water parameter question

[sufunk]

sorry it took so long to respond
1) change my filter media 1x a week
2)Alk is 3.15, calcium is 500
3) not alot, rio 600 on my UV and a kj 900 powerhead, not alot but pretty good circulation (small tank, 36g)
4)yes there is a hood, the surface gets broken by the filter and a little with the mj 900, but there is agitation just not alot
any help is appreciated :help:

 

[klaramore]

You need to put your power head up top to move the water at the surface. i have 3 power heads moving the surface. I think you are supose to move your water 10 times an hour. I am not 100% sure. This is a very info. thread.
Bill

 

[sufunk]

i have about 10x flow. Not sure what the problem is. Would hope its as simple as low flow but i dont know. Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[sufunk]

ct gretzky, gorgot to answer your 1st question.
I feed once a day. About 30 small pellets of formula 1 or 2, or like 1/3 a frozen cube of mysis. They eat it all in like literally 25 seconds. Every other day a little pinch of frozen cyclopeeze or prime reef flakes with the pellets

 

[sufunk]

no other ph experts out there? :help:

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by sufunk
sorry it took so long to respond
1) change my filter media 1x a week
2)Alk is 3.15, calcium is 500
3) not alot, rio 600 on my UV and a kj 900 powerhead, not alot but pretty good circulation (small tank, 36g)
4)yes there is a hood, the surface gets broken by the filter and a little with the mj 900, but there is agitation just not alot
any help is appreciated :help:

1. That sounds fine...you should be ok there, but remeber, it IS sill adding acid and trates to the tank, just because of what it is. Water is always flowing through it, and picking up trates and lowering pH.
2. Raise the alk a little. You want to be at 3.5-4. I keep mine at 4 because I need a lot of top off water all of the time, and my top off water is wicked acidic, plus I overfeed my tank a bit. Calcium seems a bit high...let that drop a bit to around 440 or thereabouts. Right now, you are on opposite ends...low alk, high calc. But nothing too bad. Easily adjusted.
You may want to check your magnesium. This is the 3rd part of the balance with chemistry in your tank.
3. Your circulations seems pretty good. I dont think thats a problem...with those 2, you must be around 10x turnover I think?
4. I hate hoods. Hoods trap in the bad gasses, and dont allow the oxygen to get into the water. Is your hood "resting" on tha tank so it is basically enclosed or is there a good gap for air exchange? This could be a problem right here. Exchange of gas at the surface is incredibly important...definitely could keep your pH low.
You should have surface agitation, enough to have good rippling along the top, but if you have an enclosed hood, this isnt going to matter. Get rid of the hood, raise it off the tank, and either get egg crate or just leave it open, depending on what fish you have.

 

[sufunk]

How do i raise my alk and lower my calcium?
I dont have a test for magnesium so i dont know what my levels are for that
my hood does suck, it covers the tank except for a crack, id like to ditch it but im afraid of a jumper (the tank is in my daughters room and she would FREAK!!!)
Eggcrate is ok but i dont really like the look. Where do u get eggcrate for a tank and do they make like a clear eggcrate instead of the white?
What other options are there other than eggcrate to help keep a fish from jumping out?

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by sufunk
How do i raise my alk and lower my calcium?
I dont have a test for magnesium so i dont know what my levels are for that
my hood does suck, it covers the tank except for a crack, id like to ditch it but im afraid of a jumper (the tank is in my daughters room and she would FREAK!!!)
Eggcrate is ok but i dont really like the look. Where do u get eggcrate for a tank and do they make like a clear eggcrate instead of the white?
What other options are there other than eggcrate to help keep a fish from jumping out?

I really like the b-ionic 2 part buffer system (alk and calc). Best product to use for keeping your buffer in line. I would get this system.
I would dose the alk part, and not the calc part to begin with...then when levels are stable, add them equally. Are you adding anything now? What do you dose? What salt mix ar eyou using? Oceanic?
You can bring a sample to lfsmost of the time...they usually will do that test for you. Otherwise, you could purchase the test kit...it is a more expensive kit, and a bit complicated, but usefull for the long term. Usually mag isnt too much of a problem. In most salt mixes, this is usually a pretty well calibrated element.
Most marine fish are not jumpers. What fish do you have? They make egg crate in any color. I really dont know what else to use...i have a completely open tank...i have a metal halide pendent light that hangs from my ceiling. I had one fish jump out, but it was my fault for choosing something that I knew was a jumper- a hawkfish. Dumb on my part.

 

[sufunk]

I dont add or dose anything now and i use "salt" water that they sell here in all the stores in south florida. Ive tested it and its: nitrates-0, nitrites-0, ammonia-0, ph-8.2, calc- 500
for fish i have a blue tang, clown, midas blenny, basselet, and a convict blenny( i know im way overstocked but its the wife and daughters fault

)
What about the tops where its open but it extends a couple inches over the top, not sure if they are glass or plastic, where can i get that?

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by sufunk
I dont add or dose anything now and i use "salt" water that they sell here in all the stores in south florida. Ive tested it and its: nitrates-0, nitrites-0, ammonia-0, ph-8.2, calc- 500
for fish i have a blue tang, clown, midas blenny, basselet, and a convict blenny( i know im way overstocked but its the wife and daughters fault

)
What about the tops where its open but it extends a couple inches over the top, not sure if they are glass or plastic, where can i get that?
wow, the calc is 500 right off the bat, huh? Well, it isnt that bad, really. Get the b-ionic or similar alkalinity adjustment additive, and just dose a bit of that to get the alk up a bit. Test the alk in this pre-mix...im curious. I wonder why the calc is so high? Ask them as well, why they have the calc at 500.
nothing there is much of a jumper. You should be fine open top...someone else will hopefully chime in with their veiws on if they feel any of those will jump, but i dont think you will have a problem.
The overstocking will cause a bit of a pH problem, but you can compensate with a good skimmer at some point, and other good practices, and removing the hood or elevating it.
Not sure of the top you are speaking of, but it is a fine idea. You are basically trapping the gasses inside the tank, and not allowing the transfer of these gasses. This lowers pH all in itself many times. I would go this route first, then worry about a skimmer. I think you will see a correction of pH by addressing the top alone.

 

[sufunk]

Oceana has a thread in reef called" my new propagation system" with her new tank, that is the top im referring to. It just comes inside the tank a few inches so only the middle is open.
Ill test the alk of the premix when i get home, i still have a gallon left from a wc yesterday
Was gonna order the aqua c now but i guess ill wait a week and see what the top changes, although i probably need the skimmer anyways with the overstocking

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by sufunk
Oceana has a thread in reef called" my new propagation system" with her new tank, that is the top im referring to. It just comes inside the tank a few inches so only the middle is open.
Ill test the alk of the premix when i get home, i still have a gallon left from a wc yesterday
Was gonna order the aqua c now but i guess ill wait a week and see what the top changes, although i probably need the skimmer anyways with the overstocking

Yes, I saw it...awesome set up for prop....that is another way of having a "brace" in a long tank so there is nothing running up the middle that can get in the way when working on frags etc...
I'll take a pic of my set up over the weekend...but it is similar to that set up...hanging light from the ceiling, open top.
Open top on your tank, I would hazard to say with good certainty, will help with gas exchange, and thus help keep your pH a little higher.
What lights are in the hood?
The skimmer will no doubt help as well. Especially as you said with having a lot of fish.

 

[sufunk]

I HAVE THE 30" CORALIFE AQUALIGHT 2X65
I just tested the water i use for changes and the Alk is 2.63 and the dKH is 7.4
Is that bad?

 

[sufunk]

I just took off the back 60% of my hood, only the bowfront cover is on now. Also moved the powerhead up a little for more agitation. Would really like to get my Ph and Alk up without having to dose anything

 

[sufunk]

well temp went down overnight w/o the hood and the circulation and surface agitation are better but my PH seems even lower, like 7.7
I want to get it to 8.0

This is getting annoying

 

[sufunk]

Just tested my phosphates and they are like .5, anyone else have any advice? :help:
Would running chemi-pure help to bring my Ph up?

 

[sufunk]

no PH experts here except gretzky????

 

[sufunk]

Bang guy, if you see this could you please help

 

[bang guy]

I browsed over the thread.
My suggestion is to add another powerhead, a MJ900 would be perfect.
Do you smoke?
What fish do you have and how big are they?
What time of day are you testing PH?

 

[sufunk]

1)I dont smoke
2) 1.5" clown, 2"blue tang, 1"basselet, 2" midas blenny, 1" convict blenny , overstocked but they are all small except the tang, I will be getting a 210 by christmas
3) Like 4pm and then 10 pm before lights out
Thanks for any help Bangguy