Need some help with test results

bitsO · 11-10-2006, 07:06 PM

I got my testing stuff in the mail today, and did my first water test here is what I got:

PH 8.2
Phosphate .1
CA 175
NO3 5.0
SG 1.023
My KH/ALK test didn’t ever change color, I did it twice just to make sure I did it correct.

My tank has been up for about 6 weeks now I think. It’s a 12G aquapod with about 14-16 lbs of LR and about a 1.5” sand bed. Any tips on what I need to do would be greatly appreciated.

whatevva · 11-10-2006, 07:27 PM

My first thoughts are:

What brand test kits are you using?

and What are you planning to put in the tank?

bitsO · 11-10-2006, 07:36 PM

I'm using Salifert kits. I want to put 2 Ocellaris and maybe a Royal Gramma. And down the road maybe some soft corals.

Wiskey · 11-10-2006, 07:37 PM

I think you should test some of your newly mixed water.

IF these tests are right (and I kinda doubt they are)

Ca is way low, should be somewhere between 400 and 450
Alk is way high or low Should be between 8 and 11 Dkh
Phosphate is high, should be undetectable
Nitrate is ok, but 0 is better
PH is perfect.

Please varify these results before doing anything to correct this, if it turns out these results are correct then start doing some water changes with a good brand of salt, like instant ocean.

Whiskey

bitsO · 11-10-2006, 07:45 PM

The test results are all from water that has been in the tank for the 6 weeks the tank has been up. I thought my resluts were wrong too. The water I have in the tank was mixed using RO water and IO salt. Maybe I did the tests wrong, but I double checked.... Maybe I should get a second brain in on this and have my wife help

There are some crabs and a few little clams in the tank that seem to be doing great, they wouldn't be able to survive in the water if my levels were so off would they?

Wiskey · 11-10-2006, 07:47 PM

Have you ever dosed anything to the water? If so what and how much?

Is there anything but live rock in the tank right now?

Whiskey

bitsO · 11-10-2006, 07:53 PM

The first week it was up I put a tbs of Ph buffer in, other than that nothing has gone in. I have the LR, sand, and some hitchhiking inverts. The back of the Aquapod has a sponge and some activated carbon in it.

One thing about the ALK test; when I realized it wasn't testing where it should I just squeezed the rest of the reactor stuff from the small syringe into the test vial, when I did this the color did change but only for a second, then went right back to the blue color it originally was.

bitsO · 11-11-2006, 02:20 PM

I'm going to take my water to the LFS and have it tested, how accurate are the cheaper brand tests (I think he uses API)?