BUT now I have changed my light fixture three times, have bought a skimmer, and JUST finished hooking the RO system up last night.
I have also changed my test kit- and his is what I come to you all for now. Can you please help me de-code these numbers? I had been using an API"saltwater marine" kit.
Now I have bought the Red Sea foundation test kit and supplement kit.
WAY more involved, but probably exactly what I need.
So my numbers are-
Salinity 1.026
PPT 39
KH 12.5
Mg 1600
Ca 350
This is IF I did this right.
Now when I look at the supplement bottles to figure out dosages, I read that each bottle has to be added 10 minutes apart from each other, and according to MY understanding, in the order of Magnesium, alkalinity then calcium.
This means though that my bottles labeled " A B C" actually are applied in the order of "C B A"?
How important is this? Really don't want to screw up my tank!
Thanks again guys!
Lets walk through this whole thing
Becareful making a bunch of changes to your system at once. It can have a lingering effect on your water chemistry, which can lead to chasing a number that is only representative of a change in the system and not necessarily the system at rest. You'll get a good feel for your numbers (and how they change) based on the frequency of your testing.
What were your numbers before? Do they correlate to what you have now? Big changes may mean that your old test kit either wasnt accurate or that there is some testing error in your new kit (likely user error).
Salinity 1.026
PPT 39
Salinity: What are you using to test this with? The reason I ask is that assuming the PPT is also salinity, your numbers dont match. 1.026 specific gravity correlates to a 35ppt , where as 39 PPT correlates to a specific gravity of 1.029. Using swing arm style meters will get you close, but there is a large margin of error inherent with those style devices. If you are using a calibrated refractometer, then I would check your calibration solution for expiry or proper temperature.
KH 12.5
Alkalinity: This is a high number heading towards the upper regions of where most aquarists keep their tanks. I believe that frequent monitoring of ALK numbers gives you a real rock solid understanding of your tanks water chemistry and is easily the number that fluctuates the most in any given system. Testing once a day for a month will give you a really good idea of what your tank is using and what the "normal state" of your tank is. Most people would keep this number closer to 8-9dKH, but if you've been running at 12+ without issue, dont change what you are doing just because someone else said so. Make changes slowly. If you want this number to go down, it will over time with no supplements or water changes as your corals use up the alkalinity.
Mg 1600
Recommended Magnesium levels are 1350-1450 in most tanks. I test magnesium infrequently and it is typically used up at a rate of dosing monthly to every other monthm rather than daily like Calcium and Alkalinity. If you are using a two part supplement system, Mg should be one of those components, and you should have to worry about it. Im sure there are some issues with high Mg, but I have never read much about them and not seen a detrimental effect with levels kept at 1500 for over several years. I would test this frequently in the beginning as well, to ensure you are getting accurate readings and you didnt just get a single bogus number.
Ca 350
Calcium: You may want to up this number. Again, test frequently and see where the average number is over a week or more period of time. Assuming you are around 350, I would suggest bumping this level up to the neighborhood of 400-420ppm. There is also a correlation between Calcium and Alk numbers that people will tend to keep in concert. I believe this is where the 8.0-8.3dKH and 400-420ppm Calcium comes from. A quick search should result in a chart that gives you the values necessary if you are keeping your Alk at 12.5
For the immediate future, I would test and write down your numbers. Test everyday at the same time (or relatively close to that same time) and build up some data points. This is the best way to ensure that you are running the test correctly and accurately. Then make a list of numbers you want your tank to be held at constantly, and look to remediate your values slowly based on that.
As for the supplements, I dont have any "hands- on" experience with the Red Sea supplements, however, the general rule for any two part system is that you dont want to add the components into the tank close to one another (timewise) because they can combine in the tank water and "fall out" before the corals and other animals in your system can use them. So, in essence, you are taking that expensive bottle of stuff and throwing it in the garbage. Ten minutes allows the supplement to circulate throughout the system so its not so concentrated.
Generally, it doesnt matter what order you dose in. Its usually recommended to spread out the doses so they dont influence your other tank parameters (pH, for instance) in a manner that is detrimental to the life in the tank. For example, adding 80ml of Alkalinity will make your pH skyrocket if its a small system. Rather than add it all in one shot, 2 - 40ml doses has a smaller effect on pH, and 8 - 10ml doses would be even smaller of an effect. If you can spread the doses out, it maintains more consistent water chemistry and stability.
