29 gallon: R.E.E.F Tank

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

I may just be very stupid, but I need some help reading this. I don’t understand it. I just tested my alk, and I need help figuring out exactly what it is. It’s at this.

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

I stopped dripping it when the water turned the same green as on the paper. I just don’t know what the numbers mean. I’m probably just really stupid.

[ECLS Reefer]

56 minutes ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

I stopped dripping it when the water turned the same green as on the paper. I just don’t know what the numbers mean. I’m probably just really stupid.

To me that looks like the remaining volume is 0.26ml, and I take that to mean by the chart that your alk is basically nonexistent.

[mitten_reef]

54 minutes ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

I may just be very stupid, but I need some help reading this. I don’t understand it. I just tested my alk, and I need help figuring out exactly what it is. It’s at this.

did you have the base of the rubber plunger start right at 1.0 ml as the instruction say? 

If so, that means, you used 0.52 ml of the reagent. -->> 7.3 dKH.  If not, re-read the instruction and re-test. 

The air bubble between the liquid line and the plunger represent the liquid volume that is inside the syringe tip attachment.  

 

[ECLS Reefer]

3 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

did you have the base of the rubber plunger start right at 1.0 ml as the instruction say? 

If so, that means, you used 0.52 ml of the reagent. -->> 7.3 dKH.  If not, re-read the instruction and re-test. 

The air bubble between the liquid line and the plunger represent the liquid volume that is inside the syringe tip attachment.  

 

How do you get 0.52? Even if you count the air- you count from the top of the plunger where it meets the air, not the bottom most part attached to the piston. It would be 0.48 if you read counting the bubble 🤔🤔. 

[ECLS Reefer]

And besides- do you actually count the bubble? I use the magnesium test kit from Salifert and I didn’t understand the instructions to say you should count the bubble? Did I count wrong?

[mitten_reef]

13 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

How do you get 0.52? Even if you count the air- you count from the top of the plunger where it meets the air, not the bottom most part attached to the piston. It would be 0.48 if you read counting the bubble 🤔🤔. 

because the quantity that you used is 1 minus <what's left>....  So if the plunger is at 0.48, then that means he used 1-0.48 = 0.52.  

 

BUT this is all based on where the plunger started, i.e. the "o-ring" should start right where 1.0 is.   This is per instruction booklet. 

 

IF his liquid started at 1, then he used a lot of reagent 1-0.26 = 0.74 -->> 10.4 dKH.  

 

As long as you know where you picked as a starting point for yourself, then it's not as complicated as the instruction says.  i.e. if you pick the piston location, then you use that as beginning & end readings.  Or if you use where you liquid is then you have to count that difference between beginning & end.  

 

The only wrong way is when you read from different points on beginning vs end readings.  

11 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

And besides- do you actually count the bubble? I use the magnesium test kit from Salifert and I didn’t understand the instructions to say you should count the bubble? Did I count wrong?

not familiar with salifert enough to comment anything on that, sorry. 

 

[Tamberav]

It depends where Ethan started the plunger at. @EthanPhillyCheesesteak did you put the 1.0 at the bottom or top of the plunger when you drew it up?

[ECLS Reefer]

3 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

because the quantity that you used is 1 minus <what's left>....  So if the plunger is at 0.48, then that means he used 1-0.48 = 0.52.  

 

BUT this is all based on where the plunger started, i.e. the "o-ring" should start right where 1.0 is.   This is per instruction.

 

IF his liquid started at 1, then he used a lot of reagent 1-0.26 = 0.74 -->> 10.4 dKH.  

 

As long as you know where you picked as a starting point for yourself, then it's not as complicated as the instruction says.  i.e. if you pick the piston location, then you use that as beginning & end readings.  Or if you use where you liquid is then you have to count that difference between beginning & end.  

 

The only wrong way is when you read from different points on beginning vs end readings.  

Ah. I work with those little 1ml syringes day in and day out, and I get all the air out. So I never have a bubble to factor in. But I don’t use Red Sea kits, and those instructions tell you to flip the syringe and take the reading from just what’s left. Because I guess they factored in how much reagent you used to get to that little remainder on their results card already..🤔. I’m so tired- these are deep thoughts for my tired brain at this point 🤦🏽‍♀️

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

5 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

It depends where Ethan started the plunger at. @EthanPhillyCheesesteak did you put the 1.0 at the bottom or top of the plunger when you drew it up?

I put the bottom of the plunger at the 1.0

I went ahead and retested just to make sure I was right and I got the same thing

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

[Tamberav]

First one: 1-.0.48=0.52= Alk 7.3

Second one: 1-0-.41=0.59 = Alk 8.25

 

Prob because one looks like it has a larger bubble so guessing one is wrong.

 

I love my Hanna alk checker.

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

7 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

1-.0.48=0.52= Alk=7.3

So is this good or normal? 

[coryscritch]

If you take the tip off the syringe then draw your fluid, you won’t have an air bubble.  I use Red Sea test kits 

[coryscritch]

1 hour ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

 

1 hour ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

Your dkh is 10.6. 

[mitten_reef]

Instruction page I referred to...

[Tamberav]

6 hours ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

So is this good or normal? 

 

7 is natural sea water.

 

My SPS tank is 7.2

 

I would test your tank before your next water change and after. Testing is before will let you know how low it is getting before your water change, and testing it after will let you know how much swing you are getting. 

 

You can also test daily every day at the SAME TIME for say.... a week after your water change to get an idea of how much alk is being consumed. 

[ECLS Reefer]

6 hours ago, mitten_reef said:

Instruction page I referred to...

Yeah- I get that. That’s not exactly how that salifert mag test is so it’s a little confusing how they want you to interpret the results. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

3 hours ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Yeah- I get that. That’s not exactly how that salifert mag test is so it’s a little confusing how they want you to interpret the results. 

I agree, this is a little bit more confusing 

So if I don’t it’s not a alk problem, what could it be? I haven’t checked my phosphates?

I need to buy a test kit for that 

[Sunday]

Hey,

Could you give us your other test results (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, calcium, magnesium)? 😉

[Matteo]

57 minutes ago, Sunday said:

Hey,

Could you give us your other test results (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, calcium, magnesium)? 😉

Nah 🤣

[Matteo]

Are you doing water changes regularly?

 

That is really all you need for nano tanks. The salt you buy has all the properties you need. 

 

Only reason people dose is because they have so much coral that those nutrients and chemicals get asbrobed up before the next water change. 

 

You simply don't have enough coral for that so I'm suspecting lack of water changes especially if you have 0 alk. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

10 hours ago, OverCookedRock said:

Are you doing water changes regularly?

 

That is really all you need for nano tanks. The salt you buy has all the properties you need. 

 

Only reason people dose is because they have so much coral that those nutrients and chemicals get asbrobed up before the next water change. 

 

You simply don't have enough coral for that so I'm suspecting lack of water changes especially if you have 0 alk. 

I do water changes once a week? But they are only about 15%, is that not enough?

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Ok, so I have a update. I tested my water for most things except for my calcium and magnesium. My ph is around 8.1, my ammonia is at 0 my nitrite is at 0, my nitrate is at 4.0. And you already know my alk. 

Jerry the crab is also doing a lot better. He’s still staying in one spot, but when I go up to the tank or try to feed him, he will move his claws around a lot more. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Another update. My dad came home yesterday with a surprise for me. He came into the house with a small plastic bag and gave it to me. I opened it up and to my surprise, I find a very small Valentini puffer fish. Now I did not get to do any research on these guys, so could anyone provide me with any information? He’s small, maybe only an inch long.