Help: Parameters are off!

TylerMoralez · Jul 12, 2016

I just measured my parameters and some of them are really worrying me. Here are the results:

pH: 8 ppm
Salinity: 30
Specific Gravity: 1.022
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Carbonate Hardness: 16 dKH
Phosphate: 2 ppm
Calcium: 320 ppm
Magnesium: 1050 ppm
Temperature: 80 degrees Fahrenheit

How do I bring down my nitrate, carbonate hardness, and phosphate? I already did a 10% water change today as well (28 gallon tank). Any information would be appreciated!

Joeganja · Jul 12, 2016

phosphate reactor run phospban or gfo in it, find out where your nitrates are coming from excessive feeding, too many fish, to bring your alkalinity down. you can bring up calcium to 400 first of all. magnesium balances out alkalinity and calcium. bring it up to 1200. nitrates shouldnt be an issue right now until you bring alkalinity down and bring up magnesium which will balance out calcium and alkalinity.

morpheas · Jul 12, 2016

I would first wonder what is causing the high nitrate/phosphate. Is it overfeeding? How much and how often and what are you feeding?

The carbonate hardness is indeed pretty high. What kind of salt are you using? Are you dosing anything? The wacky numbers on the big three would make me check the salt I'm using and make sure the batch I have is not defective...

Finally, to bring down the numbers a 10% change will not put a dent on them. Since you have a small system I would do a 40%-50% water change if that's applicable a couple of times in a week and check again. Before that though I'd check my salt...

jsker · Jul 12, 2016

Water changes will help but only temporary. As stated above do you have a large bio load from to many fish? Or are you Over feeding? Myself I over feed to keep the nitrates between 2-5 ppm and my phosphates around .02 to .03. I use GFO in the sump flow tray and I run carbon in a small reactor. My choice for carbon is bio pellets and dosing NP Pro. I am working on finding my sweet spot with the carbon so that I do not go to low on the nitrates.

Also double check your testing and if you do not have a good test kit I would get one/Ca, Mg, Alk, Po4, No3. Test kits are nice but not exact. Look at you tank, keep track what you are doing, and make small adjustments and be patient and wait.

TylerMoralez · Jul 12, 2016

I purchase premixed saltwater. Don't trust myself to mix it myself. I feed 1 small frozen cube a day of mysis shrimp. My livestock consists of:

2 clowns, 1 gramma, 1 damsel, and 1 firefish. Plus my clean-up crew.

I use the API Saltwater Master kit, and API Reef kit.

I dose with the aquavitro line (eight.four, ions, calcification), as well as nite-out ii.

LakeCityReefs · Jul 12, 2016

Take your water to a LFS to have it tested. You need to make sure your tests are accurate before you make drastic changes.

Joeganja · Jul 12, 2016

TylerMoralez said:
I purchase premixed saltwater. Don't trust myself to mix it myself. I feed 1 small frozen cube a day of mysis shrimp. My livestock consists of:

2 clowns, 1 gramma, 1 damsel, and 1 firefish. Plus my clean-up crew.

I use the API Saltwater Master kit, and API Reef kit.

I dose with the aquavitro line (eight.four, ions, calcification), as well as nite-out ii.

Well nothing wrong with what you feed. So are you testing dkh with both Api test kits or just one? What I like to do is get two different branded test kits just to compare them because sometimes they can be off.

Joeganja · Jul 12, 2016

TylerMoralez said:
I just measured my parameters and some of them are really worrying me. Here are the results:

pH: 8 ppm
Salinity: 30
Specific Gravity: 1.022
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Carbonate Hardness: 16 dKH
Phosphate: 2 ppm
Calcium: 320 ppm
Magnesium: 1050 ppm
Temperature: 80 degrees Fahrenheit

How do I bring down my nitrate, carbonate hardness, and phosphate? I already did a 10% water change today as well (28 gallon tank). Any information would be appreciated!

If you can purchase better test kits. Those test kits aren't the most accurate compared to others on the market like Red Sea and salifert. And I'll agree take a sample to get tested for a double check.

twilliard · Jul 12, 2016

morpheas said:
I would first wonder what is causing the high nitrate/phosphate. Is it overfeeding? How much and how often and what are you feeding?

The carbonate hardness is indeed pretty high. What kind of salt are you using? Are you dosing anything? The wacky numbers on the big three would make me check the salt I'm using and make sure the batch I have is not defective...

Finally, to bring down the numbers a 10% change will not put a dent on them. Since you have a small system I would do a 40%-50% water change if that's applicable a couple of times in a week and check again. Before that though I'd check my salt...

And to add..
Tackle one thing at a time so you can hold back on any frustration.
Concentrate on one, focus and correct.

TylerMoralez · Jul 12, 2016

Joeganja said:
Well nothing wrong with what you feed. So are you testing dkh with both Api test kits or just one? What I like to do is get two different branded test kits just to compare them because sometimes they can be off.

I'm testing dkh with the API Reef Master. I'm looking into better test kits now. I will take a water sample to my LFS and have them tested there as well.