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12-14-2007, 09:42 PM
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#1
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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complete water parimeter test, tell me what's wrong
Ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 25
pH 8.0ish
Ca 500
alk 2.86
I added seachem marine buffer to raise pH and alk just now
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12-14-2007, 09:49 PM
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#2
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.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: bend, oregon
Posts: 10,803
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nothing looks all that wrong. nitrates are a little high.
I would just maybe bump up your alk a little bit and maintain it there until that calcium drops to 420 or so, then dose two part, or drip kalk accordingly to maintain them both
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I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other
Zoa and paly pics HERE
SPS pics HERE
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12-14-2007, 09:50 PM
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#3
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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well i use red sea pro salt which at a SG of 1.024 gives 480ppm of calc so its NOT going to drop unless i change salts. everything in the tank is fine |
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12-14-2007, 09:56 PM
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#4
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.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: bend, oregon
Posts: 10,803
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ionracing
well i use red sea pro salt which at a SG of 1.024 gives 480ppm of calc so its NOT going to drop unless i change salts. everything in the tank is fine
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It will drop that much in a couple of days if you fill your tank up with sps or clams.
Thats really too high for a salt mix IMO. If you keep it there I hope you clean your pumps often.
__________________
I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other
Zoa and paly pics HERE
SPS pics HERE
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12-14-2007, 09:57 PM
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#5
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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I'm going to use the rest of my IO that should make it drop
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12-14-2007, 10:50 PM
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#6
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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ph is now 8.2-8.3 after seachem buffer
alk is now about 3.9 effected by seachem buffer
i just read the sailfert alk test paperwork. it says naturnal sea water is around 2-2.9 so mine was not low before?
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12-14-2007, 10:55 PM
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#7
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.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: bend, oregon
Posts: 10,803
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it was on the low side...but defintely not low. FWIW...i keep my dsb tank at 10 (3.6)and my BB tank at 8(2.9.......where you were).
a rapid alk increase like you just did isnt a good thing thing. If you kept lots of stonies you could have bleached the tips, maybe even something worse by jumping it up that much in a couple of hours.......
__________________
I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other
Zoa and paly pics HERE
SPS pics HERE
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12-14-2007, 10:56 PM
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#8
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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i have it at 3.9 now not 8???????
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12-14-2007, 10:58 PM
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#9
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.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: bend, oregon
Posts: 10,803
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ionracing
i have it at 3.9 now not 8???????
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sorry.....
i edited my post. i am talking dkh. i changed the wording now so you can see......
__________________
I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other
Zoa and paly pics HERE
SPS pics HERE
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12-14-2007, 11:01 PM
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#10
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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ok i get it now. Well i needed to bump up my ph and the alk raising is a undesired after effect. BUt its done so hopefully i will not have to use a marine buffer again. I guess i will be back to using IO again because red sea pro has to much calc
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12-14-2007, 11:04 PM
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#11
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.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: bend, oregon
Posts: 10,803
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ionracing
ok i get it now. Well i needed to bump up my ph and the alk raising is a undesired after effect. BUt its done so hopefully i will not have to use a marine buffer again. I guess i will be back to using IO again because red sea pro has to much calc
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you need to understand this.
FORGET about what your ph is. its the alk that is important, not the other way around. if you keep your alk and calcium in line, and are providing good gas exchange through surface agitation, skimming and fresh air in the room, your ph will be fine and you dont even need to test it.
you never want to dose alk to raise your ph. you dose alk to raise your alk
__________________
I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other
Zoa and paly pics HERE
SPS pics HERE
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12-14-2007, 11:06 PM
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#12
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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so where should i keep the alk. i know the calc should be 450ppm at the most. so i have to work on getting that down
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12-14-2007, 11:08 PM
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#13
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.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: bend, oregon
Posts: 10,803
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ionracing
so where should i keep the alk. i know the calc should be 450ppm at the most. so i have to work on getting that down
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500 calcium is fine. Its not dangerous or anything. Its just unecessary and hard on equipment.
keep your alk at 9 -10 and you will be fine. soem people like to keep it as high as 11 even.
__________________
I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other
Zoa and paly pics HERE
SPS pics HERE
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12-14-2007, 11:09 PM
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#14
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Shark
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,569
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ok i will keep the alk at 9-10kh and i will be using IO so i know the calc will drop slowly.
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12-15-2007, 01:20 AM
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#15
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Carpe Noctem
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,925
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I shoot for 10dkh, but it always seems to drop from 10 to 9.3-9.5 in between waterchanges. So obviously I need to dose a little more alk on the 2 part or quit testing 
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"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." - Albert Einstein
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