Water chemistry right?

[Flounder]

I did another test today and can't seem to find my book that tells me if my lvls are ok for a few of the test. So I am going to post them all here.

Gravity 1.019

Phosphate 0.25
Calcium 650 ppm


These are the tests I don't have a chart for to see if they are ok.

PH 8.1
Nitrate No3 0ppm
Nitrite No2 0ppm
Ammonia 0.25

If these are to high or two low please let me know. I will be doing another 10% water change today so I will be testing again tomorrow and will be doing the water changes for the next couple of days till my cleaning crew get here each at 10% water change.

 

[ste2k3]

the ammonia should be zero as should phosphate but unlike amonia phosphate will just fuel algae growth and will not harm your fish. The S.G. is low too, I would bring this up to around 1.022-1.026. i run mine at 26.

I think that you may have done thecalcium test wrong as I don't think the scale goes up to 650. you want to aim for around 420. all the rest seem ok.

do you have fish in there?

ste

 

[Flounder]

i have one tomatoe clown and two damsels. And they have been in the tank for about 7 months.

The Phosphate were hard to tell what the lvls were. I went for the .25 because was not clear like 0 but not as blue as .25.

I didn't want to mess with the S.G. cause i am doing another water change today of 10%. I will fix the S.G when I do this.


I will do the Ca test again before I change the water. Then again Wed night after the tank has sat for a day before I add my cleaning crew.

I will also do the ammonia and phosphate test again when i do the Ca test.

I cleaned the algae that I had in my tank off the rocks the other day and got as much as I could off the sand. I bought another power head so now i have 2 Penguin 550 power head 145 gph running in the tank.

I have not seen the algae come back like it did the last time i washed if off the rocks.

I have also added a few friends in the tank.
2 sand sifting snails
2 blue legged hermits
1 emerald crab.

 

[ste2k3]

I'v just noticed something. you measured calcium @ ppm and I was meaning mg/l. I'm not sure how to convert it but it could be right.

ste

 

[ostrow]

That calcium is way too high! You need to be between 400 and 450.

You give no alkalinity reading. dKh should be between 8 and 11. Your calcium can go sky high if alk is too low. You could be in danger of precipitating calcium, and then you will have all sorts of problems.

I have one and only one piece of advice that you would be foolish not to follow:
Go to www.reefcentral.com and sign up if you have not already done so.

Go to the Reef Chemistry forum and post as complete information on your tank and tests as humanly possible.

Let Randy Holmes-Farley to guide you to the path of stable water. Before posting read the articles he posts at the top of the forum. You'll get some answers there. But that man is a master and level-headed.

 

[Flounder]

alkalinity? Guess I will going to the LFS tomorrow to buy a test for this.

 

[ostrow]

Again, go to reefcentral and read that forum.
Best tests for alk and ca are salifert. Best by far.

 

[Great Lakes]

The 650 calcium level is nat real dangerous. I had readings this high for the first year or so. I spoke with Farley about it and we could not figure out why, but we concluded it wasn't too detrimental. I did use three different kits by three manufactures also. We just could't believe it was that high.

Ostrow is right, you need a hardness test. This will greatly affect your waters ability to resist ph swings.

GL

 

[Flounder]

I re-did the test and seems my husband did the math wrong. Not like the new test was any better, but it did drop down by 100ppm.

I did go to Reef Central. Already a browser there reading the posts and articals. Never thought of going to the chem forum for questions.

 

[ostrow]

GL if calcium is that high and alk drops below 6 or 7 then there is a danger of precipitation. And likely, that high a calcium indicates a hardness problem.

Though not always as you must have experienced.

Randy is a wizard. Really knows how to balance those two difficult to balance parameters.

 

[Flounder]

I went over there and talked to Randy. He has lead me in a new direction....

GO BACK TO SCHOOL! hehe and pay attention in scince! LOL

I read alot of his articals, got lost acouple of times but then was able to follow him where I didnt.