Why is Alakinity SO high??

[Jnharris22]

A. Total water volume ( Please include sump, etc.)
I have a 55g tank that I am struggling to balance out. I was an idiot and bought a $200 hammer tip coral that is shriveling more and more by the day. I have done two water changes on it and other than expected spikes in Nitrates and Nitrites while the tank is cycling I am having extremely high dKH so I'm wondering if that is the problem and how do I lower it?

B. What are your parameters? ( CA, ALK, PO4,Salinity, etc.)
80 degrees F
Calcium - 380 ppm
(KH) Alakinity - 304.4 ppm / 17 dKH
Phospate- .5 ppm
Nitrite - 5.0 ppm
Ph - 8.3
Ammonia - .025 pm
Nitrate - 80ppm

I just finished a 10g water change with Seachem Calcium additive, I would do more but I need to go to the store in there morning for more salt. Anyone have any idea what I need to do to help balance all of this out?

I am reading a lot of people saying that water changes should solve high alkalinity but mine just seems to continue to stay high.

C. Type of lighting. Please include age, watts, and bulb/ballast name.
I have a T8 Ballast and I have a 50/50 bulb as well as a 10,000k bulb I have been switching back and forth on trying to see which one works better. I would love any advice on what lighting spectrum I should be aiming for when growing corals.

D. Filtration method (Skimmer, GFO, DSB, etc.)
I currently use a hang on filter, I am upgrading to a 75g in another week or two with a full sump setup so I just need to make it until then.

E. What types of corals do you keep other than SPS?
I have one very small (3" tall) tree like coral, I can't remember the name.
I also have two heads of branching hammer head corals that seems to be doing alright but could do better.
I have three live rocks and a small coral with two heads but I can't remember the name of that either.


F. How long has the tank been running?
Two weeks, one week without animals and only some live rock but no light.

G. What are you dosing? Dosing schedule?
If I could find a guide on what the heck I'm supposed to be doing I might be able to answer that but this hobby seems hard because of all the mystery behind how this all adds up.

H. Which brand of salt are you using?
Coralreef
Seachem

I. What brand of test kits are you employing?
Saltwater Master Test Kit
Reef Master Test Kit

J. What are you using for CA/ALK supplementation?
Seachem Calcium Additive

K. What are you using for flow? (Pump names, how many, placement, etc.)
1. Fluval Powerhead 294g p/h (I've been wondering if I should change it to the circulation pump mode which circulates 1200g p/h) I have this on the left hand side towards the back mixing air into the water that comes down out of the hang on filter and pushes it across the tank.
1. Circulation Fan 650g p/h bottom back right hand corner pointing towards the top back corner across the other side of the tank.

 

[Joeganja]

you just hit your nitrate/nitrite cycle. It happens in most tanks

 

[anarchy]

From the parameters that you posted your tank hasn't finished cycling. Ammonia and Nitrite should 0.

You also shouldn't be adding any additives for alk/calcium. You don't have enough coral growing to deplete alk or calcium that water changes wouldn't take care of.

You really need to get the coral out of the tank and let the tank finish cycling. Once the tank is finished cycling then you can do water changes to lower your nitrate. Do not use any cal/alk additives with your water changes. Just salt and water.

I would also suggest a more accurate test kit like salifert, red sea, ect

 

[Joeganja]

You should at least wait 3-5 weeks before adding any fish and maybe a month to three months before adding any coral and especially any lps.

 

[Joeganja]

for your salinity i reccommend using a refractometer sounds like your new to the hobby so you might be using a hydrometer.

 

[Stephanie11]

Please get those corals out. A good live fish store will hold them for you. Or go on a local forum and maybe someone will hold your coral for you. They should have made it you wait at least a month before 1 fish. This is not a overnight hobby. I hope all goes well. Ammonia should be 0. Amm, nitrite and nitrate are what's screwing your alk reading

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Sorry to hear that bud, 1) you should let the store that sold you that pice at least keep it for you for another month, 2) your salt might be bad or a test kit, this happened to my buddy, alk should fall(precipitate) naturally at that high of a level, 3) also if you make your own water without RO that could be the cause .

 

[Jnharris22]

From the parameters that you posted your tank hasn't finished cycling. Ammonia and Nitrite should 0.

You also shouldn't be adding any additives for alk/calcium. You don't have enough coral growing to deplete alk or calcium that water changes wouldn't take care of.

You really need to get the coral out of the tank and let the tank finish cycling. Once the tank is finished cycling then you can do water changes to lower your nitrate. Do not use any cal/alk additives with your water changes. Just salt and water.

I would also suggest a more accurate test kit like salifert, red sea, ect

Thank you! I knew my tank was cycling when I saw the nitrites and nitrates so high, quite frankly the biggest mistake I made was putting coral into the tank too fast. I wish the guy at the store would have said something, I told him multiple times that my tank was brand new. I upgraded from a 29g and used the water and filter from the 29 hoping that would boost the new tank through the cycle but that didnt happen. I'm calling the stores in my area today to see if they will hold the coral for me for a while.

ANYONE IN THE PHOENIX/MESA AREA WILLING TO HELP BABYSIT CORALS WHILE MY TANK CYCLES???!!

 

[Jnharris22]

From the parameters that you posted your tank hasn't finished cycling. Ammonia and Nitrite should 0.

You also shouldn't be adding any additives for alk/calcium. You don't have enough coral growing to deplete alk or calcium that water changes wouldn't take care of.

You really need to get the coral out of the tank and let the tank finish cycling. Once the tank is finished cycling then you can do water changes to lower your nitrate. Do not use any cal/alk additives with your water changes. Just salt and water.

I would also suggest a more accurate test kit like salifert, red sea, ect

, Oh, also the test kits I have are API test kits, they are the main ones I could find at the pet stores but I want the most accurate stuff I can afford. What do you recommend for test kits? Are Digital better than chemical or strip tests?

 

[Jnharris22]

You should at least wait 3-5 weeks before adding any fish and maybe a month to three months before adding any coral and especially any lps.

I read last night that the live rock actually serves as a type of nitrate / nitrite filter. Would it help it I removed the corals and put a bunch of live rock in there to speed up / finish off the cycle? As I mentioned in a reply to another post I upgraded tanks from 29 to 55 gal and used the old tank water and filter in hopes that would either skip cycling the new tank entirely or at least speed it up. Guess that didn't happen......

 

[Jnharris22]

for your salinity i reccommend using a refractometer sounds like your new to the hobby so you might be using a hydrometer.

Yes I was told to measure salinity using a Hydrometer so that's what I have been using. Two questions about the refractometer. First off, is salinity that sensitive of an area that the reading differential between Hydrometer and Refractometer is going to be big enough to spend the extra money on a refractometer?

Second, there are A LOT of refractometers that I found online with a quick shopping search and some start around $40 while others are well above $300 - $400.... Whats the difference and what would you recommend going with?

 

[Jnharris22]

Please get those corals out. A good live fish store will hold them for you. Or go on a local forum and maybe someone will hold your coral for you. They should have made it you wait at least a month before 1 fish. This is not a overnight hobby. I hope all goes well. Ammonia should be 0. Amm, nitrite and nitrate are what's screwing your alk reading

So you're saying forget all this stuff I keep reading about Alk and Calc having a direct relationship and blah blah blah UNTIL after my tank has finished it's cycle right? I was thinking those were what was killing off the corals or making them sick at least but you're saying those things don't matter until the tank is cycled anyways right?

CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND ANY GOOD ARIZONA / PHOENIX / TEMPE / MESA AREA "LOCAL" FORUMS?

 

[Jnharris22]

Sorry to hear that bud, 1) you should let the store that sold you that pice at least keep it for you for another month, 2) your salt might be bad or a test kit, this happened to my buddy, alk should fall(precipitate) naturally at that high of a level, 3) also if you make your own water without RO that could be the cause .

I use water conditioner and mix in the salt additive. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS RO??????

 

[haleyf1024]

RO water is reverse osmosis. It is nearly pure water, tap is usually contaminated by chemicals, copper, or other impurities. To be successful, it is highly recommended to use this, not tap. I have heard that using conditioners could eventually lead to a toxic build up of the chemicals in the tank given time. Not sure if it is true, but something to think about. LFS usually sell RO water, about 50¢ a gallon for fresh or $1 for salt. Do not add anything like Alk or Cal until the tank is cycled, running, and you monitor your nutrient levels to see if you even need to dose. Yes about the importance of a refractometer. They are much more accurate. My refractometer was $50 and is always spot on. My hydrometers (I used 3) would always contradict each other by at least .003 SG.

 

[haleyf1024]

As far as test kits go, I use API only to double check my Red Sea kits and measure less important tests. Alk, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphate and others if you can afford it, I highly recommend red sea. Ammonia can be monitored by an ammonia alert badge made by Seachem and probably just checked by an API test. Hanna also makes a very good phosphate checker

 

[RobberyinCSharp1824]

Second, there are A LOT of refractometers that I found online with a quick shopping search and some start around $40 while others are well above $300 - $400.... Whats the difference and what would you recommend going with?

I have a $40 refractometer from Amazon made by Agricultural Solutions. Love it. Works like a charm and easy to use. Just spend the money on it now and avoid the hydrometer headache later.

 

[RobberyinCSharp1824]

I use water conditioner and mix in the salt additive. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS RO??????

Definitely do not use tap water. RO/DI water only if you're going to mix yourself. It's worth it to just get it pre-made from your lfs at this stage in the game.

Aquarium salt is difficult to dissolve unless the water is pure H2O. If you have a well (like me) you're looking at insanely hard water full of minerals like Cu (toxic to coral), Mg, Ca, Fe, etc. Not only is that salt never going to fully dissolve, you risk adding toxic stuff to your tank. If you've got city water, you're looking at Cl in your water, at the very least. Not good for fish or coral.

Get some pre-made salt water for now. When you get a refractometer, you can start buying RO/DI and mix your own

 

[RobberyinCSharp1824]

Also, ditch the API kits except for things like pH. I used the exact test kit you are using and I had tons of headaches. I'm a fan of Salifert myself, and lots of people speak highly of Red Sea. Hanna makes great checkers, but at a higher price tag.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Hey man, so sorry that you're having a tough time getting started. This is a wonderful hobby, but there's a huge learning curve that we all go through at the beginning.

+1 to what everyone else has said about the cycle being your main issue. Ammonia and Nitrites are TOXIC to all of your life forms in your tank, so your alk or other chemistry isn't the big issue on your plate right now. It's the cycle that's killing your stuff.

For a local forum, check out these guys: http://azfragclub.com/forum/. They've got some good people in there that will be able to help you locally, but definitely keep involved here at R2R as well!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

For alk test and Phosphates, I LOVE my Hanna test kits. For everything else, I use Salifert, but I know RedSea is also very reliable.

I use the Milwaukee digital refractometer and I think it's the bees knees, but lots of folks use regular refractometers (I think you can get a good one from Marine Depot or Bulk Reef Supply). A good regular refractometer should run about $45 I think.

I will tell ya that some equipment may seem expensive, but it's best to buy good stuff starting out. If you don't, you'll still buy it later on and end up adding to that cost the price of the cheaper equipment...that's a lesson I learned from experience. Not everything thet's quality is expensive, but most things that aren't are cheap...just my .02.