Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[carey]

I have the phosphate one so far, am thinking of calcium and alkalinity at some point. Really easy to use, just one button to work with. And it takes 3 minutes for an exact digital result.

 

[Buffy]

I used the API for the Ammonia. I only have a pH Hannah. It good but it hurts the thumb to use. I'm planning on getting the phosphate colorimeter cause I have salifert for Alkalinity and calcium. I have another one one my list to get with the phosphate one but I don't remember which one.

I fell asleep last night, didn't get to pwc or vacuuming :-( but I was busy til 2am then laid down for a min too, except my min turned into 10 hours lol.

 

[Buffy]

pH

Ok so I have to run out for a while. I'm waiting for my water to reach tank temp to do my pwc.

I'm running into issues with pH.

I tested my tank 8.7 (on the right) 8.8 (on the left), yep tested both sides (from the front). Weird right?

Here's more.

I tested my tap water before RI/DI 9.1.

I tested my plain ro/di water 7.5 (shouldn't this be 7.0).

I tested my ro/di water with just the salt (Instant Ocean Reef Crystals) added and it's 8.7.

I'm using the Hanna pH Meter (pHep 4).

So now how am I gonna get my pH between 8.1 and 8.4 if just plain water and salt mix is taking it up to 8.7?

My tank's temperature fluctuates by 2 degrees consistantly every day (I have heater (back center wall) set to 77 and I get 79-81 temps (according to my digital), at the moment my digital (probe is now in bottom right - was on back right) and glass thermometer (stuck by suction cup on front left of tank) read pretty close. I have brown diatoms ALL OVER the place. Rocks are mostly brown, starting to get brown spots on glass.

Hmm so have done reading and reading and guess what.....Yep still lost. My critters are ok with this 8.7/8.8 SO far but I'm not.

Also, trying to get my lights working right, they are in manual right now cause they don't come one or go off in auto when they are supposed to, so I have more adjusting to do with the timers.

Any suggestions?

Planning on finishing up my pwc/vacuuming tonite when I get back, or should I do something with the fluval and emperor 400 first?

Thanks ya'll for all your help

 

[Buffy]

Emerald Crab eating

Emerald Crab eating - YouTube

Just mute it, the tv is on in the background. oops.

 

[jsmith]

Looks like an under water robot

 

[Grizz]

Looks like he's having a cig before his meal

 

[Buffy]

White-ish stringy thingies

I have white strings stuck inside my tank on the glass and flowing with the current, some are bout 4 inches long. I looked at my tank this evening and then about 2 hours later, went over to turn off lights and WHAM there they were, all over the place. Any idea what they are? Nope sorry can't get a decent picture either :-(

 

[huma-huma]

Wanna say hair algae but not 100% sure

 

[jsmith]

Wanna say hair algae but not 100% sure

That's what it sounds like to me.. don't worry as long as it in small scaled ur emerald will have somthiong to eat

 

[jsmith]

Emerald Crab eating - YouTube

Just mute it, the tv is on in the background. oops.

I didn't mute it .. was that dr.Quinn in the background

 

[Buffy]

Since you both are talking about the Hanna Checkers - what do you both feel is the best one to get 1st?

I have the red hanna pH one. It's a good one. Two things I don't like about it....1. I can get it to change modes so I can go from celcius to farenheit; and 2. The on button takes me numerous times to get it to turn on, it's rather tough on my thumb or fingers. (Mind you though, I know I'm having some difficulties with my hands, so all you "younger" people probably won't have a problem). It is very accurate and very easy to use.

Wanna say hair algae but not 100% sure

I looked up hair algae and it doesn't look the same. I've been up all night trying to clean, fix my pc and research that all at the same time. I really wanted to call Diver's Den today and swing up there and pick up the order but with my tank the way it is, I don't dare. I have 1 week and 2 days left off and it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to add anything to my tank :-( for 3 weeks after that, so dang I won't be able to add for a month. WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, wait, I might be able to after off, if I can get a qt tank up and going , If I get a fish that is. I wanted to get some more corals before I got any fish.

Even with the pH problems and stringy stuff, all my critters I bought are still alive and looking like they are doing good. I think my emerald crab is even starting to turn a little shade of green. Lord knows there is enough algae in there. I brushed and vac'd alot of the diatom bloom out but it's coming back, not as bad yet, but it's there. Least I see more than goldish brown rock. There's some on the glass now too and THOSE dots seem to be where the stringy stuff is attached to the glass, just at that one spot they are attached and then they just sway with the current, some are about 6" long. Clear to white, so that is what like an opaque or something?

So has anyone read AND understood my pH dilemma? I don't know how to fix it other than putting something in my canister filter to bring it down, like peat granules. My problem is....my saltwater mixes to 8.7/8.8 so does that mean I'm going to need to keep putting this stuff in my canister?

I looked inside my Emperor 400 too, there's only polyfill in there and it's kinda yellow (least the top that I can see anyway). Should I go ahead now and take that out and rinse it (with tank water)? Like do one side then wait a week and do the other or something?

Sorry so long, could use a little advice as I don't want my tank to get out of hand. I've been researching and trying to understand pH and the balances with calcium and alkalinity and all but I've gotten so confused that maybe a kick in the right direction would help me.

So please, someoneeeeeeeeeeeee kick me in the right direction!!!!!
Thanks ya'll, now am wondering who wants to kick first hehehe.

 

[carey]

ME! LOL ThoughI only have a suggestion on the polyfil. I would rinse out the half and dot he same with the other next week. You want to keep the particle catching ability and not have yucky stuff in there.

As for ph, mine mixes in at 8.3. What brand of salt are you using?

 

[Buffy]

ME! LOL ThoughI only have a suggestion on the polyfil. I would rinse out the half and dot he same with the other next week. You want to keep the particle catching ability and not have yucky stuff in there.

As for ph, mine mixes in at 8.3. What brand of salt are you using?

Instant Ocean Reef Crystals.

As far as the polyfill, that's what I kinda thought. I've been seeing alot of "not doing the cleaning all at once" so to speak.

Yep got me some latex so if there are any bugs in that polyfill, I won't have to feel them touch me, kinda sorta LMAO.

The stringy stuff....To me it's alot. I don't know what a "small scale" would be.

@JSmith - I think it was Golden Girls, lol, I never changed the channel after I got done watching Tanked. So whatever was on got recorded.

 

[Buffy]

EDIT: That Hannah tester, I said "I can get it to change modes..." I meant...I can't get it to change modes...

Oh and Carey, figures you'd be the first one to kick my butt lol, jeez what's a daughter to do? LMAO.

 

[carey]

I gotta get in before the others bombard ya! LOL

Good news, got a buyer coming over in a few minutes to buy my 55g rehabbed tank setup. And someone buying my biocube protein skimmer too. I may be able to afford a few more things form BRS.

SO excited, now I can for sure keep my new 90g predrilled tank and the b/f can't say a thing. Well I suppose he could, but hey I've sold 3 tanks so far this week. :-(

Wish I could help with the ph tester. I just still use the api test kit.

 

[Buffy]

Kewl Beanies!!! So do you still have the tanks listed in your sig still then?

pH tester is good though. Just hurts my thumbs/fingers to get it turned on lol. I like it much much better than reading those colors that are too close in shade for me to really decipher. And as far as the temp reading, I just pop up a web page and input the celcius to get my number. I probably should just bookmark that page lol.

off topic: Trying to get cleaned up and bills done before grandkids come over the for the night (camping out in living room ). They will be here bout dinnertime (hahahaha me cook---no way), then tomorrow, one of them goes home and the other stays. (Grandson-having a little surgery on Fri am, so am gonna keep his sister for mom and dad.)

Finished replacing my kitchen sink AGAIN. Don't know if I mentioned. So now 2 sinks down and 2 to go. I think one I have to cut off the water main though and replace cut-off valve.

I need to add algae scraper to my shopping list. What is there that I can use in the mean time??

Also, does more flow to the surface lower pH or raise pH? I forgot where I read something about that.

And another think if Alkalinity and Calcium go hand in hand. If I raise one the other falls and vicea versa, then how am I supposed to get them both up where they belong?

I plan on ordering a few tests too.

Should I see if I can afford a skimmer or can I still wait awhile on that?

I removed one of the glass lids on the tank (there are two glass lids) on the tank and my temperature has been more stable. How would I know if that is helping with gas exchange and oxygen?

Last question. I changed up my power heads a little to try to move the flow around and to get rid of bubbles. But I didn't get rid of the bubbles. Some of them are "hanging" on the rocks in places. Is that gonna cause a problem? How would I get rid of bubbles from the water being agitated?

DANG --another long one....Sorry.. Gonna be busy for abit so I thought I may get it all out at once.

@Carey--what salt do you use?

 

[carey]

You are one busy woman! darn! lol

To raise calcium and alkalinity you have to dose two part. I have not had that issue fully yet, I'm just low on my alkalinity and calcium is fine. Magnesium also goes hand in hand with those two as well so you might wanna grab a kit for that too.

You can wait on the skimmer if you like or unless you see a great deal. Whichever comes first. You won't have much to skim yet anyways. It does take about 2 weeks for a skimmer to break in fyi.


I use I/O Reef crystals. I find my calcium is sky high with it though so not sure if I'm gonna make a switch. I used to use regular I/O and it was lower and my alkalinity was always fine. :-(

 

[Buffy]

You are one busy woman! darn! lol

To raise calcium and alkalinity you have to dose two part. I have not had that issue fully yet, I'm just low on my alkalinity and calcium is fine. Magnesium also goes hand in hand with those two as well so you might wanna grab a kit for that too.

You can wait on the skimmer if you like or unless you see a great deal. Whichever comes first. You won't have much to skim yet anyways. It does take about 2 weeks for a skimmer to break in fyi.


I use I/O Reef crystals. I find my calcium is sky high with it though so not sure if I'm gonna make a switch. I used to use regular I/O and it was lower and my alkalinity was always fine. :-(

Yeah too busy, and it still seems as if I can't get ahead. I have the two part dosing. But I was not anticipating using it soo soon, when I have so little in my tank.

I forgot out Magnesium lol. Knowing me when it comes time to order, I will probably try to order one of every type lol. Then look at the checkbook and figure out which is more important.

So you use the same salt as I do. My calcium is 400, my alk was really low and well I'm complaining bout my pH. How come if you and I both use the same stuff; why would our parameters be soooo different?

Ok gotta go now. (made a new thread-hope it's in right spot..dealing with books)

 

[huma-huma]

given the o2 levels in your home are decent, the better the gas exchange between the tank and air, the lower the ph, but its got many variables. For instance, Carey had ph issues in her tank and she is running 2-1400 koralias...more than enough flow, she found out that she had a co2 build-up in her home, opened a few windows and aired-out the house...tada!! and ive noticed that my mag-float does a good job of getting rid of anything on the glass, if you dont have one id def suggest it i been hearing about these hanna testers and for some reason, it never clicked in my head that its adigital ph tester....( duhhh)...so guess i shall be ordering one as well from brs

 

[Gregcoyote]

I use a plastic credit card, or hotel check in card to scrap algae. It works and costs nothing. Will not scratch the tank as the card is softer than the acrylic or glass.