Water Parameter

[Bernard]

Hi Guy's,

Having some problem adjusting my water parameter.

Presently water parameter are

(presently)----(Recommended)----(Test Kit)

(pH: 8.5)----(8.1 - 8.3)----(Hanna pH Pen)

(Mg: 1300)----(1200 - 1350ppm)----(Tropic Marin)

(Sio2: 0.1)----(0)----(Salifert)

(Po4: 0.05)----(<0.03ppm)----(Tropic Marin)

(kH: 7)----(8 - 11 dkH)----(Tropic Marin)

(Ca: 408)----(400 - 450ppm)----(Tropic Marin)

(NO2: 0.05)-----(<0.25ppm=prefer 0)----(Tropic Marin)

(NO3: <1)----(<30ppm=Prefer 0)----(Tropic Marin)

Change 10 to 20% water about every 3 to 4 days time but still can't help.

Using Seachem Reef Builder and Calcium but still can't bring up Ca and kH.

Please advice

[lightningstrike]

hi bernard,

can u roughly state how big is ur tank and what r u keeping?

which parameter exactly r u not happy abt?

[Bernard]

My tank is a 36"L x 30"H x 22"W and sump 33"L x 16"H x 15.5"W. about 135 gal.

I keep hard coral no sps but planning to add in some.

those that not in the recommended.

[lightningstrike]

ok, this is juz my humble suggestion........

pH 8.5...... suggest u calibrate ur Hanna test pen wif pH 7.0 solution and test again. but having a pH of 8.5 is oso quite fine when the lights r on.

Mg ....... ok

Sio2 ...... ok

PO4 ........ 0 will be the best, try using rowaphos or media of the same calibre. u can add in a FR for better results.

kH ......... 7 is a litlle on the low side....... r u dripping kalk to maintain? when u add reef buider, r u adding Ca or Mg additives as well?

Ca...... 408ppm is quite fine for now, but if u do go into sps, will be better and more cost saving if u do go for a CR.

NO2....... fine

NO3....... fine

if u r doing water change of abt 15% to 20% dilligently every 3 to 4 days, i really do not c the need to add any additives at all.

[Bernard]

pH 8.5...... suggest u calibrate ur Hanna test pen wif pH 7.0 solution and test again. but having a pH of 8.5 is oso quite fine when the lights r on.

I can't find the pH 7.0 solution at all, clementi 24hrs no more stock liao

PO4 ........ 0 will be the best, try using rowaphos or media of the same calibre. u can add in a FR for better results.

Yes using a FR with 1kg of contrapros.

kH ......... 7 is a litlle on the low side....... r u dripping kalk to maintain? when u add reef buider, r u adding Ca or Mg additives as well?

Ca...... 408ppm is quite fine for now, but if u do go into sps, will be better and more cost saving if u do go for a CR.

Yes dripping kalk but now stop liao because of the low level of kh and ca. Additives add not in the same day, always wait for the next day.

if u r doing water change of abt 15% to 20% dilligently every 3 to 4 days, i really do not c the need to add any additives at all.

Now bobian then change water at 3 to 4 days a time. but once everything back to normal will go back to once a week liao.

[lightningstrike]

I can't find the pH 7.0 solution at all, clementi 24hrs no more stock liao

can be easily found in some lfs in town.

Yes using a FR with 1kg of contrapros.

c how it goes, value should gradually reduce, hv to do with ur water change once every 3 to 4 days too.

Yes dripping kalk but now stop liao because of the low level of kh and ca. Additives add not in the same day, always wait for the next day.

stop bcoz low level of kh and ca???? i dun c the point for this........ dripping kalk actually increase and maintain to a certain extent.

[Bernard]

I can't find the pH 7.0 solution at all, clementi 24hrs no more stock liao

can be easily found in some lfs in town.

ok thanks will look out for it.

Yes using a FR with 1kg of contrapros.

c how it goes, value should gradually reduce, hv to do with ur water change once every 3 to 4 days too.

But it still can't help to reduce.

Yes dripping kalk but now stop liao because of the low level of kh and ca. Additives add not in the same day, always wait for the next day.

stop bcoz low level of kh and ca???? i dun c the point for this........ dripping kalk actually increase and maintain to a certain extent.

I'm dripping at 1 dps, should I increase the count?

[nutx]

What salt are u using for changing water? suggest u stop changing water and monitor for 2 weeks.

Sometimes, is the New Water that is adding the NO3 and PO4 into the tank.

for the a FR with 1kg of contrapros, how long have u been using? if they are there for more than 2 weeks, and the level of PO4 didn't continue to go down, probably they have exhausted already, time to change. Do u have the reading before installing the FR?

try to buy/borrow another brand of test kit to confirm the readings.

[terryansimon]

New Water adding in NO3 and PO4?

eh? isn't RO/DI water suppose to be free from those two ions?

NW is mixed with local reservoir water anyway, meaning our consumption rate is a very small percentage. the significance shouldn't be that drastic. but I wouldn't be surprised that the NO3 and PO4 source is from the tap water itself. I know PO4 can get replenished from the water you use and from the food you feed.

[Bernard]

What salt are u using for changing water? suggest u stop changing water and monitor for 2 weeks.

I'm using tropic marin salt since at the start up of this tank.

Sometimes, is the New Water that is adding the NO3 and PO4 into the tank.

Ok, will take note of this.

for the a FR with 1kg of contrapros, how long have u been using? if they are there for more than 2 weeks, and the level of PO4 didn't continue to go down, probably they have exhausted already, time to change. Do u have the reading before installing the FR?

Before installing is 0.05 then it go down to 0.01 the next day within 24hrs using only 500g. It stay at 0.01 for about 2 weeks it go back to 0.05. then pour in another 500g to make it to 1kg the same happen stay for 2 weeks only. now at 0.05ppm.

try to buy/borrow another brand of test kit to confirm the readings.

Before using tropic marin test kit i'm using Sera test kit.

[ReDDeviLs]

continue to drip kalk..and that should be fine.. maybe the dripping rate is not good enough,than increase the dripping rate..

[Bernard]

Now have increase to about 1 dps. before is 1 drop per min.

[lightningstrike]

Now have increase to about 1 dps. before is 1 drop per min.

keep us posted on how it goes.......

[Bernard]

keep us posted on how it goes.......

Ok By the way I still can't find the pH 7.0 solution, can help?

[Achilles Tang]

Bernard, sometimes it could be a form of ionic imbalance if you can't seem to bring your cal or alk up. Perhaps a lack of magnesium? Or perhaps in PH? Maybe you can do up to 20 to 30% water change to see if it helps?

Try to dose buffers and measure the drop the next day. Are your corals really growing that fast esp if they are SPS type? It's possible for an SPS tank to see huge drops in Cal and Alk due to the uptake by corals.

But first, get good test kits because a faulty set could cause you to overdose/underdose cal and alk supplements and an imbalance can actually cause a drop.... do read up on reefing chemistry... Cal, Alk and PH are all closely tied to one another.

AT

[Bernard]

Bernard, sometimes it could be a form of ionic imbalance if you can't seem to bring your cal or alk up. Perhaps a lack of magnesium? Or perhaps in PH? Maybe you can do up to 20 to 30% water change to see if it helps?

My Magnesium is 1300ppm (Tropic Marin test kit less then 1 month old) and PH 8.5

using Hanna PH Pen.

Try to dose buffers and measure the drop the next day. Are your corals really growing that fast esp if they are SPS type? It's possible for an SPS tank to see huge drops in Cal and Alk due to the uptake by corals.

After dosing buffers, the next day it still drop back my tanks have 4 hard coral and 2 soft coral, no sps yet.

But first, get good test kits because a faulty set could cause you to overdose/underdose cal and alk supplements and an imbalance can actually cause a drop.... do read up on reefing chemistry... Cal, Alk and PH are all closely tied to one another

My test kit just buy less then 1 month lei

[RAV-65]

Bro, its not the age of the test kit, it is how accurate the testkit is, may be giving you an error in reading...

[Bernard]

Bro, its not the age of the test kit, it is how accurate the testkit is, may be giving you an error in reading...

Before I changed to Tropic Marin was using Sera. Was told that Sera not accurate and was recommend to change to Tropic Marin.

[Bernard]

Hi Guy's,

Finally I had found the PH 7.0 calibration solution. After doing the calibration and found that my ph pen had increase by 0.8.

Now my water parameter is.

ph 7.9

mg 1280

si02 0.1

po4 0.05

dkh 4

ca 400

no2 0.05

no3 <1

please advice where go wrong and how to rectify it,

[weileong]

your kH is too low. Need to dose seachem reef buffer to push it up to ard 8.

[lightningstrike]

your kH is too low. Need to dose seachem reef buffer to push it up to ard 8.

my bro weileong meant reef builder. reef buffer is for raising pH.

[weileong]

my bro weileong meant reef builder. reef buffer is for raising pH.

age is catching up with me Think too much abt fattening my tangs lol.

Thanks for the correction bro lightning.

[Bernard]

Ok roger that Will monitor and see how again.