I'm on bended knee's..PLEASE HELP

[msez2u]

My 20 gallon has been having some issues for about 2 months now. I do my water changes and additives and blah blah. Well on 8/4 the reading were
PH 8.2
KH 14
Salinity 1.022
Nitrate 12.5
Cal 340
Then on 8/10
Salinity 1.022
Cal 340
PH 8.0
KH 11
Nitrates .25
did my water change like I always do and added my additives...BAM the tank is so cloudy you cant see the fish...Today I went and had another LFS do the reading because im at my wits end and this is what they got...
8/13
PH 7.6
KH 11
Nitrate .20
I dont know what kinda test kits they use...I dont know enough to test my own water. So for 8 months now I have had them test the water weekly for me.
Now I didnt do anything different then I normally do and have had this tank up and running for 8 months now with no problems other then keeping the calcium up where it should be.....one fish store says the Kh should be 16 and the other one says NO WAY the KH is fine. The same thing with the PH one says 8.0 if fine and the other says No 8.6. So I tell the new fish store what I'm adding he starts going into this long spill about magnesium being off and such...and then he starts handing all these additives to me..Now I need to know where do I stand on this..was I TAKEN or am I reading more into this whole saltwater thing...the additives I was using and have been for 8 months now with no problems until the last month and the last 2 weeks it has gotten bad is Kent.. Stron & Moly, Cal, and Iodine along with reef builder(powder) I was using the liquid kind, and Marine buffer(powder) again I was using liquid. Now this other fish store that I have never been in before startes telling me you never add buffer to the tank you add it to the DI water when you fill it and never add it again. Umm Ok so there is my 3rd confusion.. What have I done or what do I need to do to get this poor tank straight...The new store sold me 3 bottles of additives..seachem. reef carbonate, reef plus and reef complete..he said you will not need anything else....PLEASE HELP...I'm about to start to screaming and throwing a temper tantrum...

 

[petjunkie]

In a tank that small I wouldn't dose anything except calcium if you need it, regular water changes should replenish any trace elements and dosing anything you can't test for is a bad idea as too much is toxic. Do a big water change, run some carbon and let your tank be, I don't really see anything wrong with your levels, except if you are keeping a reef you should raise your specific gravity a bit to 1.025.

 

[scotts]

Ok I will try and help, but I am certainly no expert. However I can tell you this, when I started my tank I had every problem in the book. My lfs had a $20 bottle of something that would cure the problem. Then they would say, Oh yeah have I been adding this? Another $20 bottle. Then I found this site, learned more that I did listeing to the lfs, stopped buying the $20 bottles and my problems eventually cleared up. I am a little concerned when you say you are adding additives. If you are doing regular water changes you really should not need to add anything to your tank. Also never add anything that you do not test for.

 

[michaeltx]

Woah forst way to many additives to a tank.
Did they the ALK before the started suggesting more additives to you>?
what stock fo you have in the tank? fish and inverts?
First NEVER add anything to the tank you dont have a test for because things like iodine can become toxic when the levels get to high.
I think your other readings are of the charts if your adding all this into the tank with out testing. reef builders raises alk and PH. Moly and strom are additives that are in the saltmix along with everything else you are adding. then the iodine on top off all that.
as far as the buffers you have to different buffers going on the reef builder is a buffer then you are adding the marine buffer.
here is what I would do if it was my tank, get another batch of SW going and do another water change DO NOT ADD anything to the tank other than the new saltwater. do it again tomorrow and again the next till the tank clears up.
If you start with good water you will always have a good base for the tank. I would be skepticale of any LFS that says RO/DI water is only for starting the tank myself.
Mike

 

[msez2u]

I dont mix my own salt..I buy it by the gallon and have for 8 months now. Along with my DI water...so what you all are telling me dont add any additives to the tank. Why all of a sudden would everything read fine for 7 months do a water change and then it fall a part in a matter of 2 weeks....please clarify..I'm about to really break down..I just got home and the 100 looks like H.E double hockey sticks..

 

[michaeltx]

sometimes it takes time for things to become critical it wont happen over night with some of these additives. iodine for instance will take a few weeks to months to get to a level that is toxic depending on how much you add.
the alk and calcium are the same way they will be fine for a long time and slowly rise over time till it gets to a point then BAM it will hit you in the face.
Mike

 

[msez2u]

How much do you charge an hr to service tanks

...ok so stop adding anything...do water changes until it clears up and then what....

 

[michaeltx]

after its cleared up just stay on the water changes thats it, people do alot of chemicals and adding and adjusting. The synthetic salt mixses that we use have everything in it. Calcium is the only real additive that we really need to add at a anytime and thats only when we have a lot of calcium usage by corals and coraline algaes.
Mike

 

[msez2u]

Then why do they sale us all that crap.....So you dont add anything to your tank other then water changes???

 

[michaeltx]

To make money plain and simple. There are some instances that a advanced hobbiest will use these products in lew of water changes and to correct minor flucuations but for the simple hobbiest there is no need to use them I fell into that hipe when I first got into the hobby years ago by the advice of a LFS and my tank never looked good because of it. Now that I went to a handsoff approach to it as far as additives I havent had a problem with my levels in fact there are almost always perfect because of it.
Mike

 

[msez2u]

Thank you for your help...How long have you been in this hobby...How much of a water chage at a time until it is clear..

 

[michaeltx]

I set up my first tank in 96 or so I guess not really sure current have 9 tanks setup which is the least amount of tanks set up in a long time LOL
I would do probably 15-20 percent of the total water volume dont go to fast but each time you do one it should clear even more.
Mike

 

[msez2u]

Well if I can get these dipwads to stop getting me to buy crap I dont need. Then I would love to have a good amount tanks like you do...how many days in between do you think I should give before doing another water change.... You have been a GREAT help..thanks for wasting time with me..I am very happy I stumbled across this website.

 

[michaeltx]

not a problem thats why I am here.
I would do a small water changes daily till it gets cleared up then weekly to bi-weekly after its back inline.
BTW its not wasting time if it gets your tank back inline!!
Mike

 

[msez2u]

LOL I see you are helping of saltwater fruitloops like me tonight....Well your name is being put onto a piece of paper for future help if you dont mind. I might become your worse nightmare

with all my problems and this tank...I'm now watching the 100g tank starting to cloud over

 

[michaeltx]

LOL thats kewl with me there are alot of helpful people on here but we are all on at different times of the day and night.
Mike

 

[monalisa]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
Woah forst way to many additives to a tank.
Did they the ALK before the started suggesting more additives to you>?
what stock fo you have in the tank? fish and inverts?
First NEVER add anything to the tank you dont have a test for because things like iodine can become toxic when the levels get to high.
I think your other readings are of the charts if your adding all this into the tank with out testing. reef builders raises alk and PH. Moly and strom are additives that are in the saltmix along with everything else you are adding. then the iodine on top off all that.
as far as the buffers you have to different buffers going on the reef builder is a buffer then you are adding the marine buffer.
here is what I would do if it was my tank, get another batch of SW going and do another water change DO NOT ADD anything to the tank other than the new saltwater. do it again tomorrow and again the next till the tank clears up.
If you start with good water you will always have a good base for the tank. I would be skepticale of any LFS that says RO/DI water is only for starting the tank myself.
Mike
First and foremost I agree totally with what Mike has recommended. Another thing that I would recommend is (and this completely a personal thing) change that avatar...very distracting!!
One thing that I didn't get in my reading of this thread (AVATAR!!) did you change out the carbon? Could that be the reason for the cloudy water? If so, rinse carbon cartridges in fresh RO during water changes and before putting them into the filters.
Hope this helps.
Lisa

 

[msez2u]

Well so am I..I work double shifts at work somedays and then I've got 4 kids ranging from 4-16 and a truck driving husband...So ALL hours are great for me...Somedays the only time I get the computer is in the middle of the night lol....OK so basically I only need to add something when it is tested for and needed other then that just do my water changes every 2 weeks...

 

[michaeltx]

right keep track of your readings while your doing this and post them up so we can make sure nothing goes crazy during the next few days.
Mike

 

[msez2u]

Ok will do...