Water parameters

[Stonefish1]

Ok...my tank is now 13 weeks old and I started dosing BRS 2part about 3 weeks ago.

My current readings are:

ALK 9.4 (dosing 34ml daily) It was 8.2 on the 14th and 8.8 on the 17th
Cal 140 (dosing 40ml daily) It was 325 on the 14th and 17th
PH 8.2 which it has been fluctuating between 8.0 and 8.2 since I started the tank
Phos 0, which Im not totally sure about. Im using a Hanna tester but my readings have been all over the place since I started the tank. I did three readings today and got 2.9, 0,0.

It looks like I got the ALK dialed in, but I have no clue why the Cal is so low. Phos...no clue.

I only have 1 small torch, 1 tiny Galaxia, 1 2" birds nest, 1 small devils hand, purple tang (mean as hell) killed the mimic tang I got in 2 days, 2 clown fish. Im also running a refugium with very healthy chaeto.

Any suggestion are appreciated.

 

[Jordan92595]

Ok...my tank is now 13 weeks old and I started dosing BRS 2part about 3 weeks ago.

My current readings are:

ALK 9.4 (dosing 34ml daily) It was 8.2 on the 14th and 8.8 on the 17th
Cal 140 (dosing 40ml daily) It was 325 on the 14th and 17th
PH 8.2 which it has been fluctuating between 8.0 and 8.2 since I started the tank
Phos 0, which Im not totally sure about. Im using a Hanna tester but my readings have been all over the place since I started the tank. I did three readings today and got 2.9, 0,0.

It looks like I got the ALK dialed in, but I have no clue why the Cal is so low. Phos...no clue.

I only have 1 small torch, 1 tiny Galaxia, 1 2" birds nest, 1 small devils hand, purple tang (mean as hell) killed the mimic tang I got in 2 days, 2 clown fish. Im also running a refugium with very healthy chaeto.

Any suggestion are appreciated.

What did you start your tank with ? Rodi water ? Live sand? Live rock? Any water changes? Your calcium is extremely low.. that’s crazy. Are you using the testers correctly (serious question not being rude)

 

[SchrutesReefs]

Which Hanna checker for phos? You have to be sure to wipe the bottle clean of finger prints, also try and line it up in the same orientation when you put it back in the checker.

 

[Pico bam]

Yea its nice to have a couple kinds of test kits just to double check. Because that just doesn't sound right.

 

[Rmckoy]

With cal at 140 I would begin with asking what salt or what’s being used to test salinity ?

And being only 13 weeks old . I don’t understand the need for dosing this early in the game .
Water changes and salt mix alone should be able to keep up with consumption

 

[Stonefish1]

What did you start your tank with ? Rodi water ? Live sand? Live rock? Any water changes? Your calcium is extremely low.. that’s crazy. Are you using the testers correctly (serious question not being rude)

Im using nothing but RODI water, live sand, water changes 30% about every 10-12 days, and not sure what you call the rock. TLFS told me its man made and has bacteria within that slowly releases in time. Not sure how the CAL can be so low when I am dosing it? I've been using the testers for two months the same way it shows on youtube. Everything has been pretty consistent with the dosing except the CAL. And the Hanna PHOS is inconsistent.

 

[Stonefish1]

With cal at 140 I would begin with asking what salt or what’s being used to test salinity ?

And being only 13 weeks old . I don’t understand the need for dosing this early in the game .
Water changes and salt mix alone should be able to keep up with consumption

Im using the Hanna salinity tester and my salinity has been a constant 33 - 33.3ppt since the beginning.

 

[Stonefish1]

Which Hanna checker for phos? You have to be sure to wipe the bottle clean of finger prints, also try and line it up in the same orientation when you put it back in the checker.

Im using the HI713 low range. I wear sterile gloves and line it up the same way every time.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Don't think alk is dialed if it has risen from 8.2 to 9.4. Finding that 24 hr consumption and dialing that it is the goal to keep things stable. If you have gone from 8.2 to 9.4 in that amount of time it is going to continuously rise. CA seems off. I'd double and triple check that.

 

[Rmckoy]

Something doesn’t seam right …..

Why 33ppt ?

reef salinity should be up a little higher at 35ppm ( 1.026sg )
Still doesn’t explain the extremely low calcium and higher alkalinity

 

[Stonefish1]

Something doesn’t seam right …..

Why 33ppt ?

reef salinity should be up a little higher at 35ppm ( 1.026sg )
Still doesn’t explain the extremely low calcium and higher alkalinity

I was told buy my LFS 1.025sg -1.026sg or he likes to keep it around 33ppm. I have also read in many places online that 33ppm was good. But, I am new at this and learning. Just using what I read and what others school me on.

 

[Stonefish1]

Don't think alk is dialed if it has risen from 8.2 to 9.4. Finding that 24 hr consumption and dialing that it is the goal to keep things stable. If you have gone from 8.2 to 9.4 in that amount of time it is going to continuously rise. CA seems off. I'd double and triple check that.

Sorry...don't mean exactly dialed in, but I can see whats going on and adjust for it, but can't seem to figure out the CAL.

 

[Rmckoy]

Sorry...don't mean exactly dialed in, but I can see whats going on and adjust for it, but can't seem to figure out the CAL.

Raise salinity a little to 35ppm ( 1.026 )
You might find maintaining reef parameters a lot easier without dosing as much

 

[Jekyl]

With cal at 140 I would begin with asking what salt or what’s being used to test salinity ?

And being only 13 weeks old . I don’t understand the need for dosing this early in the game .
Water changes and salt mix alone should be able to keep up with consumption

This

 

[Jekyl]

Sorry...don't mean exactly dialed in, but I can see whats going on and adjust for it, but can't seem to figure out the CAL.

Something is wrong with your testing. You don't have anything consuming calcium to lower it that much.

 

[Stonefish1]

Something is wrong with your testing. You don't have anything consuming calcium to lower it that much.

This is why I'm here. I know I don't have anything consuming calcium, and either something is going on or I have bad Phos and Cal testers because I'm definitely not using the testers wrong.

 

[Stonefish1]

Raise salinity a little to 35ppm ( 1.026 )
You might find maintaining reef parameters a lot easier without dosing as much

Thanks! Im going to try that and Im going to stop dosing.

 

[Greg P]

I don't see any mention of Mag levels. You can't dial in Alk and Ca without Mag being in range.

I agree Ca at 140 is suspect. Stop all dosing and have your LFS test your water with their kits.

 

[Stonefish1]

I don't see any mention of Mag levels. You can't dial in Alk and Ca without Mag being in range.

I agree Ca at 140 is suspect. Stop all dosing and have your LFS test your water with their kits.

I was told I didn't really have to test for Mag yet. I just now stopped dosing. All the Hanna (Phos and ALK) and Salifert test kits are only two months old. My LFS can't test my water because they are 3hrs away and by the time I get there the water temp is too low or to high to get an accurate reading, and they want to charge me for it even when they tell me it may be an inaccurate reading. The first time I just took a sample and temp was 88 buy the time I got there. The second and third time I use a small cooler and that didnt work either.

 

[Greg P]

OK so you're on your own for testing.
Without Mag within a range of say 1280 to 1350 you won't be able to balance and maintain Alk and Ca.
If it's too low you'll need to dose stupid high amounts of Soda Ash to keep Alk where you have it.

What brand test kits do you have for Alk and Ca?