Jump to content
ReefCleaners.org

Help!!!! Need Advice


Nano-Cube Nut

Recommended Posts

Nano-Cube Nut

Hi to all---I'm new here and don't know anything about posting in forums. I posted a couple hours ago and no reply. I think it's in the wrong forum, it's in Nano Reefs-General Discussion and I wanted it to go into Special Interests-Nano Cube. Can anyone help me forward my post from there to the Nano Cube Forum, the post is too long to do all over, but I don't think anyone can help me where it's at. If you can help or go to General Discussion and read it there to help me (it's subject line is the same as this post), I would be very grateful!!!

 

THANK YOU (sorry I'm so brain dead on computers!)

Link to comment
artarmon42

I cut-and-paste some of your questions...

 

Originally posted by Nano-Cube Nut

Tests on 5-5-05 with Hagen Kits (after 3 days adding Kent Lq. Cal.):

Cal. 340

Tests on 5-6-05 with new Seachem Kits (after 4 days of Kent Lq. Cal):

Cal. 255 (WOW, I thought it was low with other kit, I verified test)

 

Dropping from 340 to 265 in 1 day is unlikely.

You're obviously not using the same test kits, so that will invalidate your findings.

 

Originally posted by Nano-Cube Nut

Now I get this trusted and recommended Seachem Test Kit and it says  

 

Not sure who recommended Seachem, but Salifert is generally regarded as the most precise test available to hobbyists.

 

Whatever you pick, take readings from the same kit and then re-ask your question.

 

Originally posted by Nano-Cube Nut

Next question--What do you keep your nano-cubes at for Alk.???

 

Use good salt with weekly water changes, or dose.

 

Originally posted by Nano-Cube Nut

So this would tell me my calcium problem is worse than I thought, does anyone know about how long it takes to get the Cal. up using the Kent Liquid Calcium daily (says to dose 1/8-1/2 tsp. daily for my tank size, I've been doing the max of 1/2 tsp. daily)?

 

I wouldn't assume your Ca levels dropping, until you've validated it with the same test kit.

 

Why are you worried about Ca?

You don't have anything in your tank that consumes Ca (perhaps the Coralline, but if it's already coating your LR, they don't have much growing left and won't need the Ca ;))

 

 

 

 

 

When you start out, there's always lots of questions.

But here's some advice that relates to the general area that you're seeking help on...

*) Use the same test kit. Then once you have real results, tell us what you find, and your concerns based on those results. We can help alot more with real data.

*) Don't dose unless you have confirmed that you need to. Most nano reefers (even those with high Ca consumers such as SPS corals) don't dose and just make up for it with regular water changes.

*) Use good salt. When you consider cheap salt (e.g. Instant Ocean) + dosing (e.g. Liquid Calcium) + consuming more accurate test kits (e.g. Salifert) to keep making sure you're not over/under-dosing, it turns out to be much more expensive than buying better salt (e.g. Tropin Marin or Oceanic) in the first place.

Link to comment
Nano-Cube Nut

Okay here's the new results:

Tested my new mixed IO water for water changes (I buy this already mixed from LFS, everyone here uses IO, there were alot of problems with Oceanic from users here before I started my tank, so I use IO)

New IO water:

PH 8.2

Alk. 4 meq/L

Cal. 320

 

My tank water using my new Seachem Test Kits and dosing daily Liq. Calcium--

5/6/05 (1st time w/new kits):

PH 8.1

Alk. 5 meq/L

Cal. 255

 

5/8/05

PH 8.2

Alk. 5 meq/L

Cal. 255

 

5/9/05

PH 8.1

Alk. 4 meq/L

Cal. 265

 

What I would like to hear from you all is:

1) Isn't my calcium supposed to be at 380-420 even if I don't have stoney corals, I will have shrimp and I do have 3 crabs, 10 blueleg hermits, 7 snails and LR COVERED in Coralline (artarmon42 said if my LR is already covered in coralline it won't have much growing to do and won't need the Cal. ??I thought it used Cal. to live, not just grow, is this wrong?? That's why I thought Cal. was important cause I DO have LR already covered in coralline and the inverts.

 

2)Is my Alk. good? As I said before seems every test gives different "good" ranges and people I ask say different ranges are good. If I go by the test kits I use now (Seachem) it says Alk. should be 4-6 meq/L, so this would mean I'm good to go!!!!

BUT I WANT TO KNOW YOUR ALK. ON A NANO(AND WHAT TEST KIT DO YOU USE)?

 

Thank you so much for any posts, I need advice and help!

Link to comment
Nano-Cube Nut

I posted my new readings as artarmon42 said I should so you all could help me----No posts----Please help me, I'm wondering if this forum stuff is really a good place to get some answers from fellow nano-cube reefers.

Link to comment
artarmon42

Sorry, had an emergency last night and couldn't spend alot of time online...

 

Originally posted by Nano-Cube Nut

New IO water:

PH 8.2

Alk. 4 meq/L

Cal. 320

 

My tank water using my new Seachem Test Kits and dosing daily Liq. Calcium--

5/6/05 (1st time w/new kits):

PH 8.1

Alk. 5 meq/L

Cal. 255

 

5/8/05

PH 8.2

Alk. 5 meq/L

Cal. 255

 

5/9/05

PH 8.1

Alk. 4 meq/L

Cal. 265

 

Doesn't look like you meansured the "new" IO water with the same test... so I'll ignore it for the purpose of "reading" your results.

 

The numbers make sense. You dosed Ca sometime between 5/8 and 5/9 right? Ca and Alk are inversely proportional, so Ca goes up, Alk goes down.

 

Originally posted by Nano-Cube Nut

1) Isn't my calcium supposed to be at 380-420 even if I don't have stoney corals, I will have shrimp and I do have 3 crabs, 10 blueleg hermits, 7 snails and LR COVERED in Coralline (artarmon42 said if my LR is already covered in coralline it won't have much growing to do and won't need the Cal.  ??I thought it used Cal. to live, not just grow, is this wrong?? That's why I thought Cal. was important cause I DO have LR already covered in coralline and the inverts.

 

Your livestock aren't going to need alot of calcium. Snails perhaps, but they don't grow that fast if at all (by the time you buy them, they might already be the largest they'll ever grow).

 

My opinion is that you don't have anything that requires high levels of Ca. There are many cases where people have Coralline growth using undosed IO water.

 

Originally posted by Nano-Cube Nut

2)Is my Alk. good? As I said before seems every test gives different "good" ranges and people I ask say different ranges are good. If I go by the test kits I use now (Seachem) it says Alk. should be 4-6 meq/L, so this would mean I'm good to go!!!!

BUT I WANT TO KNOW YOUR ALK. ON A NANO(AND WHAT TEST KIT DO YOU USE)?

 

Mine is between 4.57 and 5.26 according to the Salifert test. Which for the record is MUCH higher than NSW (it's 2.9 meq/L).

 

Remember, unless you get an additive that increases BOTH Ca AND Alk, one will go up while the other goes down. I'm sure there are others, but B-Ionic 2-part is what I use to increase both.

 

Hope this is what you wanted to know...

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...