Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board  

Go Back   Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board > General > Reef

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-12-2017, 06:28 PM
sobe sobe is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 70
sobe is on a distinguished road
Default Needing advice reef chemistry

So i finally got my but off and tested my water parameters. Im in shocked on how low some of the levels are.

Calcium-320
Alk-7.3 dkh
Mag is 800

I got Randy's 2 part mixed and ready. I have calculated total volume of each solution i need to dose to raise to my desired level

My target would be 400 and 1100

What is safe way to raise everything? Ive read online max for Cl is 50ppm and mag is 100ppm per day.

Also if i raise what is a good dkh to shoot for?
Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-12-2017, 07:00 PM
Animal-Chin Animal-Chin is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Maple Ridge
Posts: 349
Animal-Chin is on a distinguished road
Default

First and foremost take it slow! If you increase your cal your alk will drop. mg is what stops alk and cal from combining and yours is low. I'd start dosing all 3 very slowly, a little cal, alk and mg each day so they can all adjust together.

How big is your tank? Do you have many coral? What kind?

It's tricky to get your levels to get in line when some are low and some aren't. Make sure you test all 3 when adjusting be aids if you start dosing calcium and the coral start using it your all can start dropping too.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-12-2017, 07:36 PM
sobe sobe is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 70
sobe is on a distinguished road
Default

Its a 100g tank with 33g sump. Id say total water volume after rocks displacement and with sump compartments would be 85-95g my estimate.

I have mostly zoas and paly, few rbta some mushrooms. But lps i have 3 acans golf ball size, 1 pictinia size of a fist, about 100 head of hammer. About 10 head of frogspawn, 10 head candy cane, 1 half small papaya siz what i think is a favia and 1small pocci about 5 branches

So if i stick with let say a solution to raise it to 50ppm for both Cal and Mag per day. I can make the Ca and Alk solution equal amount. Would that be safe for now?
I dont have a doser so i have to add the liquid in the morning maybe split 2 dose a day

Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-12-2017, 10:14 PM
Animal-Chin Animal-Chin is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Maple Ridge
Posts: 349
Animal-Chin is on a distinguished road
Default

I'd shoot for a lower number at first. If you raise your cal by 50 with mg that low it will find your alk and start to calcify on stuff. Your pumps will be the first thing it finds and it will seize them up. Raise your cal by 10 per day and let your tank figure out how it will wp effect it. If your coral are happy right now any dramatic swings will upset them. 50 in calcium in one day is quite a swing.

Maybe add cal and mg in the morning and test your alk in the evening and adjust if needed. Coral hate alk swings more than anything so you have to do this in baby steps....
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-12-2017, 10:36 PM
Potatohead Potatohead is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 126
Potatohead is on a distinguished road
Default

If everything is that low the first thing I would be doing is verifying your salinity.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-13-2017, 03:41 PM
sobe sobe is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 70
sobe is on a distinguished road
Default

Ill head to j&l to get a salinity calibration fluid to check my refractometer. Ill do a 30g water change in 5 days interval to see if i can get mag up through water changes before i dose.

I just switch from AF salt after using up last of IO bucket.

Will test the new batch of salt mix to see if lines up with their test included on the bucket
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-13-2017, 07:59 PM
Potatohead Potatohead is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 126
Potatohead is on a distinguished road
Default

If you have one parameter low, it's usually cheaper and easier to just add that in, rather than water changes. You can buy the bulk chemicals for relatively cheap compared to salt mix.

Usually however if all three are low, the salinity is low, so some calibration fluid is a good idea.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-17-2017, 06:04 PM
sobe sobe is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 70
sobe is on a distinguished road
Default

Update: im 5ppt off recalibrated my refractometer and slowly raised it up by 2ppt per day. Lesson learned.

Will test water again. Once im at 35ppt
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 05:49 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.