Chemistry Question?

[Grimreaperz]

So my tank is on day 25.
36G Bowfront.
Have had a mini Cycle but nothing more.
40lbs of crushed coral (Dry/dead)
5lbs of LS
30lbs of LR

Hitch-hikers are as follows. (all of this on the LR I got not intentional purchases)
2-3 brittle stars.
couple snails.
some worms.
feather dusters quite a few.
Zoa/poly's
Another coral I am trying to identify (too small to tell)
and possible a BTA to small to tell but it looks like it.

My tests have been pretty stable for the past 2 weeks now.
SG is at about 1.26
Temp sits at about 78-80
pH 8.1/8.2
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
KH was 100 mg/l or 5.3 dH
Ammonia 0
Phosphates 0
Calcium 460 (New API Kit)

I have done 1 15% water change after 2 weeks.

From my understand that KH/dH level is low. should be 125 mg/l or 8.3 +
With everything else being stable is there anything i can do to help the Hardness level higher and keep it there?

I was reading some other forums about putting baking soda in the over for about 1 hour then mixing it up in fresh water to make an Alk solution would that be ideal? Or should I just do more water changes?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

What salt are you using? Also what is your Mag? What salt mix are you using?

The salt mix you use has a lot to do with any of your parameters and in many cases it's easier to just change salt mix to get higher readings than it is to dose, it all just depends on what you're using. If I were you I'd go to a 10% per week WC and see how your numbers are with the 10% per week WC.

Since you don't have anything in your tank that would be using Kh I would check a fresh mixed batch of your salt mix and then retest the fresh mix before it goes into your tank and compare. 10% weekly WC's are pretty much a standard

 

[Grimreaperz]

What salt are you using? Also what is your Mag? What salt mix are you using?

The salt mix you use has a lot to do with any of your parameters and in many cases it's easier to just change salt mix to get higher readings than it is to dose, it all just depends on what you're using. If I were you I'd go to a 10% per week WC and see how your numbers are with the 10% per week WC.

Since you don't have anything in your tank that would be using Kh I would check a fresh mixed batch of your salt mix and then retest the fresh mix before it goes into your tank and compare. 10% weekly WC's are pretty much a standard

Yeah I was using Instant Ocean but will most likely be moving to reef crystals for my next bag.

I will see how that goes. Want to have stable water conditions before I intentionally add life.

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely go that route first and increase water changes.

 

[downbeach]

Make sure of the accuracy of your SG, @ 1.026(35ppt) plain IO should be reading: Ca = 400ppm, Alk = 11dKH, Mg = 1350ppm. What are you using to measure your SG? If a non/mis calibrated device or a swing arm type hydrometer it may be giving you incorrect readings causing you to add too much/little salt mix, and by extension too much/little Ca, Mg and alk.

 

[toothybugs]

It's also possible you are seeing some settling in your salt. If so, later batches (assuming you don't mix it up in the bucket a bit) will read much higher.

BTW, Reef Crystals tends to give REALLY high values, personally I use it with 2 parts regular instant Ocean to 'dilute' the values a bit.

 

[Grimreaperz]

It's also possible you are seeing some settling in your salt. If so, later batches (assuming you don't mix it up in the bucket a bit) will read much higher.

BTW, Reef Crystals tends to give REALLY high values, personally I use it with 2 parts regular instant Ocean to 'dilute' the values a bit.

I don't have a powerhead to mix the salt but i do mix it up in a bucket for about an hour. stirring for about 2 min. then letting settle rinse repeat.

the water is clear and very little residue at the bottom.

I will keep that in mind i was thinking about buying 2 bags of Reef Crystals but I will buy 1 of each.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I highly suggest that you get a power head and a length of hose that fits on it. This way you can not only mix your saltwater with it but you can also use it to pump out your water for a WC and then you can use it to pump back in the freshly mixed water. You can buy a cheap pump for less than $20 or so and it will make water changes so much easier.

I did this with a smaller pump but then I figured out that if I got a backup pump for my main pump that I could use it to do the same and then switch out a fresh pump so I can take the other apart and clean it for the next swap. This way I always have a good pump just in case my main pump were to go out.