Help Required on KH, PH & Calcium

[cherietung]

Newbies on marine, need urgent help.

Tank size: 350l wiht plenty of live rocks just set up on 24/9/05.

Current reading on my tank:

27/9/05

KH: 40+

Calcium: 200+

PH: 7.7+

Dose: Tropic Marin Calcium (3 bottles type) - a lot

Seachem PH Buffer - a lot

Seachem KH Buffer - a spoon full

25/9/05

KH: 20+

Calcium: 320+

PH: 7.5+

Dose: Tropic Marin Calcium (3 bottles type) - normal cap full

Seachem PH Buffer - a lot

Readings are correct. Used 3 different testers including Sera, Tetra and Salifert. Only Salifert used for calcium testing.

Will carry out water change by end of day. Can any kind soul analyst the problem with my tank? I have read most of the articles and still quite confused as am data overload. Did my research on previous thread as well.

Thank you.

[nakazoru]

Actually what do you have in the tank?

You really have alot of test kit...

If you really only have FOWLR tank, please for goodness sake, dun worry at the moment, and stop dosing all additive in. Even with fish, just worry for now the ammonia, Nitrate and nitrite.

Anyway, your tank complete cycling????

[cherietung]

There are quite a number of live stocks and mainly soft corals. Readings for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate=0. Fishes of various sizes but not small.

Corals are dying. Can not help but worry at this point in time.

If this is a FOWLR tank, no need to dose calcium.

I am using cured live rocks and act as my filter as well under the berlin system.

Any clue anyone?

[gift05]

i'm by far an expert, cuz i've just started a tank with a berlin system too. about 2 weeks b4 you.

how you managed to get ur ammonia,no2 no3 lvls to 0 in 4 days is way beyond me. mine is at day 11 and no3 is still at 10 but settling.

well in ur case, i think adding all the addictives at this early stage is a bad idea, since you'd want ur water to cycle. and also esp since berlin method is known as the NATURAL method.

your kh is way too high, mine's been 7 since day 1. optimum should be about 8-9

what salts did you use for ur water? ph 7.5 is too low and should be a bout 8.3 and 8.4 . make sure you check your salinity and tt should be at 1.023.

like i said, i'm a noobie too! but all these perimeters did ok for my tank. any experts wish to comment on my advice?

[cherietung]

Salinity: 1.026

Salt: No Idea (from Aquatechnic)

Reason for the dosing is because of the low ph and low calcium. If no dose, my corals will die which is happening right now. Mine is a complete tank with live rocks, corals and live stocks on day one.

You need higher salinity for coral tank as published in one of the article.

Your salinity of 1.023 is good for FOWLR.

[zarkon]

The comments from the rest of the Bro is valid. You should have monitored the nitrogen cycle first. Kind of hard to believe they are all zeros within a couple of days.

Takes few weeks or months for some of us.

And you mentioned, LS in day one?

Maybe you want to hold back on the LS first. Monitor the Nitrogen cycle again.

If not you'll waste $$$$ .

[cherietung]

The LR are cured and was transferred from existing fellow tank. This is the main reason why readings are zero and LS in on day one. I agree had this been a new tank with LR straight from LFS or farms, the nitrogen cycle applies.

Anyway, the main problem is the KH. More $$$ will go into the drain if nothing is done about it.

Just puzzled why this is happening.

[zarkon]

I don't know... to me cured Live Rocks doesn't equal to enough bacteria to support your future Live Stock.

That's the reason why we see spikes in NH4/N02 when we introduce new live rocks/live stocks.

It took me about three weeks when I transfer from 2ft tank to a 4 footer. Even reused some of the live rocks and salt water.