Is my tank too low on nutrients? Too high?

[ro_nicu]

I hope those alk reading are in meq and I also hope your API test kit is the correct one. if those numbers are dKH than your coral is probably dissolving as we speak. at the same time, at 2.8dKH per meq, if your salifert is right than you are at 15dKH, quite higher than what most people aim for.
the calc numbers look good as does the mag.
As long as you have everything in equilibrium and the mag is high enough you can maintain calc even a little higher and it will be fine. I would retest ALK and see if you can bring it to around 12 (just skip dosing or dose less for a while).

 

[jdeb101]

I hope those alk reading are in meq and I also hope your API test kit is the correct one. if those numbers are dKH than your coral is probably dissolving as we speak. at the same time, at 2.8dKH per meq, if your salifert is right than you are at 15dKH, quite higher than what most people aim for.
the calc numbers look good as does the mag.
As long as you have everything in equilibrium and the mag is high enough you can maintain calc even a little higher and it will be fine. I would retest ALK and see if you can bring it to around 12 (just skip dosing or dose less for a while).

Yes, they are in Meq/L's. I found the salifert Alk kit hard to read so I'm also hoping the API is more accurate. I will monitor the levels daily and see what happens. I was considering doing a 5 gallon w/c sometime over the next couple days, but I don't want to throw off my testing..

 

[ro_nicu]

the water change should not throw anything off, assuming your salt mix is OK quality.
I find it easier to observe the color change when testing for ALK if I do the test in natural light, like normal daylight, this is especially true if you have LEDs on the tank.

 

[Overlook reef]

the water change should not throw anything off, assuming your salt mix is OK quality. .

+1 to that

 

[Jim Tansey]

The API Alk test kit is next to useless, one drop of the test solution = 1dKH this makes it impossible to get a valid reading interpreting color change with a total of only 7 or 8 drops. I use the Hanna and like it.

Jim

 

[jdeb101]

The API Alk test kit is next to useless, one drop of the test solution = 1dKH this makes it impossible to get a valid reading interpreting color change with a total of only 7 or 8 drops. I use the Hanna and like it.

Jim

So, I wasn't really thinking straight and turns out I was using a Seachem test kit for my Alk, not API. Sorry..

 

[reef87]

hi jdeb101,
i work in andover and I have the Hanna test kits for ca, alk, PO4 (phosphate)
If you want to use the Hanna to verify, you could use mine . just need to meet me in Andover and bring along with your tank water

 

[jdeb101]

hi jdeb101,
i work in andover and I have the Hanna test kits for ca, alk, PO4 (phosphate)
If you want to use the Hanna to verify, you could use mine . just need to meet me in Andover and bring along with your tank water

Thanks! Appreciate the offer.

 

[Marshall O]

I have found the Salifert Alk to be pretty straight forward. 4ml water, 4 drops of indicating solution (shake the bottle first!), add the KH solution until it turns orange or pink (mine usually looks like the pink tip of the syringe). If you remember, how many mL were left in the syringe? From your reading, it seems you used the entire syringe to get a reading that high. Maybe try and do a test using the standard check solution?

 

[jdeb101]

I have found the Salifert Alk to be pretty straight forward. 4ml water, 4 drops of indicating solution (shake the bottle first!), add the KH solution until it turns orange or pink (mine usually looks like the pink tip of the syringe). If you remember, how many mL were left in the syringe? From your reading, it seems you used the entire syringe to get a reading that high. Maybe try and do a test using the standard check solution?

You're right, almost the entire syringe was used to get my reading. I wasn't sure how to do the test with the check solution...do I use 4ml of the solution in place of my sw??

 

[delta]

Just for the record it is 2 drop of indicator for the 4ml of tank water (i.e high resolution test). Once you learn how to use the Salifert there is not going back to counting drops.

But What I would do is get a reefer local to you to get a second set of eyes on it.

 

[Marshall O]

Just for the record it is 2 drop of indicator for the 4ml of tank water (i.e high resolution test). Once you learn how to use the Salifert there is not going back to counting drops.

Sorry, you are correct Greg. Went off of memory, which apparently isn't good when you have a newborn that doesn't sleep well

 

[jdeb101]

Sorry, you are correct Greg. Went off of memory, which apparently isn't good when you have a newborn that doesn't sleep well

Actually... Your both correct. Lol it's 4 for normal test and 2 for high res test. so my test last night showed the alk drop just above 3. 1 meql of a drop in 24 hours! Sounds crazy, can't wait to see what knights testing shows me. Calc was about same FYI.

 

[Marshall O]

Oh good, so I'm not going crazy! I checked the instructions on my kit just to be safe, and mine says the same. 4 drops for high res, 2 drops for low res.

 

[delta]

Must be a new formula?

http://www.f3images.com/IMD/UserManuals/SF1123.pdf

So obviously just double check you current kits instructions

 

[freakit]

My kit also has the high res and 2 drop low res. I use low. Started with high but was running through the kit pretty fast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Marshall O]

Must be a new formula?

http://www.f3images.com/IMD/UserManuals/SF1123.pdf

So obviously just double check you current kits instructions

I think it is Greg. The directions reference their older kit which had a lower resolution or accuracy, I can't remember which. But yes, read the specific instructions of your kit vs. relying on what some random person says on the internet

 

[Bobbofin]

Salinity - 1.028 seems a little high like others have said. Are you running tons of carbon to strip the tank of nutrients and cause it to be sterile. I was running way too much SeaChem Seagel and my Alk and tank suffered. It was just too sterile for zoas and LPS. Just a thought.

 

[jdeb101]

So I'm back and getting really frustrated. I've been testing almost daily for a week now and I can't make any sense of my test results, they seem to be all over the place. I don't know if my tank is just very inconsistent (if that's possible) or I'm just not very good at doing the Salifert tests... Well here's my numbers, tell me if anyone can make sense of them...

July 6:
Alk=4
Cal=440
Salinity=1.025

July 7:
Alk=5.36 (I'm going to count this one as a bad reading)
Cal=440
Mag=1380

July 8:
Alk=3.08
Cal=460 (Calc rised?? another bad reading?)

July 9:
Alk=2.96
Cal=430
Mag=1350
**Dosed Alk supplement after testing to raise it up to 4.

July 10:
Alk=3.76
Cal=425
Mag=1380
**5g wc and dosed to raise Alk back up to 4.

July 11:
Alk=3.99
Cal=420

July 13:
Alk=3.19
Cal=460

July 14:
Alk=3.00
Cal=410
Salinity=1.025

 

[ro_nicu]

rinse the glass tuber thoroughly than rinse with ro/di. than rise a couple of time with tank water before testing.

if the tests are accurate I would say you got some coraline growth going bananas on you plus probably have enough organics to fuel bacterial blooms. this will all impact you ALK, you calc does not seem to be swinging all over with the exception of the last 2 days.

put the dosing regime next to these results and see what conclusions you can draw. the ALK, Calc, Mag need to reach an equilibrium otherwise the alc or calc will precipitate out of proportion.

also, try to test alwys at the same time, like always before lights on or before lights out, this will eliminate some swing factors as well.