Just got my test kits, how am I looking?

[pkremer]

I just received my test kits, and ran them all on my new saltwater aquarium. There is nothing in this tank except the sand and rock you see in my signature. It just finished the cycle.

I just 2 days ago purchased an Orbit 192W lighting system, 96W actinic, 96W daylight bulb, so I have enough light to stimulate coralline algae growth.

Ammonia = 0 ppm
Nitrite = 0 ppm
Nitrate = 0 to 5 ppm (the color is in between).
pH = 8.2
Phosphate = 0.5 ppm
Calcium = 360 or 380 ppm
Alkalinity = 170 or 180 ppm

Some of the tests I put the range because I was not sure if the colors should completely change or just "start" to change, but they are in such a small range it shouldn't matter too much. How do my parameters look?

Paul

 

[TheRealFF]

Ur parameters are looking good. Ur ca is kinda low for inverts i think. It should be 400 - 500 but since ur just cycling it's not a big deal. Other than that, everything else look perfect. Ur rdy for ur clean up crew i bet. It's gonna be a blast seeing some action in ur tank finally even tho they are only snails hehe

 

[cmor1701d]

How did you cycle the tank? Just with LR or did you use the shrimp method?

Alk is normally expressed as milliequivalents per L (meq/L) or the German term dKH (degrees of carbonate hardness). Taking your 170ppm and dividing by 50 give us about 3.4 meq/L. Balanced Ca would be 420 ppm.

A Ca level of 350-450 is fine

 

[pkremer]

I cycled with the live rock.

So basically what your saying is that my parameters are good for coralline algae growth? I know they are good for fish and inverts...

Paul

 

[Brenden]

So basically what your saying is that my parameters are good for coralline algae growth?

Yes. As long as you have a start of coralline it should start to grow.

 

[seaham358]

380 is fine for a cal level, 450 on the high end ..
Stability is the most important thing..

 

[Brenden]

Agree. If you ever get 500ppm CA reading test again.

 

[seaham358]

Agree. If you ever get 500ppm CA reading test again.

????

I know people who have it that high when using Oceanic and no additives.. So 500 is not unheard of..

 

[cmor1701d]

So 500 is not unheard of..

Not unheard of just very high and posssibly on the verge of precipitatiing out.

I've been struggling to keep mine in the 300's. New corals are consuming it like crazy.

 

[seaham358]

On the verge of precipitating out in certian conditions, just cause its at 500, 510, 520 there is no way to tell when and if it will happen. Many people run there tanks that high all the time with no issues. Is it where we want to keep them ??? probably not.. is it a good idea to take drastic measures to lower it , IMO no..
some folks who use Oceanic have high CA levels, its a fact and there si nothing to do about it that I know of.. I am lucky that I use that salt and have not had that issue but I know others that do have that issue and they deal with it and have not had any issues with a higher CA. it is something to know about but not go into over drive about.