Water parameters

sergeant

sergeant

Member
I just did a 10% water change and tested. This is the result of the test.
Phosphates 0
Ammonia 0
Alkalinity 20cm(High)
Nitrites 0.1
Nitrates 5.0
Spec gravity 1.024 @ 80 degrees
PH 7.8 (Low)
I am running the return pump and two other power heads for circulation, actinic 03 lights dawn and dusk from 5:pm to midnight, main lights from 6:pm to 11:pm. I only feed once a day, I do water changes every other week and I still have a algae breakout and the water is not right yet.
Can anyone tell me what am I doing wrong? :notsure:
Is it safe to add PH buffer with High Alkalinity levels? :help:
 
C

crm13

Guest
I'll try and help you out the best that I can. How old is the tank? Generally, it is normal to have algae outbreaks to a certain degree while the tank is maturing. You may already know this, but I am assuming it is a relatively new tank. Excuse my ignorance, bu I am not sure what "cm" means on your alk reading ( I am familiar with meq/l, dKh, and mg/l). But, with a high alk reading, I probably wouldn't add a pH buffer. What you may want to do is more frequent smaller water changes to help stabilize your pH without causing the alkalinity to escalate. The new salt water introduced to your tank will help do that for you. One thing that strikes me as strange is that you say your alkalinity level is high, yet your pH is dropping (assuming you are using a reputable salt mix which should achieve at least an 8.1 pH when mixed). One thing that I can think of that would cause this is lack of dissolved oxygen in your water. It may help to ensure that you are aerating your salt water mix before you use it and that you are providing enough water turbulence along the surface of the water to provide decent oxygen/ CO2 exchange. Your return pump you mention is returning water from a sump? or a wet/dry? Also, what do you figure your turnover rate is between the three devices you mentioned for water movement?
 
C

crm13

Guest
I also noticed that your lighting schedule seems a bit short. What do you use for lighting? Remember that when the lights are off, your pH will generally give you a lower reading. Just shooting out some ideas so, please, don't feel offended if I reiterate something that you already know.
 
sergeant

sergeant

Member
Thanks crm
This tank was a fish only for two years and when I moved I decided to work it into a reef. It has been set up for two months with base rock, LR and I assume the sand is alive now with all the bugs I see swimming around when lights are out.
The cm I reffered to is the measurement given on the test kit card. Is one of those color charts low/medium/high type.
On the power heads I have a rio 90 (80 GPH) a rio 50 (60 GPH)
a regent (100GPH) and the return pump wich also do about 100 GPH considering the 3' distance.
I also added a couple of days ago a phosban reactor since the phosphate was reading of the chart.
The salt water I buy already mixed from the LFS and sits in a zephyrhills 5 gallon bottle for a few days before I use it.
The lights are two months old and I have been reading here to shorten the light time to help reduce the algae but it doesnt seem to be working for me. Im not offended by nothing you have typed here, I actually appreciate your help a lot.
 
dskidmore

dskidmore

Active Member
The phospate reading is probably largely responsible for the algae. You seem to be on track for removal, but for a real solution, you need to find the source.
My first suspect would be the water you're buying. Run all your standard tests on that water next time you have some on hand. If the phosphate reading isn't 0, the water isn't worth a penny to you.
 
C

crm13

Guest
Okay, cool. I think your tank will go through algae blooms until it kinda "balances out." But, if your phosphates measured zero the last time, sounds like you have that under control. Are you getting any sunlight in the tank which may be contributing to algae growth? That container you are storing the water in, is that a clear container that could be getting some sunlight? Even a few days of sunlight on a container of nonmoving water could start the algae off, and then your adding it to your tank. As far as your pH, have you ever measured the pH of the water that your getting from the lfs? Just curious if it is actually dropping on you, or it's just not high enough to start with.
 
dskidmore

dskidmore

Active Member

Originally posted by mead930
are those bug you see swimming normal? with live sand?
Microscopic life of all kinds comes in the sand. It's benificial to the tank. Filter feeders and even some fish think it's lunch. It's also a general indicator of good water quality. (A population explosion however, is an indicator of overfeeding.)
 
sergeant

sergeant

Member
The phosphates drop to zero because I installed a phosban reactor 150 in the tank. I guess some people call this a bandaid but it worked. About the water I went to the LFS and ask the guys in there and they said that is RO only not DI, but It did not occur to me to test it before putting it in the tank. I will go over again on wednesday to buy more salt water, Ill make sure I test it before I use it. The storage containers do not get sun light at all. I keep them under a counter in the kitchen.
The microscopic population comes and goes. My scooter blennie eats them all. I only feed once a day but all the food get eaten within 5 min. Even though the water is giving me high readings on some chemicals the fish and the coral seem to be doing good. Some of them look better than the onces at the LFS. :happyfish
 
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