Help balancing my 40 gallow cube

[AlisaMarie16]

Hello lovely people,
I have a 40 gallon cube that's a few months old now and just got Hanna checkers (was previously using API). Looks like my parameters need work but I don't know where to start and would love advice. Here are all the details that may help (let me know if anything else is needed). I was measuring my salt with a fancy gadget from Amazon but have since learned that it was inaccurate and my salt has always been closer to 1.028 than where it should be - ekkk. Thank you!

Reef Crystals Salt
1.028 SG
52 Nitrate
0.70 Phosphate
467 Calcium
11.5 Alkalinity
1450 Magnesium
79 degrees temp

I've been dosing 5ml All for Reef daily.

Mixed reef tank, two clowns, cleaner wrasse, timmer wrasse, algae blenny, firefish, watchmen goby, tiger pistol, cleaner shrimp, and some snails/hermits.

Most everything has appeared "okay" except a few corals. My elegance coral which is having a rough go of it and the two hammer frags I had both completely died (though one was due to a rouge Peppermint shrimp). I realize now it was too early for hammers - some how the torches are okay! My orange clown has a few black "freckles" that are new as well (not sure if this is related.

I welcome all advice - I am a newbie

 

[Jekyl]

2 50% water changes over the next week to get salinity right and get nutrients down. After that give it a week or 2 of regular maintenance and see how things react.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Well your S.G. is a bit high, try running it @ 1.0265 which equates to 35ppt. Your Po4 is in a sweet spot. Alk, Some like it that high, I personally like mid 8's to 9.
In reality your parameters are not that bad and many have successful tanks running those numbers.
I would concentrate on keeping your parameters steady and building up your tank Biome
Edit misread the Po4... thought it was .07

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd reduce or stop the All for reef, unless you know that you want alk at 11.5 dKH.

What were you using for salinity? I'd be wary of just assuming the newest device is more accurate than the old one.

 

[AlisaMarie16]

I'd reduce or stop the All for reef, unless you know that you want alk at 11.5 dKH.

What were you using for salinity? I'd be wary of just assuming the newest device is more accurate than the old one.

The old device was called Kactoily 4 in 1.

I calibrated my new salinity gauge and also checked against bottle "sea water at 1.026" and it still shows my tank is 1.028. Ekk.

What is "ideal" for dKH in a mixed reef?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The old device was called Kactoily 4 in 1.

I calibrated my new salinity gauge and also checked against bottle "sea water at 1.026" and it still shows my tank is 1.028. Ekk.

What is "ideal" for dKH in a mixed reef?

Where did the 1.026 standard come from? We need to be careful because different types of devices can need different standards.

I recommend 7-11 dKH for typical reef tanks.

 

[AlisaMarie16]

Where did the 1.026 standard come from? We need to be careful because different types of devices can need different standards.

I recommend 7-11 dKH for typical reef tanks.

AccuraSea Refractometer Calibration Solution (250 ml) - Two Little Fishies​

I am now using the Milwaukee Seawater Refractometer MA887. I used distilled water to callibrate. And the two little fishies as a standard 1.026 to match my own water against. The product did read at 1.026 and my own water at 1.028.

 

[TokenReefer]

Where did the 1.026 standard come from?

Isn't it cited as the average salinity of nsw (35ppt/1.0264sg)?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

AccuraSea Refractometer Calibration Solution (250 ml) - Two Little Fishies​

I am now using the Milwaukee Seawater Refractometer MA887. I used distilled water to callibrate. And the two little fishies as a standard 1.026 to match my own water against. The product did read at 1.026 and my own water at 1.028.

Ok, that sounds fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Isn't it cited as the average salinity of nsw (35ppt/1.0264sg)?

Yes. The thing is that a standard (such as mine) can be made to read 35 ppt on a specific type of device, but it may not read 35 ppt on other types of devices. That is because it is often most convenient to not make standards from seawater, but from simpler and more stable chemicals.

For example, a sodium chloride solution that matches the refractive index of 35 ppt seawater may not match the conductivity of 35 ppt seawater.

 

[TokenReefer]

Yes. The thing is that a standard (such as mine) can be made to read 35 ppt on a specific type of device, but it may not read 35 ppt on other types of devices. That is because it is often most convenient to not make standards from seawater, but from simpler and more stable chemicals.

For example, a sodium chloride solution that matches the refractive index of 35 ppt seawater may not match the conductivity of 35 ppt seawater.

Oh I see what you're saying. Yeah good point!

Edit: when I say good point, I mean "oh I didn't that"
Interesting. I think TLF uses NSW in their calibration fluid bottles