Little water help?

[swbeginner]

Hello. I just tested my water and I found that my tank is really not ready to be reef but is fine for what I have now. So I was wondering what measures I should take to you know make it reef-ready. Here are my results.

Ammonia-0
NitrIte-0
NitrAte-between 10 and 20
calcium-240
phosphate-0.5
kH-off the charts
pH-8.2
Specific gravity-1.024
If you need anything else (you shouldn't) then let me know, I don't have and can't find magnesium

I have already gotten cheato for the trates...so I don't need help on that one. Oh, a 30 gallon with 26 pounds of lr (getting more) 2 ocellaris clowns and a newly added royal gramma. I was also wondering...my royal gramma is incredibly shy and has been hiding in various rock crevices (I just got him/her today), when will this end, or will it? Thanks, you guys rock.

 

[sassafrass]

your calcium should be at about 400 or 450 and alk at 11 dkh the reason your calc is low is because your alk is high go to reef chemistry forum they have articles there that explain it better than I can
Lee

 

[swbeginner]

That makes sense, but how do I fix it?

 

[Aquarist007]

to raise calcium use kent turbo calcium. Being a chloride base it doesn't affect alkalinity very much
You can use the dosing calculator in the reef chemistry form to tell you how much and how fast you can dose it.
You should also make sure your magnesium is 1300 ppm--it is needed to support a calcium level of over 400 ppm

Are you dosing for alkalinity, if not it could be your salt mixture--some are higher then others.
You can check it out in this article

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118

If you are dosing for alk you stop it and the alk level goes down on its own
If you are using one of the high alk salt mixes then you need to change your mix

 

[swbeginner]

I am not using ro/di...but my water is calcium, nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, and it has a slightly basic pH, so I am thinking that the water has a naturally high alkalinity. Do you think something like purple up would help?

 

[CrossHatchQueen]

no because purple up also has alk in it also. get a 2 part and just dose the calcium for the time being.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12743547#post12743547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CrossHatchQueen
no because purple up also has alk in it also. get a 2 part and just dose the calcium for the time being.

I agree to get the levels up first then go on the two part

The two part is fantastic at bringing the stablity to calcium alk and indirectly pH but in most cases it takes alot of it to bring up the levels so you are better off bringing them up with Kent Turbo calcium and or kent super dKh

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12743369#post12743369 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swbeginner
I am not using ro/di...but my water is calcium, nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, and it has a slightly basic pH, so I am thinking that the water has a naturally high alkalinity. Do you think something like purple up would help?

you really should be using ro or ro/di
Where are you getting the water from that you are using--I would have it tested

 

[swbeginner]

It is filtered through a water softener

 

[Playa-1]

:lol:

Ooops double post, I hate when that happenz

 

[Playa-1]

ya get yourself a nice RO/DI unit. The fact that it is presoftened will help all the media and the RO membrane last longer.

The first and foremost thing for you to get into the reef aspect is to learn how to get your water balanced.
The Chemistry forum has a boatload of information. That would be a great place to start.

Your going to need a Magnesium test, Refractometer and pinpoint calibration fluid.

You really shouldn't be adding livestock with your ALK/KH off the charts.

I like this article and I think it might help you.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

 

[swbeginner]

I thought that the alkalinity didn't matter so long as the pH is cool...for fish anyway.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12746105#post12746105 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swbeginner
I thought that the alkalinity didn't matter so long as the pH is cool...for fish anyway.

Yes in a fowlr, but I think everyone is assuming by the term "reef" and the inquiry into cal, mag and alk that it is a mixed reef tank

 

[swbeginner]

Right now it is fo with base rock and I am not going to get LR until my calcium and alk are in good shape.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12746232#post12746232 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swbeginner
Right now it is fo with base rock and I am not going to get LR until my calcium and alk are in good shape.

I am not trying to be blunt here---but I don't see the logic in that.
Your tank needs to cycle with live rock and a sand bed before your water parameters will stabilze and you will be able to correctly measure where they are at.
Calcium and alk are not a problem at this time as was mentioned above since you have no corals.
If trying to save hitch hiking inverts etc on the live rock then I would watch ammonia spikes and salinity level while the rock was curing

 

[Playa-1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12746105#post12746105 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swbeginner
I thought that the alkalinity didn't matter so long as the pH is cool...for fish anyway.

Fish can tolerate more Alk then Corals will but that doesn't mean that it doesn't matter. The Ph is also a different issue all together. That is another issue that I would suggest you read up on.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2002/chem.htm