Help with Stability

[MarshaW]

I cleaned my 12 gallon yesterday and i checked the parameters and they were off. I usually take my water in for testing but I'm wanting to learn the process myself. I didn't trust my reading so I took a sample in and here's what the lfs girl wrote down: salinity is 1.020; amm .25, nitrite .3, nitrate 50, ph 7.8, kh 8, phos 1.0 and the calcium is 1.0. She said that I need to add 1/3 cup of Stability every day for a week, 1 TBSP ph buffer today, 3 caps reef carbonate 1x aweek, and 2 caps calcium 1 x aweek. I want to add the stability today and I'll purchase the other items this weekend, but I want to check here to make for sure that these measurements are correct. Thanks :fish1:

[jflick345]

How often do you do water changes and how much? I have a 12 gallon nanocube myself and constant maintenance is the best way I've found to keep the water stable. Did she say what scale the Ca was reading a 1 on?

Seachem Stability is just supposed to help the bacteria numbers increase. How much LR do you have and what's your stocking list? All those supplements might not be necessary with water changes. The only reason you'd probably have to add the Ca is if you're keeping a bunch of stony corals

[MarshaW]

I was stupid and waited about 2.5 weeks before I did a water change. She said the calcium was 280, I have 2 fairly good size lr, and my stock is small: 1 clown, 1 watchman goby, 2 peppermint shrimp, 1 pistol shrimp, 1 hermit crab, and an emerald crab. I guess I don't trust her advise because she said the well water I was going to use was fine, but everyone here said no way, so I bought a ro/di unit. No corals. I want to go ahead and add the stability but is 1/3 cup every day for a week a little much for a nano cube? I read the directions and it says a capful for a 10 gallon tank.

[MarshaW]

Also, should I add more sw?

[rbnice1]

Do you have any friends with tanks? I would pull your livestock out and wait for the tank to cycle. You need to also get your salinity up. I would make some salt water and mix it to a salinity of about 1.030-1.035 and do a slow 20% water change. Then do another slow 20% tomorrow and keep doing that till your salinity is back up to 1.025ish. Once you get your salinity back up then retest everything else.

[Toddrtrex]

I wouldn't go adding any pH buffer, that is just going to cause more issues in the long run.

Given the size of your tank and what you have in it, weekly water changes should provide for your cal/alk/Mag needs -- assuming that you are using a quality salt.

You shouldn't be getting any ammonia readings -- how long has the tank been set up?
How much and how often are you doing water changes?

Are you using tap or RO/DI water ? If RO/DI water, what is the TDS of it -- your phosphate readings are very high.

[MarshaW]

No, I don't know anyone with a sw tank.

[rbnice1]

Thats rough...

Amonia and nitrites are really harmfull. I would start daily 20% water changes to bring up salinity/alk/calc/ext and to reduce ammonia/nitrite/phos.

Make sure you check the TDS on your new RO/DI unit. Depending on your tap waters TDS it should be 98% out of the RO and 100% out the DI.

For example my Tap water is 360 TDS. Out of the RO its 10-12TDS and then out of the DI its 0-2TDS.

[MarshaW]

It was up and running a year before I bought it in June. I screwed up and went 2.5 weeks before I did a water change. I bought my sw from usual lfs, not the one with the girl.

[Toddrtrex]

It was up and running a year before I bought it in June. I screwed up and went 2.5 weeks before I did a water change. I bought my sw from usual lfs, not the one with the girl.

2.5 weeks between water changes shouldn't cause this many issues.

How often are you feeding and what?

I would strongly consider making your own salt water, or at least test the LFS's saltwater before using it in your tank.

[jflick345]

+1 on making your own SW...that could be why your phosphates and nitrates are running high if they're using tap water. Also on slowly bringing the salinity up.

The instruction of 1/3 cup of Stability plus trying to sell you all of those supplements for a nanocube should tell you 1 thing: Stay away from that LFS when it comes to advice! If you do add the Stability or any other additive ALWAYS follow the instructions, not the word of a store employee.

Until you get the regular maintenance of your tank down those 2 fish can make it tough to keep everything in spec. When I started my nano I added a 6-line and ocellaris too soon and fought all kinds of high nitrates and algae blooms. Start making your own SW and do minimum weekly changes. I do probably about 3 gallons at least once, sometimes twice a week. I promise you if you start doing regular water changes and don't overfeed you can get a handle on things and enjoy your tank more instead of just getting headaches. It's the only way to make the small tank easier to manage w/o increasing the volume. The other thing I did while I was setting up my bigger tank was I plunked a ball of chaetomorpha into the nano for a couple months. Little unsightly but helped keep the nutrient levels in check

[MarshaW]

After my last post, I immediately took a sample of my sw to the lfs I usually go to. I was told my h2o was just fine and there's nothing to be concerned about. The girl at the new lfs I went to was trying to sell me all kinds of chemicals by tellimg me the parameters were way off. This was a lesson learned and even though they have beautiful reef tanks, I feel like she was trying to scam me; lesson learned!

I'm lost when I hear all of you talk about the chemistry of your tanks. Also, I'm glad to annnounce that my new ro/di unit just arrived. Now I can make my own sw. :o)

[Rongway]

Close one, stay with ones you can trust...

[MarshaW]

Todays experience told me that just ecause a lfs has beautiful tanks doesn't always mean they will give the correct answers. Profit means more. Thanks everyone for helping.