My first AWT results! Make recommendations please

[nauticac4]

System is a 120 with a 30 gallon sump and 20 gallon fuge w/cheato and capulera. I have about 160lbs of live rock a SSB in the display and about 2 inch sand bed in the fuge. I run a NW-200 Protein skimmer and 2 bags of carbon and 2 bags of phosban in the baffles of the sump. I would like any constructive critism and recommendations. I dose calcium using Seachem Reef Calcium and occasionally soak the food (2 cubes a day and some pellets) in a vitamin formula made by Kent.

Ammonia (NH3-4) 0.010 Good
Nitrite (NO2) 0.040 Good
Nitrate (NO3) 9.7 Good
Phosphate (PO4) 0.07 Good
Silica (SiO2-3) 1.2 High
Potassium (K) 330 Low
Calcium (Ca) 333 Low
Boron (B) 5.5 Good
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.1 Good
Strontium (Sr) 8.8 Good
Magnesium (Mg) 1021 Low
Iodine (I¯) 0.02 Low
Copper (Cu++) 0.03 Good
Alkalinity (meq/L) 2.80 Good

My calcium test kit by API told me calcium was 380-400. I have slowly been raising the calcium. What can I do about the Silica, I am using a Ro/Di unit rated at 75GPD with a 0 TDS reading.

 

[blennyguy]

Is the Silica causing a problem? And where is it coming from? I would guess the water but if you have been useing the ro/di im at a loss. Even Silica sand wont leach silica into the water, also are you having an excess of diatoms? They love silica! Let me know what ya think
Todd

 

[cd77]

What salt are you using? Just curious.

I wouldn't worry about the silica. Everyone is getting back very high readings for silica and boomer is in contact with the people at AWT regarding this. They're also claiming that their phosphate readings may be tainted and they're working on it. Check out the most recent posts on this thread.

The only items of concern there would be Magnesium (which you can dose to get up around ~1300), Iodine (just a little low, see if you can dose it up to .06), potassium (which I know nothing about..) and worst of all, nitrate -- why they say that 9.7 is good is beyond me.

There is an on-going thread where everyone is posting their results at here.

 

[lvreefer]

Re: My first AWT results! Make recommendations please

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11119777#post11119777 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nauticac4
I have about 160lbs of live rock a SSB in the display and about 2 inch sand bed in the fuge.

What can I do about the Silica, I am using a Ro/Di unit rated at 75GPD with a 0 TDS reading.

??a SSB in the display?? is this star board?

Also TDS does not read unionized forms of silica. Do you have a lot sponges? Sponge die off can release silica. Also what kind of sand was used, aquarium brand or home center?

 

[cd77]

SSB = Shallow Sand Bed

Don't worry about the silica until the AWT salt comparison comes back or until they've explained or verified their measurements.

 

[nauticac4]

Well I have lots of brown algae, I'm assuming diatoms on the glass. I clean off with a cleaning magnet every day. I used aquarium sand I got from petsmart Caribsea Argonite. I use Instant Ocean Salt and I alternate between the reef crystals and the plain IO. I have a cynao problem which is why I run the phosban although it doesnt seem to ever go away. I have a OM4way hooked to a reeflo dart so there is tons of flow, I can't even keep sand in the front corners of the aquarium.

There are sponges in the aquarium but what would cause them to die off?

The nitrates are high maybe because of fish load. I have 2 anthias, 3 chromis, and engineer goby, lawnmower blenny, 2 clowns and 3 juvenille tangs in the tank (all under 3.5") My Api kit has never read more than 5ppm on Nitrate though. I have also gone from doing 1 large water change a month to 2 smaller changes every other week.

I really want the diatoms, algae bloom and cynao to go away because I hate the look and I am starting to get some on the tips of my SPS.

 

[nauticac4]

I also posted my results in the thread you mentioned above for posterity.

 

[nauticac4]

Any other thoughts? (Bump)

 

[blennyguy]

Lots of snails, Nasarious or something kin to them, Did you know that diatoms can actually get silica from the glass, i didnt till today, i was reading an article about silica after your question, just an fyi. anyway you can get as many of those snail as you want, if its for your 20 gal. tank, i would get 20 to 30 of them.Good luck
Todd

 

[nauticac4]

The tank is acrylic just FYI. I have 12 nassarius snails, a handful or cerinth, 12 astrias, and about 4 golf ball sized turbo snails