water tests

[brat213]

I need educated! Anyone in the mood to try and educate me? I'm including a list of my water tests I've done lately I use seachem test kits for everything but the calcium. I hope you can understand my notes. I have been trying to get my calcium up and my ALK down. My ALk isn't coming down. and after my water changes my NI is up. I'm trying to decide wehter to a w/c of about 10 -15gals. to bring my ni down and maybe alk, but I'll have to use my tap water tonight. Or should I just give the tank a healthy dose of CYCLE by hagen( releases massive amounts of benefical bacteria strains into aquarium) Or better yet(but doubtful) leave it be, because they aren't that far off. I'd hate to wake up to a dieing tank.



11/7/02 8 pm
alk. 4.5
PH. 8.1
NI. 0-.1
NA. 5-10
phos. .1
SG 1.0215
Calcium 300 added 2 tsp. Kent Liquid Calcium
temp. 80
ammonia tank tab Safe
ammonia test 0
>>>>>>>>>>

11/8
alk. 4.5
PH. 8.1 (8 am)
NI. 0
NA. 5-10
phos. .1
SG 1.0215
temp. 79 at 2 pm
ammonia tank tab Safe
ammonia test .02
Calcium after another 2 tsp. 340

1/2 tsp microvert at 3 pm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

11/9
7:30 pm 5-6gal. w/c added kick ick to mix 1am
alk. 4.5 4.5
PH. 8.1 8.1
NI. .1 0
NA. 5-10 5-10
phos. .1
SG 1.0215 1.0215
temp. 80
ammonia tank tab safe

Calcium 320 after w/c added 2stp LC 9:30 320 added 2 tsp LC, 10:30 340 Added 2tsp.LC 11:30 added 2 more LC,, 1am 400
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..
11/10
calcium noon 360 +2tsp.LC 1:30pm 400
ALK 4.5
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...
11/11 after 10 gal. w/c
alk. 5 5
PH. 8.1 8
NI. .1 0-.1
NA. 5-10
phos. .1
SG 1.0215
temp. 80
ammonia tank tab safe
CAlcium 380 380
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
11/12
Alk 5
NI .1-.5
PH 8
Cal. 380

>>>>>>>
11/12
My well water no chlorine
NI .1 or less
ph 7.9-8.0
ALK 3.5
Calcium 100

 

[loganj]

alk.calcium

How old is the tank? Has it cycled yet? If not, I wouldn't try too hard to make changes to the water. I use RO/DI water with some Seachem pH 8.3 in it. I use Instant Ocean salt also. Alk and calcium are right on target with this mix. I don't know nearly as much as some of these folks do about saltwater, but I know this has been working for me so far. Do you have corals?
Logan J

 

[brat213]

The tank has been cycled for a few months. before I started keeping track all my tests, except calcium, were fine. NI 0,, thats the important 1 right? ammonia 0 too.
So yo don't think the ALK is too high? I've always thought the ph was alittle low, but hadnt messed with it.
I use instant ocean too. and when I do w/c's my cal. and alk. never change. But if thats what yours reads too then maybe it is just the mix. And I'n stressing for nothin'.
I usually use our well water ran thru the softner and all but our softner quit working right and we had to bypass it so now I'm worried about using it because we have hard water.
Thaks for your reply

 

[loganj]

water

Your alk is a little high. I think I would use the well water if I couln't get some RO water. I have been told that it isn't a good idea to use water that has gone through a softener. Something about it being artificially softened due to the high concentration of sodium ions...I don't remember everything about it. Recommended alk is 7-11 dcH. 1 meq/ml = 2.8 dcH. Also, there is a reverse relationship between calcium and alk. If one is too high, it will cause the other to precipitate out. There is a good article on this at www.reefs.org . Just type alkalinity in the search box. Keep us posted on how it goes.
Logan J

 

[loganj]

r/o water

After conferring with people who know much more than I, I think you're going to have trouble keeping everything in balance as long as you're using either the softened water or the well water. R/O is really the only way to go.
Logan J