BrainBandAid
12/29/2007, 01:47 AM
Hello all... trying to sort all this out. I'm in the start up stages of a 100g display with a 40g refuge/sump. I run a skimmer and that's about it (no calc. reactors or anything) for now. It's been a little over 3 months since filling it up, and I'm having issues with calcium and alkalinity... I think...
ph: won't go above 7.95
Alkalinity: never above 1.5 meq/L
calcium: off the charts... it was well over 1000mg/L, but now it's down to only 900 or so. I know that's wrong for some reason, but that's just what I'm reading
no2: 0.04
no3: 0.15
phos: 0.0
SG: 1.025
temp: 78F
I'm waiting on a magnesium test kit
I checked all my measurements on fresh mixed salt water, and on my RO/DI, and on the reference samples in my kits. Especially the calcium, believe me. I used Oceanic Natural Sea Salt mix to fill it up, and I've been using a cheap LFS brand for my recent water changes.
Early on, I kept dosing baked baking soda to try and get the alkalinity up, but it didn't change the pH or alkalinity at all. I might not have used enough, or maybe too much. I don't know if that's what is spiking the calcium? The water is lightly cloudy, I don't know if that's precipitate or a bacterial bloom... It could also just be crappy salt mix...
I 'm also clearing up a dino/brown slime issue that I'm attributing to the low pH...
I have live sand and (artificial) live rock. Snails, hermits, and one wrasse for over a month. No other livestock. Haven't had any nitrogen issues. At first, I thought the MMLR had something to do with it, but that would raise the pH if anything.
I used quite a bit of carbon in the beginning to try to clear up the cloudiness, I'm not really sure if it did anything. (I'm away from home for weeks at a time)
I'm doing the second of two ~15% water changes right now, before I have to leave for six more weeks. I think it's helping a little. I stopped with the baking soda after I measured the calcium (5+ weeks ago).
Can anyone tie all this together? Maybe offer a fix suggestion? I was thinking kalk for the pH and alkalinity, but the calcium is way off... Lots of water changes for now.
Thanks!
ph: won't go above 7.95
Alkalinity: never above 1.5 meq/L
calcium: off the charts... it was well over 1000mg/L, but now it's down to only 900 or so. I know that's wrong for some reason, but that's just what I'm reading
no2: 0.04
no3: 0.15
phos: 0.0
SG: 1.025
temp: 78F
I'm waiting on a magnesium test kit
I checked all my measurements on fresh mixed salt water, and on my RO/DI, and on the reference samples in my kits. Especially the calcium, believe me. I used Oceanic Natural Sea Salt mix to fill it up, and I've been using a cheap LFS brand for my recent water changes.
Early on, I kept dosing baked baking soda to try and get the alkalinity up, but it didn't change the pH or alkalinity at all. I might not have used enough, or maybe too much. I don't know if that's what is spiking the calcium? The water is lightly cloudy, I don't know if that's precipitate or a bacterial bloom... It could also just be crappy salt mix...
I 'm also clearing up a dino/brown slime issue that I'm attributing to the low pH...
I have live sand and (artificial) live rock. Snails, hermits, and one wrasse for over a month. No other livestock. Haven't had any nitrogen issues. At first, I thought the MMLR had something to do with it, but that would raise the pH if anything.
I used quite a bit of carbon in the beginning to try to clear up the cloudiness, I'm not really sure if it did anything. (I'm away from home for weeks at a time)
I'm doing the second of two ~15% water changes right now, before I have to leave for six more weeks. I think it's helping a little. I stopped with the baking soda after I measured the calcium (5+ weeks ago).
Can anyone tie all this together? Maybe offer a fix suggestion? I was thinking kalk for the pH and alkalinity, but the calcium is way off... Lots of water changes for now.
Thanks!