water chemistry

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

I just tested my water and I noticed a few problems.
My calcium is at 350ppm. Even with dripping kalkwasser I can't raise it above 350, what else can I do?

My ph is pretty low at 7.4 ppm. How do raise this?

Nitrate is at the usual .10 -.20 ppm.

I just moved my 125G so I figured I'd have a mini cycle since I had to disturb everything by emptying the tank and re setting it up. I've never had my ph so low though.

Ammonia is 0
Nitrite is 0

I am also experiencing a moderate to severe algae bloom. brown / red algae on the sand bed and a red slime algae on the rocks. My neon green sea mat needs to be "blown off" daily with a turkey baster because the red slime algae covers it and then it doesn't open. I did lose quite a few snails and crabs for some reason so I have order a new cleanup crew.

It will be awhile before the whole project is 100% complete. The winch system needs to be done yet and the trim needs to be finished. We also have to rethink the access to the tank. Originally we were only going to have doors in the canopy in the dining room, but after cleaning glass a few times it would be easier to have access from both sides I think.

Thanks,
Angie

[peregrinus]

check your ALK that will have an effect on CAL.

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

I do not have an alk test kit. I will order one, thanks.

[dakar]

Salifert's Alk test kit has been working very well for me.

Afterwards, if you need to increase the amount of calcium your kalk mix can carry try adding vinegar to the water prior to mixing it up. 1tbl per gallon of water let me double the amount of pickling lime without it preciping out as it dripped.

BTW, just out of curiosity what salt mix do you use?

[Reptoreef]

A ph buffer with an an additional alk test is a must. First of all, when the PH drops below 7.8, your corals stony coraqls begin losing their skeletal structure(it basically is desolved), but it must be raised very slowly. Your ca realy isn't bad... it is above 300(NSW). As you use a buffer, alk will increase so test as you tweak. Remember, you're still cycling so take it easy... relax, right now, patienc is gonna be key. Best of luck,

Repto

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

I use instant ocean. No special reason for using it, it's just always available and it's what I started with years ago. I'm going to have Dan pick up the Alk test kit tomorrow when he goes to the funeral. Thanks anyways.

Also, I added Kent Marine Superbuffer-dkh to my tank. That should help get that back to normal.

I'm also going to start adding Kent Marine Tech CB part A and part B to bring up my calcium and alk. I have never used this before, but I will try it. I've had it for about a month but I hate adding things I have never tried before. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Reptoreef]

Remember, test before you tweak... it's pretty important!!!

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

I will always test before I add anything. I only added the minimum for the supperbuffer dkh. I will test again tomorrow night. I will have the alk test kit then. I don't have a lot of corals in my tank yet so I'm not sure where all of the calcium is going.
Here is what I have:

sea mat 4x6
2 green star polyps 8x8
3 purple star polyps 3x6
hammer 8 heads about .75 inches each
tons of zoanthids
ricordias
a few leathers
tons of mushrooms

that's basically it. i do have quite a bit of Coraline algae. My rocks are almost 100% covered in purple Coraline. Almost too much purple for my liking.

Angie

[Reptoreef]

Alk issues are usually appearant with an increase of coralline bleaching... is this an issue you have or are having recently?

[davejnz]

I've used the calcium part of Kent tech CB.It takes 23ml of the calcium part to balance out 1 tspn of superbuffer.Calcium is usually not the limiting factor in a reef tank,its alkalinity.When your system is depleted 1dKH of alkalinity only 20 ppm of calcium will be depleted as well.If your adding balanced calc/alk additives,regular testing of alkalinity will give you a good idea where your calcium is at.

[ereefic]

A pH of 7.4 is pretty suspect. What kit are you using? Is it old? Something has got to be seriously wrong if you pH was really that low IMO.

When you get your Alk. and Cal. balanced and still have a problem with them, might want to check your Magnesium as well. I use IO salt as well and it has tested out to only 1100 ppm of Magnesium. Low Magnesium can make it hard to keep you Alk. and Cal. in balance.

[Reptoreef]

True... keep your mag near 1300-1350.

[condiman]

I had a similar problem when I used IO but when I switched to Red Sea everything went back to where it should be except that there magnesium level seems a bit low.

[Reptoreef]

do a search on the use of ebsom salt for mag dosing.

[davejnz]

I've been using IO and never test for mag,been having the hardest times keeping alk at 8dKH and calc 400,guess its time to get a mag test kit and some epsom salts

[ereefic]

If I remember correctly, epsom salts should not be used on a regular basis because of high sulfate content. Apperently ok if used is small quantities, which you usually need alot of Magnesium to raise it even a little.

I'd do some research before using the epsom salts.

[dakar]

Guess we should break down and order in a Mg test kit with our next drygoods order.. Got me curious now.

[Reptoreef]

Ereefic, good point... thanks for adding that. Dakar, I only test pretty much quarterly(every 3-6 months).

[ereefic]

IO is horrible on Magnesium, all it takes is a couple of bigger water changes and your levels are crap again. I'm looking into running Dolomite in the calcium reactor also to help out with keeping Mag. up where it needs to be.

[dakar]

IO is horrible on Magnesium, all it takes is a couple of bigger water changes and your levels are crap again. I'm looking into running Dolomite in the calcium reactor also to help out with keeping Mag. up where it needs to be.

Run any tests on the Mg content of Oceanic salt?

Angie, what'd you figure out with your Alk?

[Reptoreef]

Ereefic, I've heard of the dolomite method... after you get all your info, please be sure to share. As for salts, I use Red Sea and Oceanic. Both seem very good and there doesn't seem to be any reall neg effects when occassionally switching from 1 to the other.

[ereefic]

IO has always read 1100 ppm Magnesium.

Repto, I will, may be awhile though. Wanna get the whole reactor thing figured out well before I start messing with the Dolomite. The reactor media alone may help keep things enough to still use supplements, but not in the big volume that I do now.

[Reptoreef]

Cool. I use no suppliments with the salt I use for water changes, the ca reactor I use and everything looks to be thriving... dialing in the reactor is kind of a pain. Fact is, I also run with a kalk reactor as well... PH remains pretty stable.

[davejnz]

Has there been any studies of Magnesium playing a role in calcification?Has anyone noticed slower growth from low levels?

[Reptoreef]

I have witnessed the effects that occur in the balance of the ca/alk(mag plays a serious role)... IMO, the answer is a definite "YES".

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

I just tested everything and all is well.
Everything is perfect actually. Even my nitrates are finally 0!! Calcium is up to 400.
Now all I have to do is figure out why I have hair algae.

I have a 40 gal sump packed with chaeto. I just ordered a clean up crew and added a lettuce nudibranch to the order. It will be here on Friday. ( have to wait for the special order nudi.) Anyone else close by that has a hair algae problem? From all that I have read the nudi will starve once all of the hair algae is consumed. I'd be willing to pass it around so it doesn't run out of food.
Let me know.

Angie

[Whoyah]

I have been battling a hair algae problem as well. I beefed up my clean up crew recently and that is certainly having a positive effect. I also manually remove as much as possible. There is still some in there but I am gaining ground on it.

I am not sure what is causing the problem though. I ordered a Saliferts Phosphate kit but it is on back order so that will have to wait. I purchase RO from the grocery store and I am wondering if that might be coming that way.

I would think a 40 gallon fuge would have enough stuff for one little old lettuce sea slug to eat. I have one as well, pretty cool little guys.

[Reptoreef]

Crop what HA you can by hand and completely remove from system... lower or eliminate your light cycle(how old are your bulbs??) for 2-3 days and observe for any natural HA recession. Next, don't feed or add ANYTHING(suppliments, food, phyto, etc)... try all of this, at once(starting now) and observe for any positive effects before adding the janitorial staff. Whoya, any chance that another local would have a TDS meter you could use?

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

All of my hair algae is in hard to get to spots. (bottom of rockwork) it isn't really long enough yet to pull out by hand....but it's getting there. Not too long ago I emptied every rock out of the tank and scrubbed each one with a tooth brush and a nail brush. (PITA and an all day job to boot!) No more hair algae for about 1.5 - 2 months. Now I noticed it's back. I have so much chaeto in my sump that it looks like one giant brick, lol. I'll have to take some out soon.

How often should MH lights be replaced? (250w 20k)

Thanks,
Angie

[Reptoreef]

Depending on quality and hours used... 9-12 months is usually safe.

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

they are coralview and the lighting period is about 10 hrs a day. I installed them February 2003 so I know they need to be replaced. I guess that's next on the list ;)

[Reptoreef]

That could be a main source of your probs... older lighting tends to shift to more of a red band(plant food). Be sure to acclimentn slowly, it's gonna be a major change to go from your current bulbs to a new set.

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

how should I acclimate? I can raise my lights up to 2 ft from the water. Or should I just use shorter lighting periods?

[Reptoreef]

IMO, begin at the point of where you see the corals responding fairly well(about 18") and drop an 1" or 2 each week(depending on the corals responses... they'll tell you what they like best)until you reach your desired position. I would think it would be ok to keep your current photo period.

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

I just ordered 3 new 250w 20k MH bulbs. They should be here this week yet I hope. I went and looked at my tank before the lights went out for the night and I swear the hair algae grew an inch today, lol. I just couldn't wait to get them. At the rate the HA is growing, my tank would have been covered in 2 weeks.


On a side note, can I use the old MH for my chaeto or would that be too much? As expensive as the bulbs are, I hate throwing them out. What does everyone do with their old bulbs??

[ereefic]

I am using our 18+ month old ushios on the fuge/growout tank, there just fine. Good way to get your money out of them.

They'll stay until I see anything in there telling me to take it out.

[Reptoreef]

Recycle, definitely... Awesome lighting for algae, obviously.

[ereefic]

Recycle, definitely... Awesome lighting for algae, obviously.

Frags aren't complaining either. ;)

[Reptoreef]

Do you ever have any probs with algae attaching to your frags or their plugs???

[ereefic]

Not really. If there is a dead part of a frag, algea will grow on it, but nothing on healthy frags. Small spots here and there on rubble that the frags are attached too, but the snails make quick work of it.

Slow flow through the fuge/growout is more a factor than the old bulbs I believe.

[Reptoreef]

Cool, thanks... Angie, here's your thread back. Sorry for the hijack.

[shovelhead91701]

old thread but just bought myself some new IO Reef Crystals salt that is supposed to have boosted levels of these minerals in it compared to plain IO.......I am going to start mixing it in with my plain IO salt until I get completely switched over. Any thoughts on this or has anyone else tried this stuff?

[jerryc]

I like it works for me

[davejnz]

I've used it before,switching between that and IO and never had any problems.IMO,they can be used interchangeably as they are from the same company and i'd assume they have similar mineral/element levels.This has been my experience when using both salts when one or the other isn't availiable.I do know from testing that ReefCrystals has a higher calcium level than IO but i've never tested either for mag.I have been using both brands now for the past yr and have never experienced stressed corals from using either.
That said,i still dont get the positive reaction from my corals when doing WC with NSW.Something about the organics/plankton in it that make my corals happy.My problem is i'm too lazy to collect it otherwise i'd use it exclusively.