H2O parameter questions

[hllywd]

Here is what I have. These numbers have been stable for the last week or so. I'm working on getting things back in shape from a period of moderate neglect...:worried: The readings are from this morning, just before lights on. The tank is a 120 with probably 30 in the sump and 'fuge.

Tank
pH 7.98 - varies from >7.9 - <8.1
Ca 375
Alk 4.5 mEq/L / Borate Alk 2 mEq/L
Mg 1375
NO3 and PO4 both test 0 for me

Ca Rx Chamber
pH 6.74 - controller set to 6.6 - 6.75

Ca Rx out
pH 6.86
5.5 mEq/L / Borate Alk mEq/L

I'm using A.R.M. media in my DIY Rx:

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/hllywdz/IMG00198.jpg

It's running at about 50 mL/min. I recently serviced the Rx and replaced the nearly depleted A.R.M. media. I also changed the way I control the CO2 from a Millwaukee controller to an ACIII and recalibrated my three probes including the Hanna handheld I double check things with.

My concerns are how do these look overall?

I look at the Alk as a little low, especially out of the Rx...

My Rx flowthrough seems high...

I'd like the tank pH to be a little higher, and with less variation...

Where should the Mg be? I was shooting for 1400...

Ca seems a little low for what others keep...

I've had a minor issue with bubble algae, confined 99% to my overflows for a long time along with some hair algae in the same location, there is a patch of HA in the middle of my original acro colonies that I pluck regularly. I light the 'fuge 24/7 with very little success growing chaeto... ever, and had quite a bit of cyano throughout the tank that had increased from late in the summer when I had ceased dosing vodka. This, I'm sure along with everthing else cost me some nice frags... I'm now back to dosing 1.3mL/day and the cyano seems to be withdrawing. The tank itself has plenty of flow, currently a Tunze 6100, and a VorTech. At the first of February the VorTech will be gone and replaced with another 6100 or possibly two depending how they fit.

Everything seems to be on an uptick but not spot on so I'm looking for input from the experts!:beer: Two things I am in the process of are building a kalk reactor, and second chamber both to match the Ca Rx in hopes of raising the overall pH of the system. About the only specific question I have concerns the Rx chamber pH... what's safe for the A.R.M. media?

Thanks in advance,
Tim

[reeftivo]

start with slowing the effluent drip. What is alk of the effluent out of the Rx-5.5meq/l? It should be over 25ppm/>8.92 meq/l. Yours is way too low so your just dumping too much CO2 in the tank.

after you slow the drip the co2 should be more efficient in dissolving the media. If that doesn't help much then slowly increase the bubbles per minute. Remember, the reactor is basically a carbonate reactor with the added benefit of calcium and trace elements.

[reeftivo]

mag should be above 1300. if you get the second chamber for the effluent it would definately help with the pH.

[bertoni]

The canonical average ocean water level of Mg is about 1285 ppm, and there's no gain to keeping the level above that, on average, unless you're trying to kill Bryopsis.

[hllywd]

Well I turned the Rx flow back by 50%, and I'll check to see how it settles in by morning. By suggesting increasing the bubble count, do you mean lower the pH in the chamber? I've never really set it by bubble count since I've always used a controller. I think I've seen reactors with A.R.M. down around 6.4, does that sound right? I vary from 6.6 to 6.75 now, but with the Milwaukee controller I was never able to go below 6.7 without the Rx going haywire. I'm assuming it didn't hold calibration very well at this point, and the number was much lower. I do know my Alk numbers out were much higher then, but I know I had less flow then too. I'll see if there is improvment in the AM.
Tim

[hllywd]

The canonical average ocean water level of Mg is about 1285 ppm, and there's no gain to keeping the level above that, on average, unless you're trying to kill Bryopsis.

Am I incorrect in thinking it should have an effect on the hair, and bubble algae too? I started at about 1075, so maybe I've got that where it needs to be?

[bertoni]

I doubt it'll have any effect on hair or bubble algae. Lots of people have high magnesium and plenty of algae problems. There's some belief that Kent Tech-M will kill Bryopsis, but not other algae.

[hllywd]

That's probably what I was remembering... my problems aren't bad, but I'd still like to eradicate the stuff.