Water Quality

[Randy]

Is there any ways to test the water quality ? not the KH,calcium etc. The water quality that enable one to decide to change the water, etc.

thanks.

[arcanehacker]

Is there any ways to test the water quality ? not the KH,calcium etc. The water quality that enable one to decide to change the water, etc.

thanks.

why no the KH, Cal, etc? Water quality is a combination of kH, pH, Cal, PO4, NO3, Magnesium, NO2, Ammonia.

[arcanehacker]

why no the KH, Cal, etc? Water quality is a combination of kH, pH, Cal, PO4, NO3, Magnesium, NO2, Ammonia.

To add to that, water change is better.. its just duration to change. Once a month is reasonable. SOme go for few weeks once. Other never change water in months.

Whatever the reason, its up to your water parameters in the areas above.. no shortcuts to measuring water quality.

[Randy]

To add to that, water change is better.. its just duration to change. Once a month is reasonable. SOme go for few weeks once. Other never change water in months.

Whatever the reason, its up to your water parameters in the areas above.. no shortcuts to measuring water quality.

ok, i bought some uncured rocks unknowingly and threw them in my tank which has yet to be cycled. Some smell could be detected and so i thought any equipment could be used to test the water quality and in this case kH and others you mentioned

[arcanehacker]

ok, i bought some uncured rocks unknowingly and threw them in my tank which has yet to be cycled. Some smell could be detected and so i thought any equipment could be used to test the water quality and in this case kH and others you mentioned

Thats the way it should be.. you need rocks to cycle the tank.. smell is normal though there are many cases of no smell when cycle.. usually due to water flow. If you have good water flow, water should not smell.. all the 3 times I cycle my setups without smell.

Just lea

[arcanehacker]

ok, i bought some uncured rocks unknowingly and threw them in my tank which has yet to be cycled. Some smell could be detected and so i thought any equipment could be used to test the water quality and in this case kH and others you mentioned

Thats the way it should be.. you need rocks to cycle the tank.. Cured or uncured doesn't matter since everything will die off. Smell is normal though there are many cases of no smell when cycle.. usually due to water flow. If you have good water flow, water should not smell.. all the 3 times I cycle my setups without smell.

Just leave it.. during this time, what you should look out for is Ammonia, then NO2. Then lastly the NO3. After cycling, Ammonia and NO2 should be 0.. then NO3 will rise. You shouldn't be measuring any other parameters now as its just a waste of time.

[Randy]

Thats the way it should be.. you need rocks to cycle the tank.. Cured or uncured doesn't matter since everything will die off. Smell is normal though there are many cases of no smell when cycle.. usually due to water flow. If you have good water flow, water should not smell.. all the 3 times I cycle my setups without smell.

Just leave it.. during this time, what you should look out for is Ammonia, then NO2. Then lastly the NO3. After cycling, Ammonia and NO2 should be 0.. then NO3 will rise. You shouldn't be measuring any other parameters now as its just a waste of time.

i guess its the uncured rocks that smell. i bought rocks from different source and i pick them up from my tank one by one and smell it (hah) till i find the cuplrit. Took them and found lots of soft substance like decomposed snails and even unwanted crabs (sticky stuff). Scrub them off though cant be 100 percent complete .Previous batch of rocks i bought only have the sea breeze and not the kind of sea breeze smell.

Pray that things will go right in few mths time.

BTW, i have to change the water after the rocks are cured as well as the tank is cycled right?

[arcanehacker]

i guess its the uncured rocks that smell. i bought rocks from different source and i pick them up from my tank one by one and smell it (hah) till i find the cuplrit. Took them and found lots of soft substance like decomposed snails and even unwanted crabs (sticky stuff). Scrub them off though cant be 100 percent complete .Previous batch of rocks i bought only have the sea breeze and not the kind of sea breeze smell.

Pray that things will go right in few mths time.

BTW, i have to change the water after the rocks are cured as well as the tank is cycled right?

Change only till you find that cycling is complete, ie Ammonia and NO2 is 0.

[Randy]

Change only till you find that cycling is complete, ie Ammonia and NO2 is 0.

cool.

[Randy]

cool.

any suggestion which device to use for the mention chemical testing?

[LaW]

any suggestion which device to use for the mention chemical testing?

agree with arcanehacker.

i know no device for ammonia and nitrite testing other than nitrate meter/monitor, but be prepared to pay over $400 and the calibration solution itself is going to cost you another 200. however, theres a cheaper alternative and thats testkits. pay a little more and get reputable brand like salifert.

our sponsor Aquamarine carries it. check out the link below.

http://www.aquamarin.com.sg/aproducts.asp?...t%20Kits%20test

happy reefing mate and be patience with this hobby

and a warm welcome to this forum

[arcanehacker]

agree with arcanehacker.

i know no device for ammonia and nitrite testing other than nitrate meter/monitor, but be prepared to pay over $400 and the calibration solution itself is going to cost you another 200. however, theres a cheaper alternative and thats testkits. pay a little more and get reputable brand like salifert.

our sponsor Aquamarine carries it. check out the link below.

http://www.aquamarin.com.sg/aproducts.asp?...t%20Kits%20test

happy reefing mate and be patience with this hobby

and a warm welcome to this forum

Calibration liquid is not $200 lah... its a typo. Its $20.

I wouldn't recommend the nitrate monitor though.. at least for now. I had too many issues with it.. set it back twice already in less that 4 months. Still waiting for the results of whats wrong.

[Randy]

Calibration liquid is not $200 lah... its a typo. Its $20.

I wouldn't recommend the nitrate monitor though.. at least for now. I had too many issues with it.. set it back twice already in less that 4 months. Still waiting for the results of whats wrong.

why does the test kits have expiry dates?

i thought its similar to the ph test kit with meters on it?

[arcanehacker]

why does the test kits have expiry dates?

i thought its similar to the ph test kit with meters on it?

not sure what you mean by the meters part but tests kits should have an expiry. I guess these chemicals have a lifespan when exposed to air and moisture.

Monitors and controllers also have sorta a lifespan.. or should I say the probes do.. their lifespan varies but usually should last 1yr or more.. even so, its recommended to calibrate them regularly.

[Randy]

not sure what you mean by the meters part but tests kits should have an expiry. I guess these chemicals have a lifespan when exposed to air and moisture.

Monitors and controllers also have sorta a lifespan.. or should I say the probes do.. their lifespan varies but usually should last 1yr or more.. even so, its recommended to calibrate them regularly.

becase i thought that test kit are like hydrometer or reflectormeter in which it measures the kH level or calcium etc, that needs no items which contains expiry dates.

[sotongnabe]

Hi Randy Bro

Some tips on chosing LR in future. Always smell the LR b4 purchase. Ensure that there is no stink smell from the LR.

When curing your rocks in your main tank, you will need to run your skimmer as well. Of cos if you have space, you can cure your rocks on a separate tank once your main tank is with Live Stock.

I always cure my newly purchase rocks for 3 months before using on my main tank.

Another school of thoughts is to "kill" the live rock to turn them into dead rocks. This will ensure there are no un-wanted living organism to be introduce into your main tank. Then, let your tank to turn them back to live again.

Just my cents.

[Randy]

Hi Randy Bro

Some tips on chosing LR in future. Always smell the LR b4 purchase. Ensure that there is no stink smell from the LR.

When curing your rocks in your main tank, you will need to run your skimmer as well. Of cos if you have space, you can cure your rocks on a separate tank once your main tank is with Live Stock.

I always cure my newly purchase rocks for 3 months before using on my main tank.

Another school of thoughts is to "kill" the live rock to turn them into dead rocks. This will ensure there are no un-wanted living organism to be introduce into your main tank. Then, let your tank to turn them back to live again.

Just my cents.

yes i agree with you. to be honest, it was my mistake for not smelling the rock before purchasal ()..thanks for the advise.

[LaW]

Calibration liquid is not $200 lah... its a typo. Its $20.

I wouldn't recommend the nitrate monitor though.. at least for now. I had too many issues with it.. set it back twice already in less that 4 months. Still waiting for the results of whats wrong.

i didnt know its a typo, thought its 200. was really shock with the 3 digits.

[arcanehacker]

i didnt know its a typo, thought its 200. was really shock with the 3 digits.

Yes.. I also though I fell into pirate ship since I have the nitrate monitor and if I ever need new calibration liquid .

So I emailed them and it was a typo..not sure why they are not changing it though.

[Randy]

Yes.. I also though I fell into pirate ship since I have the nitrate monitor and if I ever need new calibration liquid .

So I emailed them and it was a typo..not sure why they are not changing it though.

what happen if those reading falls out of range? what are the chemicals to be bought to improve the situation?

[arcanehacker]

what happen if those reading falls out of range? what are the chemicals to be bought to improve the situation?

For nitrate high reading, its mostly water change. Other contributing factors would be:

- too much feeding. Unconsumed food breaks down.

- Too little water flow or turn over. Which also related to unconsumed food and fish waste not flowing into the skimmer therefore breaking down.

- Too little biological factors to break down nitrates. Eg too little rocks or bacterial media. In this case, a De-nitrator would be a good.

[crash]

hi all,

im new to this marine aquarium hobby...

jus wan2 ask how much are those live rocks? eg. how much for 1 kg?

thks

[Ah-lim]

Hi crash, if u buying from local fish shop, should be >$5 per kg.

If you buy from fellow reefers, it will be cheaper, $2-3 bucks per kg, and most of them are "cured" also.

[crash]

oh... ok... thks for the info... anyway i bought abt 4 kg for a shop for $20 bucks... guess tt's the mkt price... shld hav buy from fellow reefers... shld i get those test kits from fellow reefers too?

[wil_lee76]

oh... ok... thks for the info... anyway i bought abt 4 kg for a shop for $20 bucks... guess tt's the mkt price... shld hav buy from fellow reefers... shld i get those test kits from fellow reefers too?

testkit from 2nd hand...CAN! BUT..make sure that you know the expiry dates..dun get testkit that well off expiry dates!

hope these helps!