Water test results..

Koddie Doo · 04/02/2011, 09:59 PM

First let m say with the exception of a little slime algae the tank looks better thank it ever has... with that said I went to the LFS and asked to test my water. I figured phos was bit and I was going in to get GFO, This is what they said...:

Sal. 1.026
Nitrate: 100ppm
KH: 13 dkh
Phos: 2.25
PH: 8.21

didn't do ammonia, nitrite, calcium, magnesium....

with that said it freaked me out... I did just remove a leather that wasn't doing well and I suppose that my CUC that I added a couple months ago may have shrunk a little. But I was stunned by my Nitrate... What should I do now???

My test shows 30ppm... They were telling me I needed major water changes and it should be better in 3 months...

I realize that at 30ppm that number is high but what would I notice at 100ppm? How could my tank look so good and be so out of wack?

Koddie Doo · 04/02/2011, 10:04 PM

with my slime algae which I was pawning off on my old lights that I replace last week. I have been taking out about 4 gallons every 3 days siphoning out the slime. besides that I have been doing regular monthly changes of 12 - 16 gallons on my 75 gallon tank. I use distilled water since I do not have an RODI.

Aqua Man 07 · 04/02/2011, 10:40 PM

did the cuc die because that is what i think spiked my nitrates so hi

Koddie Doo · 04/02/2011, 10:47 PM

I ordered from ReefCleaners and I got a TON of dwarf ceriths I would say over 100 (supposed to get 20) Not all of them made it, They are small, but still in the tank. I figured if I had any death in the tank my skimmer would be going wacky. it hasn't. I did stir up my sump a little water testing the reactor today, but that would not have spiked to 100.I would figure with Nitrate that high and Phos that high. I would be scraping algae off the glas 6 times a day..

Aqua Man 07 · 04/02/2011, 11:09 PM

i had a 4 inch yello one die and it sent my nitrates up to around that my skimmer was fine and all of my leathers looked fine thats in a 225 with a 75gal sump

logiktest · 04/03/2011, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koddie Doo

First let m say with the exception of a little slime algae the tank looks better thank it ever has...

Post pics, or it didn't happen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koddie Doo

Nitrate: 100ppm

I declare Shenanigans. Try to test it again with a different test kit, and knock out the oddball of the three results.

Reeferhead · 04/03/2011, 06:37 AM

If you want to retest I have a lamotte nitrate kit and a Hanna PO4 checker. I'll be home all day, just give me a call. Make sure your water container is super clean and rinsed with rodi

logiktest · 04/03/2011, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reeferhead

If you want to retest I have a lamotte nitrate kit and a Hanna PO4 checker. I'll be home all day, just give me a call. Make sure your water container is super clean and rinsed with rodi

Just out of curiosity, would you rinse a ziplock? I always assumed they were super clean.

julie180 · 04/03/2011, 07:12 AM

I've found that glass jars that were run through my dishwasher were still contaminated with phosphate residue. I have gone to using ziplock bags or sterile containers.

logiktest · 04/03/2011, 07:15 AM

What constitutes as a sterile container for you, Julie?

Reeferhead · 04/03/2011, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logiktest

Just out of curiosity, would you rinse a ziplock? I always assumed they were super clean.

nah, I think a ziplock would be fine out of the box. I was pretty much referring to julie's issue.

Koddie Doo · 04/03/2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logiktest

Post pics, or it didn't happen.

I declare Shenanigans. Try to test it again with a different test kit, and knock out the oddball of the three results.

My point and shoot pics look really blue and don't show color

I agree!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reeferhead

If you want to retest I have a lamotte nitrate kit and a Hanna PO4 checker. I'll be home all day, just give me a call. Make sure your water container is super clean and rinsed with rodi

My hit you up this week one evening, I can't make it today... Thanks for the offer!

Koddie Doo · 04/11/2011, 09:18 PM

Think the GFO is working, Skimmer is really pulling some gunk. Every night I blast my rock with a turkey baster and the I get lots of air bubbles where the slime was. What is that?

I am going to test my params Wed. I assume they are getting better. I think my Nitrates were high because a week before I tested I plugged about 40 Vertimed Snails.

Mister_Palmer · 04/12/2011, 04:02 PM

Figured rather than start another "Water Test" thread, I'd piggyback

I just did the whole test today and got this
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 20PPM
Calcium - 500
KH - 7 or 8, it was probably like a 7.5
PH - 8.3

I have a bottle of the Seachen Reef Builder "Raises Carbonate Alkalinity", but I'm kind of afraid to mess with it.
It says "Beginner: Use 3g (Half leveling spoon) per 40 gallons twice a week... adjust accordingly"

So since I'm kind of close to the 8KH area, would I just put in a little bit, and then recheck it the next day? I don't really want to throw off the PH since that's good.

Also, I was curious, is there any way that Saltwater sitting in a bucket inside would go up in Salinity?
I bought 5G the other day, and tested it with my Hydrometer and it was like 1.031 or so.

I know that the hydrometers suck, and I'm actually going to go buy a refractometer tomorrow. Which I should have done from day one.

Right now, my Hydrometer says the tank is 1.026, and last time it said that I got it tested at 1.027 almost .028.
I added some RO then.

So if it is as 1.027 or so overnight will that be ok until tomorrow?

04/02/2011, 09:59 PM	#1
Koddie Doo Czar of All ThingsAwesome Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Just east of East St. Louis in Fairview Heights Posts: 1,647	Water test results.. First let m say with the exception of a little slime algae the tank looks better thank it ever has... with that said I went to the LFS and asked to test my water. I figured phos was bit and I was going in to get GFO, This is what they said...: Sal. 1.026 Nitrate: 100ppm KH: 13 dkh Phos: 2.25 PH: 8.21 didn't do ammonia, nitrite, calcium, magnesium.... with that said it freaked me out... I did just remove a leather that wasn't doing well and I suppose that my CUC that I added a couple months ago may have shrunk a little. But I was stunned by my Nitrate... What should I do now??? My test shows 30ppm... They were telling me I needed major water changes and it should be better in 3 months... I realize that at 30ppm that number is high but what would I notice at 100ppm? How could my tank look so good and be so out of wack? __________________ 2012 SLASH Secretary to the Board of Directors A secretarius is a person overseeing business confidentially, usually for a powerful individual (king, pope, etc.). In this case... Reeferhead (rolly-eye motoicon inserted here) Current Tank Info: mmmm bacon mmmm

04/02/2011, 10:04 PM	#2
Koddie Doo Czar of All ThingsAwesome Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Just east of East St. Louis in Fairview Heights Posts: 1,647	with my slime algae which I was pawning off on my old lights that I replace last week. I have been taking out about 4 gallons every 3 days siphoning out the slime. besides that I have been doing regular monthly changes of 12 - 16 gallons on my 75 gallon tank. I use distilled water since I do not have an RODI. __________________ 2012 SLASH Secretary to the Board of Directors A secretarius is a person overseeing business confidentially, usually for a powerful individual (king, pope, etc.). In this case... Reeferhead (rolly-eye motoicon inserted here) Current Tank Info: mmmm bacon mmmm

04/02/2011, 10:47 PM	#4
Koddie Doo Czar of All ThingsAwesome Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Just east of East St. Louis in Fairview Heights Posts: 1,647	I ordered from ReefCleaners and I got a TON of dwarf ceriths I would say over 100 (supposed to get 20) Not all of them made it, They are small, but still in the tank. I figured if I had any death in the tank my skimmer would be going wacky. it hasn't. I did stir up my sump a little water testing the reactor today, but that would not have spiked to 100.I would figure with Nitrate that high and Phos that high. I would be scraping algae off the glas 6 times a day.. __________________ 2012 SLASH Secretary to the Board of Directors A secretarius is a person overseeing business confidentially, usually for a powerful individual (king, pope, etc.). In this case... Reeferhead (rolly-eye motoicon inserted here) Current Tank Info: mmmm bacon mmmm

04/03/2011, 06:37 AM	#7
Reeferhead Certified Reef Addict Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Caseyville, IL Posts: 4,055	If you want to retest I have a lamotte nitrate kit and a Hanna PO4 checker. I'll be home all day, just give me a call. Make sure your water container is super clean and rinsed with rodi __________________ Nick... President, St. Louis Area Saltwater Hobbyists (SLASH) Current Tank Info: 150 Gallon SPS & LPS / 60 Gallon Softies & Jawfish Species Tank

04/03/2011, 07:15 AM	#10
logiktest Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Zone 5 Posts: 4,071	What constitutes as a sterile container for you, Julie? __________________ Mike Have you ever looked around at the group of people you are in and thought, "If the Zombie Apocalypse happens right now, this is what I have to work with." Current Tank Info: 140.5gal. goldfish bowl

04/02/2011, 10:40 PM	#3
Aqua Man 07 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: alton il Posts: 1,234	did the cuc die because that is what i think spiked my nitrates so hi

04/02/2011, 11:09 PM	#5
Aqua Man 07 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: alton il Posts: 1,234	i had a 4 inch yello one die and it sent my nitrates up to around that my skimmer was fine and all of my leathers looked fine thats in a 225 with a 75gal sump

04/03/2011, 07:12 AM	#9
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Godfrey, IL Posts: 1,151	I've found that glass jars that were run through my dishwasher were still contaminated with phosphate residue. I have gone to using ziplock bags or sterile containers.

04/11/2011, 09:18 PM	#13
Koddie Doo Czar of All ThingsAwesome Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Just east of East St. Louis in Fairview Heights Posts: 1,647	Think the GFO is working, Skimmer is really pulling some gunk. Every night I blast my rock with a turkey baster and the I get lots of air bubbles where the slime was. What is that? I am going to test my params Wed. I assume they are getting better. I think my Nitrates were high because a week before I tested I plugged about 40 Vertimed Snails. __________________ 2012 SLASH Secretary to the Board of Directors A secretarius is a person overseeing business confidentially, usually for a powerful individual (king, pope, etc.). In this case... Reeferhead (rolly-eye motoicon inserted here) Current Tank Info: mmmm bacon mmmm

04/12/2011, 04:02 PM	#14
Mister_Palmer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: St.Louis Posts: 768	Figured rather than start another "Water Test" thread, I'd piggyback I just did the whole test today and got this Ammonia - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 20PPM Calcium - 500 KH - 7 or 8, it was probably like a 7.5 PH - 8.3 I have a bottle of the Seachen Reef Builder "Raises Carbonate Alkalinity", but I'm kind of afraid to mess with it. It says "Beginner: Use 3g (Half leveling spoon) per 40 gallons twice a week... adjust accordingly" So since I'm kind of close to the 8KH area, would I just put in a little bit, and then recheck it the next day? I don't really want to throw off the PH since that's good. Also, I was curious, is there any way that Saltwater sitting in a bucket inside would go up in Salinity? I bought 5G the other day, and tested it with my Hydrometer and it was like 1.031 or so. I know that the hydrometers suck, and I'm actually going to go buy a refractometer tomorrow. Which I should have done from day one. Right now, my Hydrometer says the tank is 1.026, and last time it said that I got it tested at 1.027 almost .028. I added some RO then. So if it is as 1.027 or so overnight will that be ok until tomorrow?

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