Nano to 75. Testing kH, Cal, PO4 ... please help interprit

[Sylock]

Ok, as some of you might know I'm setting up my 75 gallon after 15 months of 'begging' my wife to let me do it (and 7 months after setting up a nano). I want SPS in the 75 so I bought some Salifert test kits. I have a few monti's in my nano and also recently have been getting some hair algea problems so I figured I'd run the gambit of tests on my nano, along with the normal stuff. Here are my results, which I'm a little shocked at (the PO4 for instance):

Amm = 0;
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = about 12

dKH = 6.25, Alkalinity = 2.23
Calc = 650
PO4 = 0

Now I admit that I haven't done much research into the correlation between Alk and Calc yet, but I was under the impression that at a Calc reading of 550 you'd start to see it in the water.

Also, with hair algea growing, I would expect PO4 to at least actually show up.

What do you experts think of these numbers and could I have done something wrong. Thanks for your time!

[cyberchef]

Originally posted by Sylock
Here are my results, which I'm a little shocked at (the PO4 for instance):

Amm = 0;
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = about 12

dKH = 6.25, Alkalinity = 2.23
Calc = 650
PO4 = 0

Now I admit that I haven't done much research into the correlation between Alk and Calc yet, but I was under the impression that at a Calc reading of 550 you'd start to see it in the water.

Also, with hair algea growing, I would expect PO4 to at least actually show up.

That depends in part how your test is measureing the Calc, is it in Ca++ or CaCO3, if it's CaCO3 then you have to make another math adjustment to get the reading in Ca++...

Your not getting PO4 readings because it's locked up in the hair algae. Remove the hair algae and you will remove the PO4...

Your Alkalinity is a little low which would allow for the Ca to be high without it precipitating out. You really want to try and bring the Alk up a little.

I would suggest doing a few water changes, especially since it's a nano tank. It wouldn't take that many to get the params back in line. Then use a good balanced Ca and Alk additive to keep both of them in line. The water changes would also aid in bringing down your Nitrates to a lower level.

[Sylock]

It's just a Ca test. I haven't really worried about the Ca/Alk in my nano because I am planning on moving to the 75. I figured with the weekly 1 to 1 1/2 gallon water changes everything would be ok. I have been adding Ken Ca once a month though.

I was basically practicing for my 75 set up, which is going to be set up in a week or two.

[cyberchef]

whether it's a nano or a 75 or a 250, adding chemicals in a inbalanced proportion will skew the water params. It just happens faster in a nano than it does in a 250...

All of them are Ca tests, but what are the results given in? I use Hach test kits and they give the Ca reading in CaCO3. I have to take the results and multiply by .4 to get the results in Ca++ , so when I get reading of 800 after the multiplication it is actually 320...

With the Montis in your nano your still going to want the Alk and Ca to be balanced. The sps need the Alk to use the Ca properly.

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by Sylock
...so I bought some Salifert test kits. I have a few monti's in my nano and also recently have been getting some hair algea problems so I figured I'd run the gambit of tests on my nano,

dKH = 6.25, Alkalinity = 2.23
Calc = 650
PO4 = 0

Also, with hair algea growing, I would expect PO4 to at least actually show up.

I suspect that your technique is off on the Ca test from salifert. It requires that you constantly swirl the test tanple between each addition until the end point is reached (color change). If you don't thoroughly swirl after each addition of the titration solution, the results will be skewed artificially high. If your technique doesn't change, these results are unfirtunately repeatable. If you are in a hurry, have someone swirl the test tube while you add 1 drop from the small syringe every 2 or 3 seconds, and perform the test in a well lighted room with white paper or table surface under the test tube. I have seen folks do this test on the same sample batch and get a 300 PPM spread on the results. Although it is possible to get results in this range of parameters, it is highly unlikely under the circumstances.

Don's post is on the money, Salifert's test kit reports results in true Ca concentration in PPM, and does not require a conversion as the Hach test kit does. Based on the amount of Ca-3 reagent left in the syringe, your results (if you started with the high resolution 3ml test aliquot) can be calculated as:

PPM of Ca = ( 1 ml - (vol in ml. of Ca-3 left in syringe) x 500

hth