Carey's LAST Build- 125g Reef

[RJT]

Wow that is easy. Do you have a lot of sps in your tank?

 

[redsea]

I am interested in the checkers! They take test bottles and tubes at of the equation, right? Aren't they normally about 200.00?

Thanks!

 

[carey]

I have about 30 corals in my 125g and about half dozen sps, nothing crazy. lol

The hanna checkers are usually anywhere from $50-$55 dollars usually. So I just did the alkalinity with both salifert and the hanna. came up with 8.3 dkh for the salifert and 9.3 on the hanna.

Now for the crazy stuff. lol I must not know how to use the calcium checker cause i came up with 600+ in the 125g, 566 in the 20g and 600+ in the biocube! With the salifert the 125g is at 400ppm in calcium.

Anyone have any tips on how to use the hanna calcium test? I followed the directions but I must be missing a step something.

 

[kurtyboh]

From my research Most electronic checkers need calibration. So you take your regular test, calibrate to that, then gtog. If it were me id call brs and make sure thats the case with these units

 

[carey]

yep, theres a calibration phase when you use ro/di water and a liquid. Then it zeros out and you add some of your sample water and a reagent. Youput it in and the little light inside measures the difference between the first color and the second color after sample and reagent are added.

I just keep coming up with these high readings for calcium. The alkalinity one is simple though. lol Read it right the first shot and was simple in comparison to this calcium one.

 

[mr_X]

there are kalkwasser stirrers available on the market. i was always told you needed to keep the water moving and just take from the center- not the top or bottom where you will see that crusty layer.

 

[kurtyboh]

I see, then its no big secret... Hopefully its something simple.

 

[leftyfish]

I've read the opposite about Kalk, mix and don't disturb.

 

[carey]

lol Now I'm really confused. I've been to a few shops and they have theirs setup from their ato's as well. hope I'm doing this right....

I will call brs in the morning and get some help with the test and see why it says my calcium is at 600+ . That can't be right can it?

 

[mr_X]

 

[mr_X]

if your calcium is 600, your alk will be dangerously low. it can't be right.

 

[carey]

ok, I'll call brs and see if i cant get one of the guys to walk me through the testing. I'm pretty sure the alkalinity is right though, its at 9.3 dkh.

BRS is quite confusing, they have a section with instructions on how to dose Kalk using an ato.

Kalkwasser-Instructions

 

[carey]

My weekly shopping trip ended with me getting a purple stylophora.

It has much more purple in it than the picture can show, looks like a nice healthy specimen.

 

[TLTGF]

Nice pick-up - I'm going Sunday to get my first "real" SPS (other than my monti). I'm excited but still unsure of what to get!

Your's looks very nice... Also good luck with the Kalkwasser, and the checkers!

 

[carey]

Thanks! I'm still battling the checkers. lol Havent called yet as I just got back home.

 

[kmirtsching]

Very pretty piece of coral! I'm sure u have said way back, but what kind of light set up are you using? I'm still looking at lighting for my 90g build.

 

[carey]

I'm using a 12 bulb current extreme pro. So far my results have been good. Running ATI bulbs as well, every little bit helps.

 

[redsea]

It is 6 lamps, right?

Thanks.

 

[carey]

Nope, it's 12 bulbs. lol

 

[mr_X]

6 lamps per 3 feet, is what she means, for a total of 12.