help with tank parameters

[jdubya]

Hello! I'm trying to understand how to fix my tank params. I have a 10g nuvo tank
Alk - 7.0
pH - 8.4
calcium - 400

I've trying to increase Alk and calcium by dosing 1mL each per day - how will this impact pH which already seems a bit high?

 

[Copingwithpods]

That all depends on your tank load, if your tank is consuming let's say 1 dkh a day and 20 ppm cal and you're dosing that alone you'll never see them raise at all. You parameters are actually in the acceptable range. Can you give a little more info on your tank and what you are dosing it with?

 

[jdubya]

That all depends on your tank load, if your tank is consuming let's say 1 dkh a day and 20 ppm cal and you're dosing that alone you'll never see them raise at all. You parameters are actually in the acceptable range. Can you give a little more info on your tank and what you are dosing it with?

thanks - dosing with b-ionic two part. my zoas have been closing and my bounce mushroom has been shrinking so i have been testing my params and the main thing that seems to be low is alk..nothing has changed such as lighting or anything

 

[Copingwithpods]

How do your other parameters look?
Ammo
Nitrate
Phosphates
Salinity
Temperature

 

[SPR1968]

Just add whatever your using as an additive for each parameter to increase them to the correct levels.

Your alkalinity is on the low side as in you don’t have any flexibility if it drops any more so I personally would raise it to 8 - 8.5

I wouldn’t worry to much about pH its unlikely to be an issue

Here is a good guide

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[jdubya]

How do your other parameters look?
Ammo
Nitrate
Phosphates
Salinity
Temperature

ammonia = 0
nitrate = 0
phos = 0
salinity = 1.25
temp - 78

i have been battling bubble/turf algae so phos/ntirates likely not actually 0 - been dosing vibrant which has just killed the bubble algae.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Like stated above I'd dose a bit more to get alk and cal a bit higher your issues are most likely due to having zero nutrients NO3 PO4 unless it's an oddball problem like something rusting. Forget pH

 

[jdubya]

Like stated above I'd dose a bit more to get alk and cal a bit higher your issues are most likely due to having zero nutrients NO3 PO4 unless it's an oddball problem like something rusting. Forget pH

best way to remedy? feed more? considering i get film algae on the glass every few days i thought that was a decent sign of nutrients in the tank

 

[Copingwithpods]

Depends, what test kits are you using. Also feeding more and over feeding is a very fine line. Manual removal of algae and uping feeding is your best best coupled with proper testing.

 

[jdubya]

Depends, what test kits are you using. Also feeding more and over feeding is a very fine line. Manual removal of algae and uping feeding is your best best coupled with proper testing.

I'm using salifert test kits. Also feeding I have two clownfish and feed them about 10-15 small pellets a day

 

[Copingwithpods]

I'd say one problem at a time, vibrant will knock out bubble algae in a hurry but turf will take longer. If you are consistently testing at 7dkh and 400 cal I'd leave it there and fucus on your algae problem first. Once you do that you might find that you're feeding too much and may need to cut back or supplement with some frozen food (less nutrient dense)

 

[jdubya]

I'd say one problem at a time, vibrant will knock out bubble algae in a hurry but turf will take longer. If you are consistently testing at 7dkh and 400 cal I'd leave it there and fucus on your algae problem first. Once you do that you might find that you're feeding too much and may need to cut back or supplement with some frozen food (less nutrient dense)

Thanks! One problem after another though, bubble algae all died and turf is going down. But now dinos have started, which I heard often happens with vibrant

 

[ScottB]

There are a few pieces to the puzzle I feel I am missing.

If you don't have stony corals then ALK and Ca aren't that important and frequent water changes should replenish them enough. Are you doing WCs?

Film algae while dosing Vibrant and zero nutrients also kinda puzzling. At least the film algae part. I agree that is symptomatic with having available nutrient. But then I don't know the resolution of salifert kits for nutrient so hard to say.

Wait a second... ostreopsis dino can leave a brown film on the glass especially in high light & flow areas. Lets get some pics going: full tank shot, areas with apparent dinos, any corals that are doing good and bad. All under white lights.

Also, how old is the tank? Did you start with live rock or dead?

Hang in there.

 

[jdubya]

There are a few pieces to the puzzle I feel I am missing.

If you don't have stony corals then ALK and Ca aren't that important and frequent water changes should replenish them enough. Are you doing WCs?

Film algae while dosing Vibrant and zero nutrients also kinda puzzling. At least the film algae part. I agree that is symptomatic with having available nutrient. But then I don't know the resolution of salifert kits for nutrient so hard to say.

Wait a second... ostreopsis dino can leave a brown film on the glass especially in high light & flow areas. Lets get some pics going: full tank shot, areas with apparent dinos, any corals that are doing good and bad. All under white lights.

Also, how old is the tank? Did you start with live rock or dead?

Hang in there.

Thanks! I'll work on getting some photos, I'm doing weekly 10% water changes, lately I've done a few 20% when things haven't been looking well. and the tank has been running since Nov 2018. I had dinos about 6 months in but they went away with normal maintenance.

I have two type of frogspawn, jawbreaker mushrooms, monicap, that are doing well

Doing mediocre are my favia (looks fine but lost a lot of color), green nepthea leathe, pink goni, a few different types of zoas (open but not fully)

Doing poor are my og bounce, various zoas that have shrunken and closed.

Since I've gotten dinos the stuff on the glass is probably related to them cause it's brown, previous 6 months it was green though and nitrates were still 0, phosphates were.028