quixand Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 For the past two weeks that I've been testing my Alk, it's reading 0-1.6. While my Calcium is resting nicely around 490 ppm. Ph stays at 8.4 solid thanks to the Chaeto Nitrites 0 Nitrates >5 ppm Ammonia 0 Salinity 1.025 The tank is a 15g nano with a 10g sump. Up for 1 month 15 # cured live rock ( from established tank ) 15 # Arag-Alive Fiji Pink Sand 5 # same LR in Sump 5 # same sand in fuge Chaeto in fuge, opposite light cycle of DT. Tank currently only houses Xenia, Capanella, Yellow Polyps, Hammer Coral. Is my Alk normal for the tanks age? Do I need to raise it asap? Thoughts? Link to comment
todd03blown Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 My Alk is 9.5 and my new mini is right at 4 weeks old. That level seems really low however i am very new to this hobby. Did the tank go thru a complete cycle? Link to comment
merfin70 Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 What kind of salt are you using (oceanic?) ? Have you tested your make-up water to see what your Alk starts at? I assume you are not dosing anything but just wanted to ask. Link to comment
Sctn4Elk Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Sounds like Mg might be off....you should check it...but I will tell you I had to dose Alk right from the beginning of my tank start up..still do at about 10 - 20 ml a day.... Link to comment
quixand Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 Currently using what's left of a bucket of Aquatic Gardens Premium Marine Salt Mix. Which....incidently...tests 0-1.6 with fresh mixed salt. Using Red Sea Marine Lab for all my testing. Just to make sure my tests weren't completely fubared, I added Baking Soda to the test, and the color spiked. So....my guess is, I should get a new salt manufacturer? A buddy of mine who got me into reef keeping uses this, and told me it was great. Sctn4Elk, Your puppy is so freaking cute. How do you dose? Standard two-part? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php ? Link to comment
merfin70 Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Can't say I know anything about that salt but there are certainly other choices that would give you a higher starting point for Alk. Ca of 490 is pretty impressive though, bordering on high. http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html The calculator above will help you figure out what to dose to raise the Alk to something a bit closer to the norm. From there, you can pick up with a two-part if needed but from what you listed as being in the tank, you may not even need to. Those coral should not be high consumers. Also, do invest in the Mag test kit as you'll need that to see where you stand. As Sctn4Elk said, its likely low, which will not help in maintaining Ca and Alk consistency. Link to comment
quixand Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 The Red Sea Alk test kit refers to "Milli equiaivalents per liter". After looking at the Alkalinity conversion chart located here: http://ozreef.org/library/tables/alkalinity_conversion.html My Alkalinity is about 3 dKh. Link to comment
Sctn4Elk Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I try and keep my Alk at 10dKh...I have a fair number of SPS and will lose 1 - 2 dKh per day if I do not dose. I use bionic 2 part but only dose Ca every 3 days to maintain around 450 ppm. I dose the Alk in the morning and in the evening 10 ml at a time. Yea, that little puppy is now 125 lbs..... Link to comment
bdare Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Before you go dosing anything based on those results throw away your Red Sea Kits and go get an API, Elos, or Salifert kit. Red Sea is garbage and nortoriusly inaccurate. Link to comment
glennr1978 Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Before you go dosing anything based on those results throw away your Red Sea Kits and go get an API, Elos, or Salifert kit. Red Sea is garbage and nortoriusly inaccurate. ^^^ Listen to this guy. He lives for water chemistry these days. Link to comment
bdare Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 ^^^ Listen to this guy. He lives for water chemistry these days. LMAO! Link to comment
glennr1978 Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 LMAO! Am I right or what?!?!?!?! Link to comment
bdare Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I'm no expert by any means... I just read a lot and listed to RHF. Link to comment
glennr1978 Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I'm no expert by any means... I just read a lot and listed to RHF. RH who? Quit being so modest man, you're definitely the water chemistry go to guy around here. Atleast for me anyway... Link to comment
bdare Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 RH who? Quit being so modest man, you're definitely the water chemistry go to guy around here. Atleast for me anyway... Randy Holmes Farley. He's the guy that writes all the "Chemisty and the Aquaruim" articles for Reefkeeping Magazine. Link to comment
The Propagator Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 That's Ben's "God" of choice. He has an alter erected by his beside and everything man. No joke man. You seen those little virgin Mary statues right? Yeah Ben has a Randy Holmes Farly statue on his dash board. To the original poster.... As stated.. red Sea is CRAP ! ( seriously ) 99.9% of the time their kits are way the hell off. I wouldn't use them if you gave them to me. API as Ben mentioned is the best bang for your buck out there right now. The whole API SW master reef kit ( or what ever its called now ? ) is only like $25.00 and you get phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, nitrite, and nitrate. If your worried about PH and ammonia just buy quick dip strips. ( Jungle makes the the best quick dips IMHO and they are cheap too) When it comes to magnesium though, or iodine, strontium etc etc etc... Don't fart around with the little guys in the bargain isle. Go directly for Salifert. They cost a little more but they are highly accurate. With Magnesium, iodine, and strontium you need them to be highly accurate.... BTW the proper conversion from what your reading now @ 1.6 meq/l to DKH is 4.48 not 3. Link to comment
bdare Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 http://ozreef.org/library/tables/alkalinity_conversion.html Hey Prop. You must be Funny's cousin...... NOT funny! J/K Link to comment
quixand Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 Yeah...that's the conversion calc I was using. My tests are coming back 0 to 1.6 meq/l I was estimating around a 1.0 meq/l....thus giving me the 3 dKh. Link to comment
The Propagator Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 http://ozreef.org/library/tables/alkalinity_conversion.html Hey Prop. You must be Funny's cousin...... NOT funny! J/K Don't be a sore stalker. ( joking as well ) Link to comment
bdare Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 LOL... seriously though. Who told you about the bronze statue? BTW... this picture is by my bed: http://www.reefkeeping.com/authors/RandyHolmes-Farley3.jpg Link to comment
Sexy Shrimp Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I have found the best salt by far (for a reef tank with LPS/SPS) is Seachem Reef Pro. Checkout this thread for a level comparison and then pic what suits your needs http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthr...;highlight=salt Link to comment
quixand Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 Excellent find L34NN3! Exactly what I was looking for! Link to comment
hazmat Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I wanted to add (since I had this exact thread a few posts down!!) that I just bought the Salifert Magnesium test and found my level to be 1200. Low.... I haven't been able to get my alk up past 7. Between dosing with soda ash and adding magnesium my alk today was 9!! That hasn't happend for a looooong time! Invest in the Mg test. It was really easy to use too. And I give the Chemistry award to Prop and bdare! You guys are both awesome and very helpful! Link to comment
bdare Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Oh no! Please don't put us in the same group! Link to comment
hazmat Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Oh no! Please don't put us in the same group! Awww, come on boys! Play nice! Link to comment
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