help with understanding triton test results

coralbeauties · Jul 17, 2015

I just got back my triton test results and they are a little overwhelming. Any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Jeff

Here is the link.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzDj8eD_yPltMktOT1hpQldOdUk/view?usp=sharing

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 17, 2015

First I'd say your salinity looks very low. What is it and how are you measuring it?

What salt mix and what other additives do you use?

coralbeauties · Jul 17, 2015

Ok I am confused. I have a refractometer and aqua craft refractometer calibration fluid. It says to to calibrate at 35ppt. Is that the scale that is on the rt in the refractometer? If so calibrated at that setting my tank is showing 1.027. I save a sample of water when I sent in the trit0n test and it is showing 1.026. I can understand the mag and potassium being low and can fix that. Not sure where the copper could be coming from. I have well water with only copper pipes from the well tank to my pex plastic line system. I use a ro/di system but have been lax in changing the resin in the past. Seems it changes color real fast and then only shows a tds of about 4. should I be concerned with the yellow flag items? I have been fighting issues with my corals for quite some time thinking it was all water but recently found aefw. Looks like I have issues with both.
thanks
jeff

coralbeauties · Jul 17, 2015

Ok I stand corrected. I checked my sample just now and the tank water and I am reading at 1.020. Not sure what my issue was other then being stupid. I will raise it to the 1.026 level or so. Still will need to figure out the other issues.
Jeff

GainesvilleReef · Jul 17, 2015

I would get your salinity right before attempting to adjust Mg and K. When you get your salinity right they should look a lot better. For the copper I would treat the tank with GAC and/or Cuprisorb. It is probably not problematic at that level.

coralbeauties · Jul 17, 2015

Thanks for the advise. I will start to raise my salinity level. How much do you think the mg and k levels will raise? The test kit that I had for potassium showed my tank being at 320 so I didnt think anything was wrong with it. I can now see why I dont see alot of growth in my corals and virtually no coraline growth.
thanks
jeff

GainesvilleReef · Jul 18, 2015

Raise the salinity slowly. Keep the water changes small like less than 5% at first. And never more than 10%. Just do them a lot more frequently. The water changes will have their biggest effect at first and then get lesser near then end. Your levels are going to be pretty close to normal when you are finish so I would not try to dose anything until it is corrected. I had this happen to me when an ATO sensor got knocked loose. And my salinity only got down to 32 ppt. Yours is at around 25 ppt. It's gonna take a lot of water changes to correct. But it is one of those times to be patient.

coralbeauties · Jul 18, 2015

Is it better to do water changes with larger salinity water then just add a cup of salt to the sump a day? I have added several cups of salt within the last couple of days to my sump not knowing really any better.
thanks
Jeff

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 18, 2015

As to the copper, I wouldn't worry too much about that level, which is not very high. Mine was higher than that when I first tested it years ago.

Something like cuprisorb or a polyfilter will reduce it, although it there are any metal parts or tap water in use, it might come back.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 18, 2015

jjoos99 said:
Is it better to do water changes with larger salinity water then just add a cup of salt to the sump a day? I have added several cups of salt within the last couple of days to my sump not knowing really any better.
thanks
Jeff

No, just replace evaporated water with normal salt water. Making extra salinity seawater is problematic because calcium carbonate can precipitate.