Quick parameters check

[Indytraveler83]

Hey guys,

Just a quick check on parameters, see what you guys think:

Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.025
Ph: 8.1
Ammonia:0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: ranges between 5-10, usually closer to 5

Those numbers have stayed consistent. I just got the following tests, and got these readings:

Calcium: 300
Phosphate: .25
Magnesium: 1100
Alk: 11-12 GH

I know it’s just a snapshot for the second set of numbers, but what I’m seeing now is off of a 7-8 week old tank with fairly minimal effort.

Using a Bak Pak skimmer with 2 powerheads and a little bit shy of 60 lbs of live (some was live already, some was dry but is coming to life) rock.

I’ve got a fairly robust CuC, a few chromis and a maxi-mini anemone in there now. My goal is to have a mixed reef tank with anemones and easier corals. Everything in the tank currently looks happy and healthy.

Any thoughts or suggestions at this point on water parameters and any actions to take?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Alkalinity is high. Are you dosing anything? What salt mix are you using?

 

[Indytraveler83]

Alkalinity is high. Are you dosing anything? What salt mix are you using?

Instant ocean reef crystals as salt. No dosing so far.

I also used “live sand.” I’m thinking maybe some leeching from the sand and rock have something to do with it.

Is that reading too high? Or fair for this point? I’ve seen a lot of mature reefs struggle to keep it up, so I’m not too eager to push it down unless I need to.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Instant ocean reef crystals as salt. No dosing so far.

I also used “live sand.” I’m thinking maybe some leeching from the sand and rock have something to do with it.

Is that reading too high? Or fair for this point? I’ve seen a lot of mature reefs struggle to keep it up, so I’m not too eager to push it down unless I need to.

It's on the high side for sure. At some point it will drop and you may need to dose alkalinity. Most reefers with SPS will keep DKH around 8-10. Higher than 12dkh and you may see tip burn on acropora.

I suspect it's coming from the salt mix. To verify, when you mix a new batch, test it's alkalinity. Reef crystals is a higher alkalinity salt.

 

[Indytraveler83]

It's on the high side for sure. At some point it will drop and you may need to dose alkalinity. Most reefers with SPS will keep DKH around 8-10. Higher than 12dkh and you may see tip burn on acropora.

I suspect it's coming from the salt mix. To verify, when you mix a new batch, test it's alkalinity. Reef crystals is a higher alkalinity salt.

Good to know. I may look at something different, it dissolves so poorly anyways, so this is just another reason to find a different salt mix.

 

[Indytraveler83]

Any thoughts on any of the other levels? It looked to me like calc and magnesium were a bit low, but I’m not entirely certain.

Maybe a better salt mix would round things out better overall?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yes calcium and mag is low.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think some measurement is amiss. I do not think reef crystals with no dosing can get to those values regardless of the salinity or consumption.

IMO, calcium is the biggest concern, followed by magnesium. Alk is OK for now, as long as nutrients are not too low.

The alk is not GH, it is dKH.

 

[Indytraveler83]

I think some measurement is amiss. I do not think reef crystals with no dosing can get to those values regardless of the salinity or consumption.

IMO, calcium is the biggest concern, followed by magnesium. Alk is OK for now, as long as nutrients are not too low.

The alk is not GH, it is dKH.

Gotcha. I’ll be stopping at my lfs to double check my results this week and see if it’s right.

Regardless I think I may switch to the standard Red Sea salt, I’ve heard it’s much better.

Any other advice or thoughts?

 

[Indytraveler83]

I think some measurement is amiss. I do not think reef crystals with no dosing can get to those values regardless of the salinity or consumption.

IMO, calcium is the biggest concern, followed by magnesium. Alk is OK for now, as long as nutrients are not too low.

The alk is not GH, it is dKH.

Glad you mentioned this before I did anything. Took my water to the lfs I trust and my calcium and magnesium values were way off and much higher. I rather suck at performing those tests I guess.

I’m just going to monitor alk and keep letting the lfs verify my numbers.