Any advice appreciated

[martinmcnally]

The Grizz you were rite on the Nitrate. Its reading 5ppm right now. Thats the first time I have ever seen it not read zero.

I haven't added any fish lately and I don't think I am over feeding but I will cut back for sure and see what happens there. I usually fee once a day either a pinch of flakes or some mysis. Plus the tangs get some seaweed either every day or every other day.

Mg is reading 1100
dKH is 10

Martin

[martinmcnally]

So all my parameters as of now are:
Ammonia / Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5ppm
Phosphate: 0.5ppm
Calcium: 340ppm
Magnesium: 1100ppm
dKH: 10
Salinity: 0.0025
Temperature: 26-28oC

I lost the reference card for my pH test (ack!) but it looks the same colour as always 8.2 so I guess I need another one of those now (more money )

So would I be right in thinking I should be doing the following:

Calcium: Work on getting that up to around 450ppm (I am using Kent A & B)
Nitrate: Cut back on the feeding and see if I can get that back down to zero.
Phosphate: Keep running Rowaphos and doing water changes to get that as close to zero as possible.
Magnesium: Should I bother trying to raise from 1100 to 1400?

I also need a better light for my sump so I can actually grow something in there except the little shrimp that seem to love it. )

[christyf5]

Lets hope the salinity is 1.025

As for the magnesium, 1100ppm is a pretty good number. You can try to raise it to about 1350ppm but it will take a lot of supplement.

I wouldn't worry about the pH test kit, your tank will likely hardly fluctuate except at night. With regular water changes it should be pretty stable.

Just concentrate on your list there and you should be on your way!

[sharuq1]

What are you measuring your salinity with? Also, how old are your bulbs and what type of lighting do you have? What do you normally feed your fish?

[martinmcnally]

Haha yea 1.025 measure with refractometer.

I feed Prime Reef Flakes, PC Mysis and Sea Veggies.

Lights are 4 T5s 2x 12,000K and 2x Antic. They were just replaced this week.

Was running 2x Fiji Purple and 2x 14,000K before that.

Martin

[The Grizz]

When you feed the mysis do you let it unthaw in SW and then pour out the liquid, then replace with some more SW and use a turkey baseter thing to feed. I have found that if you do this the nitrate in the juice of the mysis is not in your tank & only feed a little bit at a time make sure your fish are eating it all befroe it hits bottom. Flack food is the worst to feed as the overflow can carry it away before the fish get it. I feed the pellet food and turn off all my flow so the fish can get it straight away.

Get your Ca up, nitrate's down and then once they are stable work on the MG. I am going to get a hold of ChemMaster's and see if I can get a large quanity of his Mg mix and then redistribute it at the cost I got it for, I have 3 people interested in going in with me on this order. It is a more cost affective Mg supplement then anything else. I will keep in touch with you on this.

You choice of bulbs is better with the 12k & Actinic then the fiji as you only have 4 bulbs.

This is all just my opinion, as I said before I am not an expert but learning everyday with my own experience's. Others my disagree with me but that is there opinion and they may know more then I do.