Water test reading question

[Whiskyclown]

Hi guys I tested my water and this is my result mag is 1600 and cal 480 phosphate is at 0.64 all is at 279 my pH is at 7.8 salt is at 0.20 I want to know should I leave it like this or what is the best way to lower my mag and cal and phos ?????

 

[ZoWhat]

Not sure what the 279 number suppose to represent

Imo, yes my opinion, rough numbers in a reef:
* 420-460ppm calcium
* 7-9dKH on Alkalinity
* 1400-1600ppm Magnesium
* Low-400s for potassium

* 0-0.5 ppm NO4
* 0 PO4
* 0 heavy metals
* 0 DTS RODI water for WCs and topoff water

* 10-20% WCs weekly
* Salinity 1.023-1.025 SG with using a refractometer

* Temp 77-79 degrees YEAR ROUND

* Lighting cycle 2hrs blue sunrise, 6hrs white+blue (high noon colors), 2hrs blue sunset
* 8.0pH when lights are out, 8.15~8.20 pH during height of brightest lighting cycle

* Wet skim so about 0.5g of sw is skimmed a day

* Feed fish once a day in the amount they can 100% consume in under 5mins. Still food swirling around st the 6min point, too much food, reduced amt

* Dose 1-2ozs of 80proof vodka + 1-2ozs of vinegar combined a day to build good bacteria to devour no3 and po4


Hth

 

[saltyhog]

If the 279 alkalinity is referring to PPM, that corresponds to a dKh of over 14!

 

[ReefersDelite]

I’ve lost corals at 14.3 Alk. I hope that’s not it.

 

[Whiskyclown]

I’ve lost corals at 14.3 Alk. I hope that’s not it.

Yes it is alk

 

[ReefersDelite]

Yes it is alk

Bring that down man. I lost a lot of corals with high alk and I’m still battling it.

 

[Whiskyclown]

Bring that down man. I lost a lot of corals with high alk and I’m still battling it.

So a water change

 

[ReefersDelite]

Yes. I did 2 20% changes and stopped my alk dosing all together until I can get a true read of what I’m using. Stopped ca too.

 

[Whiskyclown]

Yes. I did 2 20% changes and stopped my alk dosing all together until I can get a true read of what I’m using. Stopped ca too.

Oright I'ma make r/o/di and make saltwater that's for the info

 

[lapin]

Hi guys I tested my water and this is my result mag is 1600 and cal 480 phosphate is at 0.64 all is at 279 my pH is at 7.8 salt is at 0.20 I want to know should I leave it like this or what is the best way to lower my mag and cal and phos ?????

Mix your water to 1.025 salinity, unless you have fish only, then 1.020 to 1.026 is fine.
If this is your first water test make sure your numbers are correct. They seem a bit out of wack for just a salt mix . Maybe you are dosing stuff?
Do some 10% water changes until your numbers get in line with what a reef should be.
You can use skimjim numbers from above to start with. You need some nitrate and phosphate usually 5 to 10 nitrate and .05 to .1 phosphate. Higher can be ok but also can cause problems. Lower if you have sps only.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Question is why are the values high?

What salt are you using? Wc may potentially raise these values more if the salt mix is the issue.

Salinity .2?

 

[Whiskyclown]

Question is why are the values high?

What salt are you using? Wc may potentially raise these values more if the salt mix is the issue.

Salinity .2?

I'm using instant ocean salt I have salt level at 20 I usually would be at 26

 

[Whiskyclown]

Mix your water to 1.025 salinity, unless you have fish only, then 1.020 to 1.026 is fine.
Do some 10% water changes until your numbers get in line with what a reef should be.
You can use skimjim numbers from above to start with. You need some nitrate and phosphate usually 5 to 10 nitrate and .05 to .1 phosphate. Higher can be ok but also can cause problems. Lower if you have sps only.

I have a mix reef with fish

 

[lapin]

I'm using instant ocean salt I have salt level at 20 I usually would be at 26

IO salt should be mixed to 35 or 1.026. At 35 your alk should not be that high. Please double check your numbers and let us know if you are dosing stuff. Also have you calibrated your refractometer?

 

[Whiskyclown]

IO salt should be mixed to 35 or 1.026. At 35 your alk should not be that high. Please double check your numbers and let us know if you are dosing stuff. Also have you calibrated your refractometer?

I'ma do a water change and wait for an hour and test it again

 

[Stigigemla]

Check your salt meter. If it is a swing arm dump it. A floating glass hydrometer, a refractometer or an expensive conductivity meter does the job.
That high values with Instant Ocean tells me that you have a really high salinity.

 

[Whiskyclown]

Check your salt meter. If it is a swing arm dump it. A floating glass hydrometer, a refractometer or an expensive conductivity meter does the job.
That high values with Instant Ocean tells me that you have a really high salinity.

I have a refractometer and it at 1.026

 

[Bayareareefer18]

I have a refractometer and it at 1.026

Have you calibrated it with solution? Mine was way off. I calibrated about a month ago. Checked it again last night and was reading off again so hard to recalibrate

 

[Whiskyclown]

Have you calibrated it with solution? Mine was way off. I calibrated about a month ago. Checked it again last night and was reading off again so hard to recalibrate

Yes I use r/o water to cablibrate mine

 

[lapin]

RO/DI ? or RO ? You are sure this has tested out at 0 ?
When we calibrate our pH probes, we use 7 and 10 because we will be using it in water between 7 and 10. We dont use 2 and 4 to calibrate.
Before I use my refractometer I'll use rodi water to make sure 0ppt is 0ppt, then use 35ppt calibration solution to calibrate it.
You're more than welcome to use just rodi, but then you're not calibrating.
Just because inquiring minds wanting to know.... have you tested your rodi water and fresh salt mix water for Alk?