.2dkh alk!?! This cant be right!

[Kyle99]

Hey guys i just went to my lfs to test my water because ive felt fishy about my api test kits due to the huge amount of nitrates that ive never gotten to budge lower than 20ppm. So they test it and im impressed with my self for the results for only running carbon and filter floss from time to time. And they said .2 dkh alk. Thats extreamly low. 

 

Salt im using is coral pro by red sea @ 1.025--.026 (i dont trust their float style hydromiter) 

Rodi top off and waterchanges. 

They didnt test my calc so i have no idea of what that turned to be. 

[Clown79]

Do you test your own salinity with a refractometer?

 

Maybe they meant 2 meq/l which is 5.6dkh and that is low.

[Kyle99]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

Do you test your own salinity with a refractometer?

 

Maybe they meant 2 meq/l which is 5.6dkh and that is low.

Yes i do test with a refractometer. Calibrate every time. 

 

And i just called the shop to check and its meq/l. I was looking at all of them to see which ones i want to buy. I like the read sea but the price *wallet heart attack* 

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, Kyle99 said:

Yes i do test with a refractometer. Calibrate every time. 

 

And i just called the shop to check and its meq/l. I was looking at all of them to see which ones i want to buy. I like the read sea but the price *wallet heart attack* 

Ya they can get costly especially if you buy a bunch at once. 

 

What I'm using right 

 

 Hanna for Alk. I also like Salifert

 

Ca and Mag is Red Sea

 

Nitrate is Api but prefer Salifert. 

 

 

[paneubert]

Are you worried about those phosphates?  If you are seeing any issues in the tank, those are probably the cause.  And the low Alk.

[Kyle99]

22 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Ya they can get costly especially if you buy a bunch at once. 

 

What I'm using right 

 

 Hanna for Alk. I also like Salifert

 

Ca and Mag is Red Sea

 

Nitrate is Api but prefer Salifert. 

 

 

I have been using a basic api salt water test so i havnt been able to test much other than basic things. But need to up grade soon. 

2 minutes ago, paneubert said:

Are you worried about those phosphates?  If you are seeing any issues in the tank, those are probably the cause.  And the low Alk.

Yes i am worried about them but at the moment i have no way to take control of them or an idea other that the media that is practically rust (i cant think of the name) Or  even test for it on top of that. Also i dont know what is causeing the low alk. I only have filter floss and carbon running in a ac 20. 

Please all advice is welcome. Im new ish and would love to learn. 

[specore]

How heavily stocked is the tank?

[Kyle99]

16 minutes ago, specore said:

How heavily stocked is the tank?

2 clowns a clean up crew, dunkans, clover/dasiys, zoas, 2 mushrooms, and a half alive bta (bought him with out coloring and no tentacles. Trying to save him)

[specore]

1 hour ago, Kyle99 said:

2 clowns a clean up crew, dunkans, clover/dasiys, zoas, 2 mushrooms, and a half alive bta (bought him with out coloring and no tentacles. Trying to save him)

I would get another alk test before doing anything  else.  Since you are doing water changes it just  doesn't make sense how your tank could be consuming enough to lower alk under 6dkh.

[Clown79]

Your nitrates are only 2, that's fine but the phos is high.

 

How often is filter floss changed, how often is carbon changed?

 

Do you ever siphon out the ac20. Alot ov detritus builds in them so it's good to remove the buildup every 2 weeks I found.

 

Do you vacuum your sand or Turkey baste the rocks?

 

What are you feeding the fish and how often

 

 

 

What media is the rust looking media?

 

Sorry for all the questions but helps to try to figure out where the phos issue is and to help fix the issue.

 

Adding a small amount of phosguard will help reduce it

 

As for alk. I would get a good test kit and then test newly mixed water and the tank after a waterchange before trying to do anything about the alk level.

 

One thing that fan cause such low alk eith RSCP salt is if you mix it not by their instructions or store it for longer than a week, it can precipitate out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kyle99]

14 hours ago, specore said:

I would get another alk test before doing anything  else.  Since you are doing water changes it just  doesn't make sense how your tank could be consuming enough to lower alk under 6dkh.

The last water change was on su day night and the test was Tuesday after noon. So something is wrong ether tests or something else. 

 

I am planing on ordering a red sea test kit that covers a lot of things. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Sea-ARE21525-Marine-Aquarium/dp/B00BAVVD6I?keywords=redsea+test&qid=1537326888&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_secondary_view_div_1537327097140

 

10 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Your nitrates are only 2, that's fine but the phos is high.

 

How often is filter floss changed, how often is carbon changed?

 

Do you ever siphon out the ac20. Alot ov detritus builds in them so it's good to remove the buildup every 2 weeks I found.

 

Do you vacuum your sand or Turkey baste the rocks?

 

What are you feeding the fish and how often

 

 

 

What media is the rust looking media?

 

Sorry for all the questions but helps to try to figure out where the phos issue is and to help fix the issue.

 

Adding a small amount of phosguard will help reduce it

 

As for alk. I would get a good test kit and then test newly mixed water and the tank after a waterchange before trying to do anything about the alk level.

 

One thing that fan cause such low alk eith RSCP salt is if you mix it not by their instructions or store it for longer than a week, it can precipitate out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clown dont worry about questions it helps me out as well. So things to check in the future. 

1. Sundays and wedness days (only started this the sunday before last) 

2. Carbon is changed weekly along with the bag being well rensed back to white. 

3. I remove the ac 20 and do a good scrub down every 2 weeks but just empty it out as part of the water change. 

4.i blow them off with a turky baster trying to get as much of it up with the vacume. 

5. Small misis shrimp frozen and about half a cube 2 times a week. (Cube is about 3/4"x3/4" so not large cubes then cut in half) 

 

6. I want to say its gfo im not using it but we use to use it in my dads 100gal. In a reactor. 

 

7. Salt water mix 

    Bucket of water 

    Salt to make 1.025

    Mix throughly with my glass scraper 

    Wait 10-30 mins (no water mixing) 

    check salt levels  

    If need more add and stir. If its ready i just go on with my water change. 

 

Sorry for the late reply ive been at school all day 

[specore]

Your Dad has a 100g tank but doesn't have an alk test kit?

[Clown79]

26 minutes ago, Kyle99 said:

The last water change was on su day night and the test was Tuesday after noon. So something is wrong ether tests or something else. 

 

I am planing on ordering a red sea test kit that covers a lot of things. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Sea-ARE21525-Marine-Aquarium/dp/B00BAVVD6I?keywords=redsea+test&qid=1537326888&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_secondary_view_div_1537327097140

 

Clown dont worry about questions it helps me out as well. So things to check in the future. 

1. Sundays and wedness days (only started this the sunday before last) 

2. Carbon is changed weekly along with the bag being well rensed back to white. 

3. I remove the ac 20 and do a good scrub down every 2 weeks but just empty it out as part of the water change. 

4.i blow them off with a turky baster trying to get as much of it up with the vacume. 

5. Small misis shrimp frozen and about half a cube 2 times a week. (Cube is about 3/4"x3/4" so not large cubes then cut in half) 

 

6. I want to say its gfo im not using it but we use to use it in my dads 100gal. In a reactor. 

 

7. Salt water mix 

    Bucket of water 

    Salt to make 1.025

    Mix throughly with my glass scraper 

    Wait 10-30 mins (no water mixing) 

    check salt levels  

    If need more add and stir. If its ready i just go on with my water change. 

 

Sorry for the late reply ive been at school all day 

Ok. The salt mixing is a concern of I understand your post correctly.

 

You don't use any powerhead to mix the salt? It's important to add a powerhead to properly disolve the salt and oxygenate the water

 

 

I emailed red sea and their instructions for mixing coral pro

 

Add salt to water while stirring by hand.

 

After 2hrs add powerhead and heater.

 

Salt should not mix for longer than 4hrs and not stored for longer than a week.

 

 

 

[Kyle99]

Just now, Clown79 said:

Ok. The salt mixing is a concern of I understand your post correctly.

 

You don't use any powerhead to mix the salt? It's important to add a powerhead to properly disolve the salt and oxygenate the water

 

 

I emailed red sea and their instructions for mixing coral pro

 

Add salt to water while stirring by hand.

 

After 2hrs add powerhead and heater.

 

Salt should not mix for longer than 4hrs and not stored for longer than a week.

 

 

 

I use to use one but it is now part of the tank i just had mix the water.

[paneubert]

11 minutes ago, Kyle99 said:

i just hand mix the water.

This is not going to end well for you.  As you have already started to see!  Buy a cheap pump.  Any pump.  Cheapest one you can get on Amazon.  Anything......

[Kyle99]

17 minutes ago, paneubert said:

This is not going to end well for you.  As you have already started to see!  Buy a cheap pump.  Any pump.  Cheapest one you can get on Amazon.  Anything......

Kinda harsh but i understand the reasoning behind it. Other than for the first few weeks ive dooing it ever sence and its almost been 8ish months now 

[paneubert]

2 minutes ago, Kyle99 said:

Kinda harsh but i understand the reasoning behind it. Other than for the first few weeks ive dooing it ever sence and its almost been 8ish months now 

Not harsh at all.  Just reality.  Think about the following for a second.  You are using an "expensive" salt that at the salinity they claim you are at (1.024) should be mixing at high 11dkh to low 12dkh  The LFS test is (if we are reading it right) saying the tank is at 5.6dkh.   I can never imagine how your tank is taking the levels from 11/12 down to 5/6.  ESPECIALLY since the only occupant of the tank that would have any real impact on Ca/Alk being the duncans.  If all the test numbers are accurate and the LFS didn't just totally screw up your test, then there has to be another reason.  And bad/incomplete mixing sounds like a likely source.  What does the freshly mixed saltwater test at?

[Kyle99]

1 minute ago, paneubert said:

Not harsh at all.  Just reality.  Think about the following for a second.  You are using an "expensive" salt that at the salinity they claim you are at (1.024) should be mixing at high 11dkh to low 12dkh  The LFS test is (if we are reading it right) saying the tank is at 5.6dkh.   I can never imagine how your tank is taking the levels from 11/12 down to 5/6.  ESPECIALLY since the only occupant of the tank that would have any real impact on Ca/Alk being the duncans.  If all the test numbers are accurate and the LFS didn't just totally screw up your test, then there has to be another reason.  And bad/incomplete mixing sounds like a likely source.  What does the freshly mixed saltwater test at?

I havnt tested yet but will be in the future. Maybe today not sure yet due to me not having the tests. Now im not saying im right by no means what so ever. Just never knew that it made that much of a change really. But that can explain the hit or miss results ive been seeing from my corals. Particularly the duncans they look amazing some days and some days they look just small. Same with my mushrooms. 

[paneubert]

5 minutes ago, Kyle99 said:

look amazing some days and some days they look just small. Same with my mushrooms. 

If the LFS test is accurate about the low Alk, and your water change water is in fact where it should be in the 11-12 range, that alone would kill many corals due to the massive increase in Alk level all at once.  So something to think about as well.  Are the corals pissed in the 24 hours AFTER a water change?

 

Maybe I missed it, but how many gallons is your tank, and how much water do you change at once?

[Kyle99]

5 hours ago, specore said:

Your Dad has a 100g tank but doesn't have an alk test kit?

The tank has been shut down for a couple years now so all the tests went bad. Sorry didnt see your comment till now. 

 

4 hours ago, paneubert said:

If the LFS test is accurate about the low Alk, and your water change water is in fact where it should be in the 11-12 range, that alone would kill many corals due to the massive increase in Alk level all at once.  So something to think about as well.  Are the corals pissed in the 24 hours AFTER a water change?

 

Maybe I missed it, but how many gallons is your tank, and how much water do you change at once?

On monday after the water change tbey seemed fine till i spot fed them with phyto then they all kinda have been staying small. Its a 10 gal doing 2 ish gal change 

 

[specore]

50 minutes ago, Kyle99 said:

The tank has been shut down for a couple years now so all the tests went bad. Sorry didnt see your comment till now. 

 

 

That makes sense 🙂