water changes

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miesenjr

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 8, 2008
Messages
49
Location
wayne, PA
I have a 29 gal Bio Cube.144watt light up grade,CPR skimmer. 30+ Lbs.LR two fish,lots of mushrooms,polyps,lps/sps. Been running for 1 1/2 years.Is changeing water,2 1/2 gal. every other day too much. I try not to use too many additives. Water tests 8.1 to 8.4, alk 260+, salinity .225/.226 all othres 0. Seems everything has much better color the day affter a water change then seems to fade quickly. I only change water once every week to ten days now.
 
Welcome to AA!

Your test results don't make sense to me other then 8.1-8.4 I'm guessing that is your ph. The other numbers aren't adding up as they should.

Salinity is measured as 1.025 1.026, explain your numbers for me.

I change 32g per week on my system. I've started doing that recently. Before I was doing the same volume of water change but every other week. I would change about 5g per week - 10days.
 
I have a 29 gal Bio Cube.144watt light up grade,CPR skimmer. 30+ Lbs.LR two fish,lots of mushrooms,polyps,lps/sps. Been running for 1 1/2 years.Is changeing water,2 1/2 gal. every other day too much. I try not to use too many additives. Water tests 8.1 to 8.4, alk 260+, salinity .225/.226 all othres 0. Seems everything has much better color the day affter a water change then seems to fade quickly. I only change water once every week to ten days now.

Assumig your Alk is 2.60 mg/l which is about 7.2 dkh (take meq or mg/l * 2.78 to get dkh) and your salinity is 1.025-1.026 PH 8.1-8.4 ? Do you test for Calcium, Mag? What are you trying to accomplish with over 50% water changes every week? If the tank is doing well I'd follow Ziggys directions and cut back on water changes to about 5 gallons a week.

Jason
 
I'm thinking that 260 alkalinity number is ppm CaCO3? If so, that's around 14-15 dKH which is kinda high.

You say you try not to add "too many" additives. Just what all are you adding?

I don't think a 10% change every other day is necessarily too much, but I also think there are better/easier ways to improve your water quality. I'd start the easier route that Ziggy mentions.
 
To help in my inacurate info leaked here earlier here today at work is a list of readings from today when I got home .accurate parameters are;salinity.025ppm
PH ranges 8.2 , calcium 480 ,ka107.4
I use KH buffer to bring up KH Which seems to always be on the decline. what I am trying to do is bring the color back and more full opening of polyps,shrooms. the lps and sps seem happy and growing. after th two and ahalf gallon change every thing perks up, but only for a day or two. this propts me to want to do another change(2 1/2 gal) I feel the waters nutriants are being rapidly depleated. as befor I have been doing 5 gallon changes every week to 10 days.
 
Still not sure what that alkalinity number is... or at least I'm assuming it's alkalinity. 107.4 what? ppm? meq/l? angstroms/faraday? (OK... that last one isn't possible, but ya get my point!)

Have you just recently added the skimmer? What is the last thing that you've changed on the tank? Just trying to nail down what could be the issue...

If your LPS and SPS are doing great and thriving, but your zoanthids/mushrooms are declining, it almost sounds like your tank could be too clean? Sounds pretty far out, but it's possible.

Or... what temp do you keep your tank at? And what temp is the water that you add for water changes? Is it at the same temperature as the main tank water?

Again, just talking out loud...
 
flurishing yet low color. no death

water temp 79 to 80, change water is the same temp and sg.0.023 to :confused:0.o45 I ad kalk, as make up water between 10% weeky changes. the skimer works well providing consistant dark green stink, useing some carbon and phos remover in bags in return sump. I am starting to wonder if Iam overloaded? My tests come out at 0 or .25, this has not veried sinse the system cycled. Calcium and alk are within parameters. I have some nusance polyptype coral thst needs thinning from over runing zoos. they are short brown 'pom pom" type. I cant figuer what is wrong

29 gal biocube with cpr skimmer, no bioballs, two sponges in line to keep pump pick ups clean and keep system quiet. Lighting is 4 36 watt CF. 2 attinic, 1 50/50, 1 1000k on timer 3 moon glo led
 
As we've mentioned before... we can only help if we know what your numbers mean.

sg.0.023 to :confused:0.o45

You mean your SG swings as high as 1.045? If so, there's your problem.

I am starting to wonder if I am overloaded?

With what? Fish? What do you have in there?

My tests come out at 0 or .25

For what?

Calcium and alk are within parameters.

And those parameters are...? As mentioned earlier, depending on what that alkalinity number is, something could be wrong there.

Seems like the numbers change or something is different with every post, which makes it tough to help you figure out what the problem is.
 
thanks for the insight, I definatly have been confused by my test results. I need to sit down and take my time and get some info that is right. lately the tank is looking good without my touching it other than top off water. seem when I am busy with work and not doing so much every thing does well. I gess less might be more in this small tank.
I do know SG is 1.026
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
posphates 0
PH 8.2
calcium mg/L 420
Kh ppm KH161.1

i hope these numbers make sense.
 
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Thanks

thanks, I feel I have been doing the tests right, I dont speek the lingo on line well. I do think I was doing to much to the water too often. The tank is doing good and I am expecting a new 180 gal tank any day. I thank you for your advice and insight.
 
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