Help understanding Hanna Checker Phosphate and alkalinity

[uwharrie]

Having an issue with Hair Algae ( seems to always be something with this tank)

I purchased the Hanna during a black Friday sale and finally had time to open and run it

 

So I ran the test with the HI713 meter

my reading was 0.06

When I run the conversion I get a really small number .0018

 

I get 7.4 dkh with the alkalinity test

 

am I on track?

 

 

[thedon986]

I don't think you need to convert the result on the 713. I have the 736 ultra low res and need to convert that from ppb to ppm. I think the .06 result is already in ppm.

 

 

Alkalinity result sounds accurate.

[uwharrie]

So in that case I need to further reduce phosphate?

[NYfishies]

0.06 ppm is a little high, but that a number I shoot for. You could reduce your feeding a bit and increase water changes as one way to bring down. 0.02 ppm is a good number most people shoot for. You could also look into things like GFO, but be very careful when using as you do not want to strip your water and cause an imbalance with NO3 and Carbon as you will then have Cyano issues (my current situation).

[uwharrie]

I got rid of my Cyano issue and now have the GHA. I have thought about adding a GFO reactor. The Biocube does not all for too much added equipment :-) Right now I chaeto in chamber one, media basket with floss and Chempure and a Hydor skimmer ( that will not skim it seems) in two. Only have two fish a clown and flame hawk. Seems it is always sometime not quite right ( I am doing weekly 5 gal water changes. tank has Steve's LEDs running at about 25%

0.06 ppm is a little high, but that a number I shoot for. You could reduce your feeding a bit and increase water changes as one way to bring down. 0.02 ppm is a good number most people shoot for. You could also look into things like GFO, but be very careful when using as you do not want to strip your water and cause an imbalance with NO3 and Carbon as you will then have Cyano issues (my current situation).

[NYfishies]

The Chaeto in the rear chamber is likely causing more harm than good. Unless it has plenty of room to tumble you could be storing a lot of crap in the Chaeto without realizing it. Do you clip/remove it often to make sure it isn't clogging back there? As for the performance I do not think you are exporting much with a AIO rear chamber fuge. I had tried it in my IM40 and it was not at all worth it.

 

Your water change schedule is good. Tank isn't overstocked. How often do you feed?

 

Do you ever vacuum your sand or turkey baste your rocks to remove detritus?

 

The skimmer could be an issue if you are not getting any dark skimmate.

 

You are right it is always something!

[uwharrie]

^{The Chaeto has only been in there two weeks. Not much in there. I do vacuum the sand ( aggressively) and blow off the rocks. Should I just remove the skimmer? Have thought about adding a GFO reactor ( someone on here has one in a Biocube)}

[Clown79]

How often do you scrub your back chambers and syphon out the water?

 

I had been lax on my tank due to being sick and i got gha. My nutrient levels were a bit high...what a pain in the a$&

 

So I did the following:

 

I always vacuum my sand really well but i actually vacuumed up some of the sand with the gha on it. Did an extra water change each week and in between pulled out gha.

 

I started using small amounts of phosguard in media bag, then i brushed down my chambers(i use baby bottle brush) and syphoned them.

 

It worked. I swear what was in the chambers was the culprit bu phosguard helped me.

[uwharrie]

I try and syphon the back chambers with each water change. I removed my Skimmer as it would never skim and am looking at adding a Aquamaxx internal reactor

[Water Dog]

I say ditch the Hydor Slim Skim and ditch the chaeto, in such a small tank and confined space, it's more trouble than it's worth. Put an Aquaticlife 115 skimmer with the airline mod in chamber 1 and the Aquamaxx FR-S reactor running GFO next to the media basket in chamber 2. Here is a video of how to fit the Aquaticlife 115 in a Coralife BC29 using a magnet mount. I have an Oceanic BC29 so I am able to use the stock clip and suction cups.

 

 

Here is the skimmate I get from the Aquaticlife 115 skimmer after 3 days.

 

[Newstead]

I try and syphon the back chambers with each water change. I removed my Skimmer as it would never skim and am looking at adding a Aquamaxx internal reactor

Perhaps with your inTank gift cert? Congrats!

[uwharrie]

exactly!

I am only running the chaeto as someone gave me a nice bunch of it. And I could never get the hydor to skim

[uwharrie]

This is what the tank currently looks like.