My readings - Help please.

[xbrentx]

125G DT w/ a 45G Sump - 6 months running

Salinity 1.026
TEMP 79-80
Nitrate 10
Calcium 550
MAG 1250-1300
Alk 3 meq/L


I am still learning the chemisty, I have been successful with managing nitrates recently, had a bubble where it reached 40+ but was able to tackle it with some extra clean up crew and sand bed maintance and managing phospates better.

Temp has been sitting around 80 with the summer heat, trying to make sure it does not go any higher.

I have been incorrectly dosing calcium, I have identified the issue and it will not happen again, now to bring it down, I'm going to bring my salinity down to 1.025 and do a water change, hopefully it comes down a bit. I'm going to add a clam or two this week as well.

Can anyone please help me understand Alkalinity. My test kit tells me the results as 3 meq/L. Online says I want 2.5 - 4. Can anyone explain how this compares to dkh? Are they different things or just a different measurement?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Alkalinity Conversion Chart

 

[glb]

They're two different ways of measuring the same thing. It's two different scales.


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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[xbrentx]

That link is blocked at work, I'll check when I get home.

Thank you both.

Would you say 3 meq is good or too low?

 

[redfishbluefish]

That link is blocked at work, I'll check when I get home.

Thank you both.

Would you say 3 meq is good or too low?

I'll post the image, but this might be blocked as well:

 

[xbrentx]

Haha yes, also blocked. I work at a bank so it's limited, I'm lucky to even have access to R2R

 

[redfishbluefish]

One more try…..do they block photobucket?

 

[xbrentx]

I can see that photo, so if I am around 3 meq/L then I am around 8.5 dkh, which is good.

So my only issue currently is the high calcium, which I will fix promptly.

 

[navila06]

I would just leave the calcium alone, over time it will lower on it's own , the high calcium will not harm your inhabitants, it will only cause a little extra stress on your pumps.

I can see that photo, so if I am around 3 meq/L then I am around 8.5 dkh, which is good.

So my only issue currently is the high calcium, which I will fix promptly.

 

[xbrentx]

I dropped the salinity to 1.025 and my hammer has reopened, calcium is down enough

 

[navila06]

I dropped the salinity to 1.025 and my hammer has reopened, calcium is down enough

thats great

 

[xbrentx]

I shall continue to maintain 1.025 salinity and monitor the calcium to let it slowly fall to the correct level, based on my dkh and online tools I should aim for 420-440 calcium.

I will pickup some tropic marin magnesium and get my mag up from 1250 to 1350-1400.

Thanks everyone for the help.