Water Parameters

[Austin R]

I was wondering about parameters like calcium alk and ph like where should they be? Or is it dependent on what's in the tank and my ph is around 8 was wondering if that's high or ok and if high how to lower it. Also I just got a jacko lantern and would like to anything and everything about the coral thank you!

 

[Brew12]

I was wondering about parameters like calcium alk and ph like where should they be? Or is it dependent on what's in the tank and my ph is around 8 was wondering if that's high or ok and if high how to lower it. Also I just got a jacko lantern and would like to anything and everything about the coral thank you!

The parameters really are dependent on your goals.

a pH of 8 is close to ideal. Most people like to keep it between 8.0 and 8.3 since it fluctuates in most tanks. It rises during the day and drops at night.

Alkalinity and Calc are fairly tied together.
Alk is typically 6.5dkh up to 12dkh
Calc is 360 up to 480 or higher.

I recommend reading this to learn more about your chemistry parameters.

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

 

[Austin R]

The parameters really are dependent on your goals.

a pH of 8 is close to ideal. Most people like to keep it between 8.0 and 8.3 since it fluctuates in most tanks. It rises during the day and drops at night.

Alkalinity and Calc are fairly tied together.
Alk is typically 6.5dkh up to 12dkh
Calc is 360 up to 480 or higher.

I recommend reading this to learn more about your chemistry parameters.

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

Thank you very much it sounds like my parameters are pretty good calc was right around 400 but I don't have a alk test kit sadly

 

[randy4083]

The Hanna checkers for alkalinity and phosphate are very easy to use and very nice test kits and are around 40 dollars a piece I have them and before I got the alkalinity checker I never tested alkalinity because the red sea test and all the other one's are tough to use so I bought the Hanna you should get one of those to use

 

[jeffmr4]

These are ideals but,

temp 76-82 (I keep mine between 77-79)
ph 8.2
alk 8-11 (I keep mine at 8)
ca 380-500 (I keep mine between 420-460)
mg 1265-1500 (I try to keep mine at 1265-1300)
nitrate < 50 although 5 or less is ideal
phosphate < .03
salinity 1.025 (close to natural seawater and helps maintain high enough levels of other elements with water changes)
ammonia 0
nitrite 0

I use the api salt water and reef master test kits and they cover everything well except magnesium, nitrate and phosphate. For those I use salifert and hanna for phosphate.

I'm just seeing that most of this is posted in the original link.

 

[jsker]

All good answers above. I like to keep mine at
Ca 420 to 450
Mg 1350 to 1400
Alk 8.3 to 8.5
Po4 .02 to .03
No3 3 to 5 ppm
Temp 78.4
Ph 7.8 to 8.0
Salinity 1.025
Once the Alk is balanced out the work on your Ca and Mg. If notice algea that is usually cause by out of balanced nutrients. Do not fustrate chasing numbers, go by the look of your tank and the numbers.