So.. I can't get it up!

[mmelnick]

My alkalinity stays stable at 5-6 Dkh if I do nothing else . My clacium is great, I have about 460-480 PPM (hard to tell with the API test kit). I've been adding baking soda every once in a while to raise my hardness, but it always seems to come back down.

 

I've considered dosing magnesium, but I don't have a test kit and the LFS has one, but it's $37. And I just can't see paying nearly $40 for one single test kit.

 

It seems to me like I might have a magnesium problem. But before I decide to test for and dose magnesium, I thought I'd ask here.

 

 

I should also mention that I removed my detritus filled sand bed when I moved my tank, thinking I would have to move again 2-3 months after the move. But it's now been 7 months and i'm just now closing on a house on the 25th of this month. I will add a sand bed back when I move the tank again. And probably do a DSB in the sump (6-10"). I noticed that the bag of dry sand says it provides not only calcium, but magnesium.

 

What would you folks recomend that I do in the mean time? Is it worth it to buy a test kit and dose the magnesium. or should I wait and see if the sand will help?

 

Or should I just add some baking soda to the ATO water to try to maintain the alkalinity?

[hlander]

Nice title

[c_k_kuehne]

What kind of salt are you using and how many stony corals (organisms that use a lot of calcium) are in the tank ??

 

I think I would look first at the salt mix and do nothing drastic yet??

[mmelnick]

What kind of salt are you using and how many stony corals (organisms that use a lot of calcium) are in the tank ??

 

I think I would look first at the salt mix and do nothing drastic yet??

 

I buy pre mixed Tropic Marin Pro-Reef Sea Salt from my LFS.

 

There is no SPS yet. I hope to add some once I get this all figured out and stabilized.

 

I have about 6 heads of candy cane, 4 heads of frogspawn and a colored brain coral for LPS and a good 300 shrooms and probably 200 zoas. A huge colony of anthelia and a few smaller colonies of a bunch of random soft coral. This is in a 20 gal tank.

 

I also just looked up the Pro-Reef salt and it said "Tropic Marin Pro Reef was designed for reefs that tend to acquire a high alkalinity after years of using calcium reactors and kalkwasser."

 

This would make sence. But isn't 5-6 Dkh still pretty low for even a salt meant for reefs with a calcium reactor? I will switch salts ASAP though. I am currently looking for a RO/DI filter so I can mix my own salt (and save some $$$)

[Rockfish]

they make little blue pills if ur having an issue!!

[c_k_kuehne]

I have used Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix for a few years now without dosing and all is going good.

 

You really have a light Calcium bio-load so your salt mix with regular WC's should be keeping up (if the salt mix has the right stuff to begin with).

 

they make little blue pills if ur having an issue!!

 

What are you talking about -- the OP'er is trying to have a serious dialogue about his problem.

[mmelnick]

they make little blue pills if ur having an issue!!

 

What are you talking about -- the OP'er is trying to have a serious dialogue about his problem.

 

Geez, pervert!

 

I was talking about my water chemistry.

 

 

But back on topic. Before I moved the only things that were different were my salt mix and the fact that I had a sand bed. And I don;t know what salt mix I was getting then either. The LFS changed it all the time, and mixed brands together in thier 1000 gal tank. But it always worled well and thier tanks looked amazing.

 

I should probably switch just based on the fact that it was meant for tanks with calcium reactors. Do you think that adding a sand bed back will help? What's all this stuff on the sand bag about magnesium levels. And back to my first question, should I get a magnesium test kit? Or iss it not worth it?

[fishieCJ]

seriously Rockfish what is wrong with you, trying to make a joke on such a serious forum such as this.

[Rockfish]

seriously Rockfish what is wrong with you, trying to make a joke on such a serious forum such as this.

 

 

 

yea i know!!! geez!! sor-ry!!! :lol:

 

 

look here!!

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

[mmelnick]

yea i know!!! geez!! sor-ry!!! :lol:

 

 

look here!!

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

 

Thanks, I'm leaving work now, but I'll read it tomorrow. Wouldn't want to read NR unless I'm getting paid to do it right?

[c_k_kuehne]

Geez, pervert!

 

I was talking about my water chemistry.

 

 

But back on topic. Before I moved the only things that were different were my salt mix and the fact that I had a sand bed. And I don;t know what salt mix I was getting then either. The LFS changed it all the time, and mixed brands together in thier 1000 gal tank. But it always worled well and thier tanks looked amazing.

 

I should probably switch just based on the fact that it was meant for tanks with calcium reactors. Do you think that adding a sand bed back will help? What's all this stuff on the sand bag about magnesium levels. And back to my first question, should I get a magnesium test kit? Or iss it not worth it?

 

If it was me I would stop buying premixed from the LFS as you never really know whats going into it and they seem to be switching up on you. Make your own with a good salt mix and RO water. I mix mine at 1.025 as that is a nice big line in my refractometer. I also buy bottled RO water from the grocery store. Would rather have my own RO/DI unit but for now the store bought is working I just check the labels carefully before I buy it.

 

I would not put a DSB back in the tank. I think they can cause problems if not maintained correctly. 1 - 1.5 inch or so of a decent quality sand for ascetics should be fine especially since your tank is now use to no DSB

[mmelnick]

I would not put a DSB back in the tank. I think they can cause problems if not maintained correctly. 1 - 1.5 inch or so of a decent quality sand for ascetics should be fine especially since your tank is now use to no DSB

 

well it's not really used to no sand bed. I've had some bad algae problems and this whole alkalinity problem. I think they are both due to the lack of a sand bed.

 

And the LFS that mixed the salts was from before I moved. But once I get an RO filter I'll for sure mix my own salt.

 

 

What Kind of problems could a DSB cause? I plan on having a 2" or so SB in the tank and a DSB in the middle section of the sump.

 

How should I maintain it?

[Guest nanoreefchris]

sometimes i have trouble getting it up too.

[Rockfish]

sometimes i have trouble getting it up too.

 

 

 

ha!!!

[fishieCJ]

this forum is the highlight of my day

[Rockfish]

This forum provides me with mucho entertainment to see how pissed ppl get at me over relatively benign things!!

 

so quite a lot!!

[coolwaters]

did u try baking the baking soda first? i got mine to 12dk but it came at a price...

aiming for 10 next time...btw dose super super slow... like a drip every 10 seconds slow. with a gallon of water. with very little mixed baked baking soda.

[c_k_kuehne]

I really think it's all in his SW he is getting. Once he starts mixing his own some of these problems might go away. That would be the 1st place to start anyway.

 

He really has a low bio-calcium load so the salt mix should be keeping up.

[mmelnick]

I took my water in to the LFS today to have it tested for magnesium. It was at 1200. But I also had him set for PH and hardness and I was at 8.4 PH and 9 Dkh by his test kit. I checked the date on my test kit and it turns out that it's about 3 years old. I've had it for one, so it was probably borderline bad when I bought it. Piece of crap Petsmart.