DanW
Certified Stick Killer
Ryan I hope so because I have YOUR Ultimate PM in my tank!:lol2:
Oldude's new 400 gal tank build
- Thread starter Oldude
- Start date
I have high hopes for that on Dan. I thinks it's A.desalwii but very different than my green polyp one. I'm hoping it will look similar to Leonardo's so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I thought purple monster is a variety of a.lokani?
Those are just awesomeDo they come in XXL?
Unfortunately I haven't seen those firefish for quite some time so I assume they are history.
I have been having some problem with my tank lately as many of you know so rather than duplicate everything I will post the test results here and provide a link to the thread I started in the SPS forum. I think I'll just keep doing water changes and run PolyFilters for a while and see if thing improve.
Here is the link to the other thread.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1778856
Here is the link to the other thread.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1778856
I had both my reef water and a fresh mix of Reefers Best Salt tested. I wanted to confirm the salt wasn't a bad batch causing problems. Anyway here are the results below:
REEF TANK WATER
01.30.10
Test Results for Greg Timms Source ID: Reef Tank
Water Test Summary
Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good .........................................0.001
Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ........................................0.007
Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good ...........................................1.7
Phosphate (PO4) ..........................Good .........................................0.04
Silica (SiO2-3) ............................. High............................................1.3
Potassium (K) ...............................Low............................................199
Calcium (Ca)................................Good ...........................................372
Boron (B) .....................................Low............................................2.4
Molybdenum (Mo)......................... High.............................................0.3
Strontium (Sr) .............................Good ..........................................10.4
Magnesium (Mg) .......................... High...........................................1620
Iodine (I¯)...................................Good ..........................................0.09
Copper (Cu++) ............................Good ..........................................0.03
Alkalinity (meq/L).........................Good ...........................................2.53
Thank you for your business! Please let us know if you have
questions, comments, or concerns.
Please remember that the information that accompanies your tested
values is a courtesy and is offered only to frame the results in a way
meaningful to the aquarium hobbyist. The NSW values, acceptable
ranges and recommendations are not meant to replace the advice of
aquarium professionals and experienced hobbyists.
Ammonia (NH3-4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.050 mg/L
Tested: 0.001 mg/L
(GOOD) Your ammonia level is within the recommended range. We recommend staying with the current feeding and stocking levels. Be sure to maintain a good schedule of water changes and additives. Ammonia levels can rise after the addition of new animals, after a water change, or after the changing of food diet. Any ammonia level above 0.05 mg/L is a cause for concern, and the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrite (NO2)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.100 mg/L
Tested: 0.007 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrite level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current maintenance and feeding schedules. Residual levels of nitrite are common in marine aquariums. Levels of 0.05 or less are of little concern. If the levels are higher than this, the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrate (NO3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.050 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 25 mg/L
Tested: 1.7 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrate level is within the recommended range. Be sure to maintain reasonable stocking and feeding levels, as well as a regular water change schedule. Nitrate is not toxic in and of itself, but a rising level is indicative of deteriorating water conditions,
and any level above 5.0 mg/L in reef aquariums is a reason for concern.
Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/L
Tested: 0.04 mg/L
(GOOD) Your phosphate level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing the current maintenance and water change schedule. The use of a phosphate absorbing resin is recommended to keep phosphate levels below 0.05 mg/L.
Silica (Sio2-3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.040 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.500 mg/L
Tested: 1.3 mg/L
(HIGH) Your silica level is too high. We recommend that you use a silica specific R/O membrane in addition to deionization resin for your make-up/top-off water. You may also use a commercially available phosphate absorber, as these will also remove some silicate.
Silicate is required by many types of sponges for growth/reproduction, but will also encourage brown diatom algae growth. Any level above 0.3 mg/L may cause a diatom bloom in the aquarium.
Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Tested: 199 mg/L
(LOW) Your potassium level is too low. We recommend performing a partial water change, and possibly adding a commercial additive containing potassium. Potassium is rapidly depleted from aquarium water by several plant and animal metabolic processes.
Maintenance of appropriate levels is critical for cellular respiration, as well as being an important nutrient for coral zooxanthellae and macro algae.
Calcium (Ca)
Natural Seawater Value: 400 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L*
*These values represent only the amount of free calcium ions present in the samples. According to Randy Holmes-Farley, the total calcium concentration can be 10% to 20% higher.
Tested: 372 mg/L
(GOOD) Your calcium level is within the recommended range. We recommend that you continue with your current schedule of calcium additions. Calcium is critical to healthy coral skeletal growth, and many other biological processes. Maintenance of calcium levels that are at or near seawater values is an important factor in having a healthy reef aquarium.
Boron (B)
Natural Seawater Value: 4.6 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 3.0 "“ 6.0 mg/L
Tested: 2.4 mg/L
(LOW) Your boron level is too low. We recommend performing a water change, and possibly the addition of a commercial buffer containing borate salts. Boron is an important part of the water buffering capacity, and a lack of boron can lead to dangerous fluctuations in pH and alkalinity.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.01 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.0 to 0.12 mg/L
Tested: 0.3 mg/L
(HIGH) Your molybdenum level is too high. Molybdenum is found in many common additives and at highly elevated levels in most salt mixes and so a vast majority of reef tanks demonstrate a level 10 to 50 times higher than natural levels. 0.12 mg/L is the upper toxicity limit for Molybdenum, the point at which negative effects can begin to manifest themselves. You should suspend the use of any additives containing molybdenum. If your
level is significantly higher than acceptable you may benefit from a partial water change to reduce this level, though your salt mix may be a contributor to the elevated level itself.
Molybdenum is important for the biological processes of bacteria, and may be of some benefit to corals as well. High levels of molybdenum are known to encourage blooms of slime algae or cyanobacteria.
Strontium (Sr)
Natural Seawater Value: 8.1 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 5.0 to 12.0 mg/L
Tested: 10.4 mg/L
(GOOD) Your strontium level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current additive schedules. Strontium is important to coral growth, as they incorporate strontium ions into their skeletal mass, particularly SPS corals. It is also important to coralline algae growth.
Magnesium (Mg)
Natural Seawater Value: 1280 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 1100 to 1400 mg/L
Tested: 1620 mg/L
(HIGH) Your magnesium level is too high. We recommend reducing or suspending any additives containing magnesium until the level comes down. You may also wish to perform a partial water change. Magnesium is critical to the water buffering system, any photosynthetic processes, and to marine invertebrates in general. Only sodium and chloride are found in greater proportions. Higher than normal levels are known to produce damaging effects on some organisms, encourage algae blooms, and destabilize the calcium levels and the buffering capacity of the water.
Iodine (I¯)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.060 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.030 to 0.090 mg/L
Tested: 0.09 mg/L
(GOOD) Your iodine level is within the recommended range. We would recommend continuing with the current water change and additive schedule. Please be advised that many iodine supplements are difficult to dose accurately, and "œabove normal" readings are easy to achieve with common iodine additives.
Copper (Cu++)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/L
Tested: 0.03 mg/L
(GOOD) Your copper level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current water change schedule, being careful to use only RO/DI water for makeup/top-off water. Use of activated carbon can also help keep this level in check. Copper is fatal to marine invertebrates at levels as low as 0.05 mg/L for many species.
Alkalinity (meq/L)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/L
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/L
Tested: 2.53 meq/L
(GOOD) Your alkalinity level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current water change and buffering schedule. Maintaining an appropriate alkalinity is crucial to maintaining a healthy aquarium. A fluctuating alkalinity will lead to serious problems in maintaining an appropriate pH, as well as problems keeping calcium and magnesium levels within required ranges.
Thank you for using AquariumWaterTesting.com
REEF TANK WATER
01.30.10
Test Results for Greg Timms Source ID: Reef Tank
Water Test Summary
Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good .........................................0.001
Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ........................................0.007
Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good ...........................................1.7
Phosphate (PO4) ..........................Good .........................................0.04
Silica (SiO2-3) ............................. High............................................1.3
Potassium (K) ...............................Low............................................199
Calcium (Ca)................................Good ...........................................372
Boron (B) .....................................Low............................................2.4
Molybdenum (Mo)......................... High.............................................0.3
Strontium (Sr) .............................Good ..........................................10.4
Magnesium (Mg) .......................... High...........................................1620
Iodine (I¯)...................................Good ..........................................0.09
Copper (Cu++) ............................Good ..........................................0.03
Alkalinity (meq/L).........................Good ...........................................2.53
Thank you for your business! Please let us know if you have
questions, comments, or concerns.
Please remember that the information that accompanies your tested
values is a courtesy and is offered only to frame the results in a way
meaningful to the aquarium hobbyist. The NSW values, acceptable
ranges and recommendations are not meant to replace the advice of
aquarium professionals and experienced hobbyists.
Ammonia (NH3-4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.050 mg/L
Tested: 0.001 mg/L
(GOOD) Your ammonia level is within the recommended range. We recommend staying with the current feeding and stocking levels. Be sure to maintain a good schedule of water changes and additives. Ammonia levels can rise after the addition of new animals, after a water change, or after the changing of food diet. Any ammonia level above 0.05 mg/L is a cause for concern, and the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrite (NO2)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.100 mg/L
Tested: 0.007 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrite level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current maintenance and feeding schedules. Residual levels of nitrite are common in marine aquariums. Levels of 0.05 or less are of little concern. If the levels are higher than this, the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrate (NO3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.050 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 25 mg/L
Tested: 1.7 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrate level is within the recommended range. Be sure to maintain reasonable stocking and feeding levels, as well as a regular water change schedule. Nitrate is not toxic in and of itself, but a rising level is indicative of deteriorating water conditions,
and any level above 5.0 mg/L in reef aquariums is a reason for concern.
Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/L
Tested: 0.04 mg/L
(GOOD) Your phosphate level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing the current maintenance and water change schedule. The use of a phosphate absorbing resin is recommended to keep phosphate levels below 0.05 mg/L.
Silica (Sio2-3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.040 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.500 mg/L
Tested: 1.3 mg/L
(HIGH) Your silica level is too high. We recommend that you use a silica specific R/O membrane in addition to deionization resin for your make-up/top-off water. You may also use a commercially available phosphate absorber, as these will also remove some silicate.
Silicate is required by many types of sponges for growth/reproduction, but will also encourage brown diatom algae growth. Any level above 0.3 mg/L may cause a diatom bloom in the aquarium.
Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Tested: 199 mg/L
(LOW) Your potassium level is too low. We recommend performing a partial water change, and possibly adding a commercial additive containing potassium. Potassium is rapidly depleted from aquarium water by several plant and animal metabolic processes.
Maintenance of appropriate levels is critical for cellular respiration, as well as being an important nutrient for coral zooxanthellae and macro algae.
Calcium (Ca)
Natural Seawater Value: 400 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L*
*These values represent only the amount of free calcium ions present in the samples. According to Randy Holmes-Farley, the total calcium concentration can be 10% to 20% higher.
Tested: 372 mg/L
(GOOD) Your calcium level is within the recommended range. We recommend that you continue with your current schedule of calcium additions. Calcium is critical to healthy coral skeletal growth, and many other biological processes. Maintenance of calcium levels that are at or near seawater values is an important factor in having a healthy reef aquarium.
Boron (B)
Natural Seawater Value: 4.6 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 3.0 "“ 6.0 mg/L
Tested: 2.4 mg/L
(LOW) Your boron level is too low. We recommend performing a water change, and possibly the addition of a commercial buffer containing borate salts. Boron is an important part of the water buffering capacity, and a lack of boron can lead to dangerous fluctuations in pH and alkalinity.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.01 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.0 to 0.12 mg/L
Tested: 0.3 mg/L
(HIGH) Your molybdenum level is too high. Molybdenum is found in many common additives and at highly elevated levels in most salt mixes and so a vast majority of reef tanks demonstrate a level 10 to 50 times higher than natural levels. 0.12 mg/L is the upper toxicity limit for Molybdenum, the point at which negative effects can begin to manifest themselves. You should suspend the use of any additives containing molybdenum. If your
level is significantly higher than acceptable you may benefit from a partial water change to reduce this level, though your salt mix may be a contributor to the elevated level itself.
Molybdenum is important for the biological processes of bacteria, and may be of some benefit to corals as well. High levels of molybdenum are known to encourage blooms of slime algae or cyanobacteria.
Strontium (Sr)
Natural Seawater Value: 8.1 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 5.0 to 12.0 mg/L
Tested: 10.4 mg/L
(GOOD) Your strontium level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current additive schedules. Strontium is important to coral growth, as they incorporate strontium ions into their skeletal mass, particularly SPS corals. It is also important to coralline algae growth.
Magnesium (Mg)
Natural Seawater Value: 1280 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 1100 to 1400 mg/L
Tested: 1620 mg/L
(HIGH) Your magnesium level is too high. We recommend reducing or suspending any additives containing magnesium until the level comes down. You may also wish to perform a partial water change. Magnesium is critical to the water buffering system, any photosynthetic processes, and to marine invertebrates in general. Only sodium and chloride are found in greater proportions. Higher than normal levels are known to produce damaging effects on some organisms, encourage algae blooms, and destabilize the calcium levels and the buffering capacity of the water.
Iodine (I¯)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.060 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.030 to 0.090 mg/L
Tested: 0.09 mg/L
(GOOD) Your iodine level is within the recommended range. We would recommend continuing with the current water change and additive schedule. Please be advised that many iodine supplements are difficult to dose accurately, and "œabove normal" readings are easy to achieve with common iodine additives.
Copper (Cu++)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/L
Tested: 0.03 mg/L
(GOOD) Your copper level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current water change schedule, being careful to use only RO/DI water for makeup/top-off water. Use of activated carbon can also help keep this level in check. Copper is fatal to marine invertebrates at levels as low as 0.05 mg/L for many species.
Alkalinity (meq/L)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/L
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/L
Tested: 2.53 meq/L
(GOOD) Your alkalinity level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current water change and buffering schedule. Maintaining an appropriate alkalinity is crucial to maintaining a healthy aquarium. A fluctuating alkalinity will lead to serious problems in maintaining an appropriate pH, as well as problems keeping calcium and magnesium levels within required ranges.
Thank you for using AquariumWaterTesting.com
FRESH SW mix with RBS
FRESH SW mix with RBS
01.30.10
Test Results for Greg Timms Source ID: Fresh Salt
Water Test Summary
Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good .........................................0.020
Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ........................................0.005
Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good ............................................0.8
Phosphate (PO4) ..........................Good .........................................0.08
Silica (SiO2-3) ............................. High............................................6.5
Potassium (K) ...............................Low............................................207
Calcium (Ca)................................Good ...........................................357
Boron (B) .....................................Low............................................2.7
Molybdenum (Mo)......................... High.............................................0.4
Strontium (Sr) .............................Good ...........................................9.5
Magnesium (Mg) .......................... High...........................................1425
Iodine (I¯)................................... High...........................................0.16
Copper (Cu++) ............................ High...........................................0.06
Alkalinity (meq/L).........................Good ...........................................4.09
Thank you for your business! Please let us know if you have
questions, comments, or concerns.
Please remember that the information that accompanies your tested
values is a courtesy and is offered only to frame the results in a way
meaningful to the aquarium hobbyist. The NSW values, acceptable
ranges and recommendations are not meant to replace the advice of
aquarium professionals and experienced hobbyists.
Ammonia (NH3-4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.050 mg/L
Tested: 0.020 mg/L
(GOOD) Your ammonia level is within the recommended range. We recommend staying with the current feeding and stocking levels. Be sure to maintain a good schedule of water changes and additives. Ammonia levels can rise after the addition of new animals, after a water change, or after the changing of food diet. Any ammonia level above 0.05 mg/L is a cause for concern, and the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrite (NO2)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.100 mg/L
Tested: 0.005 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrite level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current maintenance and feeding schedules. Residual levels of nitrite are common in marine aquariums. Levels of 0.05 or less are of little concern. If the levels are higher than this, the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrate (NO3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.050 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 25 mg/L
Tested: 0.8 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrate level is within the recommended range. Be sure to maintain reasonable stocking and feeding levels, as well as a regular water change schedule. Nitrate is not toxic in and of itself, but a rising level is indicative of deteriorating water conditions, and any level above 5.0 mg/L in reef aquariums is a reason for concern.
Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/L
Tested: 0.08 mg/L
(GOOD) Your phosphate level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing the current maintenance and water change schedule. The use of a phosphate absorbing resin is recommended to keep phosphate levels below 0.05 mg/L.
Silica (Sio2-3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.040 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.500 mg/L
Tested: 6.5 mg/L
(HIGH) Your silica level is too high. We recommend that you use a silica specific R/O membrane in addition to deionization resin for your make-up/top-off water. You may also use a commercially available phosphate absorber, as these will also remove some silicate. Silicate is required by many types of sponges for growth/reproduction, but will also encourage brown diatom algae growth. Any level above 0.3 mg/L may cause a diatom bloom in the aquarium.
Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Tested: 207 mg/L
(LOW) Your potassium level is too low. We recommend performing a partial water change, and possibly adding a commercial additive containing potassium. Potassium is rapidly depleted from aquarium water by several plant and animal metabolicprocesses.
Maintenance of appropriate levels is critical for cellular respiration, as well as being an important nutrient for coral zooxanthellae and macro algae.
Calcium (Ca)
Natural Seawater Value: 400 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L*
*These values represent only the amount of free calcium ions present in the samples. According to Randy Holmes-Farley, the total calcium concentration can be 10% to 20% higher.
Tested: 357 mg/L
(GOOD) Your calcium level is within the recommended range. We recommend that you continue with your current schedule of calcium additions. Calcium is critical to healthy coral skeletal growth, and many other biological processes. Maintenance of calcium levels that are at or near seawater values is an important factor in having a healthy reef aquarium.
Boron (B)
Natural Seawater Value: 4.6 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 3.0 "“ 6.0 mg/L
Tested: 2.7 mg/L
(LOW) Your boron level is too low. We recommend performing a water change, and possibly the addition of a commercial buffer containing borate salts. Boron is an important part of the water buffering capacity, and a lack of boron can lead to dangerous fluctuations in pH and alkalinity.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.01 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.0 to 0.12 mg/L
Tested: 0.4 mg/L
(HIGH) Your molybdenum level is too high. Molybdenum is found in many common additives and at highly elevated levels in most salt mixes and so a vast majority of reef tanks demonstrate a level 10 to 50 times higher than natural levels. 0.12 mg/L is the upper toxicity limit for Molybdenum, the point at which negative effects can begin to manifest themselves. You should suspend the use of any additives containing molybdenum. If your level is significantly higher than acceptable you may benefit from a partial water change to reduce this level, though your salt mix may be a contributor to the elevated level itself.
Molybdenum is important for the biological processes of bacteria, and may be of some benefit to corals as well. High levels of molybdenum are known to encourage blooms of slime algae or cyanobacteria.
Strontium (Sr)
Natural Seawater Value: 8.1 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 5.0 to 12.0 mg/L
Tested: 9.5 mg/L
(GOOD) Your strontium level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current additive schedules. Strontium is important to coral growth, as they incorporate strontium ions into their skeletal mass, particularly SPS corals. It is also important to coralline algae growth.
Magnesium (Mg)
Natural Seawater Value: 1280 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 1100 to 1400 mg/L
Tested: 1425 mg/L
(HIGH) Your magnesium level is too high. We recommend reducing or suspending any additives containing magnesium until the level comes down. You may also wish to perform a partial water change. Magnesium is critical to the water buffering system, any photosynthetic processes, and to marine invertebrates in general. Only sodium and chloride are found in greater proportions. Higher than normal levels are known to produce damaging effects on some organisms, encourage algae blooms, and destabilize the calcium levels and the buffering capacity of the water.
Iodine (I¯)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.060 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.030 to 0.090 mg/L
Tested: 0.16 mg/L
(HIGH) Your iodine level is too high. We recommend a reduction in chemical additives containing iodine. You may also wish to reduce the feeding of any shellfish-type, or redalgae based feeds, and increase protein skimming. Iodine is known to be required by many soft corals, marine macro algae, and is a component of many of the colorful pigments in stony corals. Iodide is a strong oxidizer however, and an overabundance can damage coral tissues, and has been implicated in algal blooms.
Copper (Cu++)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/L
Tested: 0.06 mg/L
(HIGH) Your copper level is too high. We recommend the use of activated carbon to reduce this level. You should also use only RO/DI water for make-up/top-off water, as most copper that gets into tanks comes from copper water pipes in the home. It is also an ingredient in many fish medications. Copper is an important trace mineral for metabolic processes in many marine organisms. However, levels above 0.05 are toxic to almost all invertebrates and some fish species.
Alkalinity (meq/L)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/L
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/L
Tested: 4.09 meq/L
(GOOD) Your alkalinity level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current water change and buffering schedule. Maintaining an appropriate alkalinity is crucial to maintaining a healthy aquarium. A fluctuating alkalinity will lead to serious problems in maintaining an appropriate pH, as well as problems keeping calcium and magnesium levels within required ranges.
Thank you for using AquariumWaterTesting.com
FRESH SW mix with RBS
01.30.10
Test Results for Greg Timms Source ID: Fresh Salt
Water Test Summary
Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good .........................................0.020
Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ........................................0.005
Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good ............................................0.8
Phosphate (PO4) ..........................Good .........................................0.08
Silica (SiO2-3) ............................. High............................................6.5
Potassium (K) ...............................Low............................................207
Calcium (Ca)................................Good ...........................................357
Boron (B) .....................................Low............................................2.7
Molybdenum (Mo)......................... High.............................................0.4
Strontium (Sr) .............................Good ...........................................9.5
Magnesium (Mg) .......................... High...........................................1425
Iodine (I¯)................................... High...........................................0.16
Copper (Cu++) ............................ High...........................................0.06
Alkalinity (meq/L).........................Good ...........................................4.09
Thank you for your business! Please let us know if you have
questions, comments, or concerns.
Please remember that the information that accompanies your tested
values is a courtesy and is offered only to frame the results in a way
meaningful to the aquarium hobbyist. The NSW values, acceptable
ranges and recommendations are not meant to replace the advice of
aquarium professionals and experienced hobbyists.
Ammonia (NH3-4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.050 mg/L
Tested: 0.020 mg/L
(GOOD) Your ammonia level is within the recommended range. We recommend staying with the current feeding and stocking levels. Be sure to maintain a good schedule of water changes and additives. Ammonia levels can rise after the addition of new animals, after a water change, or after the changing of food diet. Any ammonia level above 0.05 mg/L is a cause for concern, and the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrite (NO2)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.100 mg/L
Tested: 0.005 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrite level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current maintenance and feeding schedules. Residual levels of nitrite are common in marine aquariums. Levels of 0.05 or less are of little concern. If the levels are higher than this, the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrate (NO3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.050 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 25 mg/L
Tested: 0.8 mg/L
(GOOD) Your nitrate level is within the recommended range. Be sure to maintain reasonable stocking and feeding levels, as well as a regular water change schedule. Nitrate is not toxic in and of itself, but a rising level is indicative of deteriorating water conditions, and any level above 5.0 mg/L in reef aquariums is a reason for concern.
Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/L
Tested: 0.08 mg/L
(GOOD) Your phosphate level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing the current maintenance and water change schedule. The use of a phosphate absorbing resin is recommended to keep phosphate levels below 0.05 mg/L.
Silica (Sio2-3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.040 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.500 mg/L
Tested: 6.5 mg/L
(HIGH) Your silica level is too high. We recommend that you use a silica specific R/O membrane in addition to deionization resin for your make-up/top-off water. You may also use a commercially available phosphate absorber, as these will also remove some silicate. Silicate is required by many types of sponges for growth/reproduction, but will also encourage brown diatom algae growth. Any level above 0.3 mg/L may cause a diatom bloom in the aquarium.
Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Tested: 207 mg/L
(LOW) Your potassium level is too low. We recommend performing a partial water change, and possibly adding a commercial additive containing potassium. Potassium is rapidly depleted from aquarium water by several plant and animal metabolicprocesses.
Maintenance of appropriate levels is critical for cellular respiration, as well as being an important nutrient for coral zooxanthellae and macro algae.
Calcium (Ca)
Natural Seawater Value: 400 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L*
*These values represent only the amount of free calcium ions present in the samples. According to Randy Holmes-Farley, the total calcium concentration can be 10% to 20% higher.
Tested: 357 mg/L
(GOOD) Your calcium level is within the recommended range. We recommend that you continue with your current schedule of calcium additions. Calcium is critical to healthy coral skeletal growth, and many other biological processes. Maintenance of calcium levels that are at or near seawater values is an important factor in having a healthy reef aquarium.
Boron (B)
Natural Seawater Value: 4.6 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 3.0 "“ 6.0 mg/L
Tested: 2.7 mg/L
(LOW) Your boron level is too low. We recommend performing a water change, and possibly the addition of a commercial buffer containing borate salts. Boron is an important part of the water buffering capacity, and a lack of boron can lead to dangerous fluctuations in pH and alkalinity.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.01 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.0 to 0.12 mg/L
Tested: 0.4 mg/L
(HIGH) Your molybdenum level is too high. Molybdenum is found in many common additives and at highly elevated levels in most salt mixes and so a vast majority of reef tanks demonstrate a level 10 to 50 times higher than natural levels. 0.12 mg/L is the upper toxicity limit for Molybdenum, the point at which negative effects can begin to manifest themselves. You should suspend the use of any additives containing molybdenum. If your level is significantly higher than acceptable you may benefit from a partial water change to reduce this level, though your salt mix may be a contributor to the elevated level itself.
Molybdenum is important for the biological processes of bacteria, and may be of some benefit to corals as well. High levels of molybdenum are known to encourage blooms of slime algae or cyanobacteria.
Strontium (Sr)
Natural Seawater Value: 8.1 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 5.0 to 12.0 mg/L
Tested: 9.5 mg/L
(GOOD) Your strontium level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current additive schedules. Strontium is important to coral growth, as they incorporate strontium ions into their skeletal mass, particularly SPS corals. It is also important to coralline algae growth.
Magnesium (Mg)
Natural Seawater Value: 1280 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 1100 to 1400 mg/L
Tested: 1425 mg/L
(HIGH) Your magnesium level is too high. We recommend reducing or suspending any additives containing magnesium until the level comes down. You may also wish to perform a partial water change. Magnesium is critical to the water buffering system, any photosynthetic processes, and to marine invertebrates in general. Only sodium and chloride are found in greater proportions. Higher than normal levels are known to produce damaging effects on some organisms, encourage algae blooms, and destabilize the calcium levels and the buffering capacity of the water.
Iodine (I¯)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.060 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.030 to 0.090 mg/L
Tested: 0.16 mg/L
(HIGH) Your iodine level is too high. We recommend a reduction in chemical additives containing iodine. You may also wish to reduce the feeding of any shellfish-type, or redalgae based feeds, and increase protein skimming. Iodine is known to be required by many soft corals, marine macro algae, and is a component of many of the colorful pigments in stony corals. Iodide is a strong oxidizer however, and an overabundance can damage coral tissues, and has been implicated in algal blooms.
Copper (Cu++)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/L
Tested: 0.06 mg/L
(HIGH) Your copper level is too high. We recommend the use of activated carbon to reduce this level. You should also use only RO/DI water for make-up/top-off water, as most copper that gets into tanks comes from copper water pipes in the home. It is also an ingredient in many fish medications. Copper is an important trace mineral for metabolic processes in many marine organisms. However, levels above 0.05 are toxic to almost all invertebrates and some fish species.
Alkalinity (meq/L)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/L
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/L
Tested: 4.09 meq/L
(GOOD) Your alkalinity level is within the recommended range. We recommend continuing with your current water change and buffering schedule. Maintaining an appropriate alkalinity is crucial to maintaining a healthy aquarium. A fluctuating alkalinity will lead to serious problems in maintaining an appropriate pH, as well as problems keeping calcium and magnesium levels within required ranges.
Thank you for using AquariumWaterTesting.com
One thing I find interesting is the my Salifert test kits are out to lunch.
According to them my Mg tested at 1380 & my Ca tested at 435....yikes. Could the parameters they say are too high or too low cause tip burn/browning and flesh to flakes off M.digitatas?
Interesting the RBS would have a higher concentration of ammonia & phosphate than my tank does.
According to them my Mg tested at 1380 & my Ca tested at 435....yikes. Could the parameters they say are too high or too low cause tip burn/browning and flesh to flakes off M.digitatas?
Interesting the RBS would have a higher concentration of ammonia & phosphate than my tank does.
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roktsintst
New member
Dan - Yes that's right! Hows it doing for you?
Greg - The Original PM is, but the Ultimates PM is a different species. There is also the Eddies PM that I have that is also just as nice/different!!!
Greg - The Original PM is, but the Ultimates PM is a different species. There is also the Eddies PM that I have that is also just as nice/different!!!
Thanks for the info. I guess I need to come up with my own personal PM then.:lol:
I don't think those levels are unacceptable, nor do I think they would cause issues, unless they are reached very quickly. Many people run their Mg that high to curb algae growth. While your Ca is a tad low, I wouldn't think 380s would cause as many problems as you have had.
delphinus
New member
Could it be something as simple as one (or some) of the angels (or other fish) are nipping, and just good at being inconspicuous about it? I think back to how the butterflies I have right now would start nipping at corals and they were definitely quick enough at it to not be obvious that's what they were doing, yet the damage (in this case to LPS) was definitely bite marks.
Not that simple as I am seeing issues through all tanks in the system.
Untamed12
New member
OK...so it isn't something that you can easily measure for.
I have to say...I went through a really bad stretch over the past year. I could not figure/measure anything wrong...yet my coral was doing very poorly. (Basically, it was dying very slowly)
I replaced my skimmer with one that was more than 2x the size and I'm convinced this solved my problems. Do you know anyone who can loan you another skimmer? Try to skim the heck out of the system and see what happens.
The other thing I did was start running ozone on the new skimmer.
I have to say...I went through a really bad stretch over the past year. I could not figure/measure anything wrong...yet my coral was doing very poorly. (Basically, it was dying very slowly)
I replaced my skimmer with one that was more than 2x the size and I'm convinced this solved my problems. Do you know anyone who can loan you another skimmer? Try to skim the heck out of the system and see what happens.
The other thing I did was start running ozone on the new skimmer.
DanW
Certified Stick Killer
Greg, IIRC all the tests (~6) that I've done with AWT over the years indicated low potassium and except for the last test, high silica. We both have high levels of Molybdenum, any idea what the negative consequences are and how to reduce? FWIW here was my last test done in early December:
Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good ......................................... 0.005
Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ......................................... 0.021
Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good .............................................1.0
Phosphate (PO4) ..........................Good ........................................... 0.01
Silica (SiO2-3) .............................Good .............................................0.3
Potassium (K) ...............................Low............................................. 218
Calcium (Ca).................................Low............................................. 329
Boron (B) .....................................Low..............................................2.5
Molybdenum (Mo)......................... High..............................................0.2
Strontium (Sr) .............................Good .............................................9.1
Magnesium (Mg) ..........................Good .......................................... 1250
Iodine (I¯)...................................Good ........................................... 0.03
Copper (Cu++) ............................ High............................................ 0.04
Alkalinity (meq/L).........................Good ........................................... 2.54
Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good ......................................... 0.005
Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ......................................... 0.021
Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good .............................................1.0
Phosphate (PO4) ..........................Good ........................................... 0.01
Silica (SiO2-3) .............................Good .............................................0.3
Potassium (K) ...............................Low............................................. 218
Calcium (Ca).................................Low............................................. 329
Boron (B) .....................................Low..............................................2.5
Molybdenum (Mo)......................... High..............................................0.2
Strontium (Sr) .............................Good .............................................9.1
Magnesium (Mg) ..........................Good .......................................... 1250
Iodine (I¯)...................................Good ........................................... 0.03
Copper (Cu++) ............................ High............................................ 0.04
Alkalinity (meq/L).........................Good ........................................... 2.54
Wouldn't insufficient skimming leave higher levels of N03 & Po4 because of the water staying more poluted? My levels in that area are ok.
I do dose strontium on occasion but not on a regular basis.
I am not running GFO and the Silica levels have me scratching my head too.
I am not sure how these levels are so high and it may explain why I struggle with cyano in my frag tank. My fresh SW levels are high so I won't be reducing it doing water changes.
Untamed12
New member
It didn't in my case...my measurable N03 and Po4 were still low/undetectable. That was part of my mystery. I think it is the skimmer's contribution to O2 levels, more than it's ability to remove organics.
I suggest another skimmer because it seems to have worked for me, and it is a easy, no risk, possible solution if you can borrow one somehow and test it.
Untamed12
New member
There's more... What is your pH doing?
I'm not advocating trying to move pH or anything, but in my case the pH was just a bit low (highs of 8.1...lows of 7.8) I put a Kalk reactor in place running overnight to try to hold that pH up, but really wasn't having much success with that.
When the new (very large) skimmer when in, my pH jumped up and now cycles between 8.0 and 8.2. It is another clue that O2 or CO2 is in play related to the skimmer.
I'm not advocating trying to move pH or anything, but in my case the pH was just a bit low (highs of 8.1...lows of 7.8) I put a Kalk reactor in place running overnight to try to hold that pH up, but really wasn't having much success with that.
When the new (very large) skimmer when in, my pH jumped up and now cycles between 8.0 and 8.2. It is another clue that O2 or CO2 is in play related to the skimmer.
According to my controller my PH swings from about 8.1 at lights on all the way up to 8.45 by the end of the photo period. That said I think it's a big swing but I've been told it's pretty normal. Interestingly enough maybe because the PH fluctuates so much in a day is why Aquarium Water Testing doesn't bother with that parameter in their tests.
That is almost exactly my swing for pH. I was having some major issues, mostly Alk & Ca issues, but I've gotten that corrected, and am starting to see growth again with the pieces that I didn't lose. FWIW, my pH swing never changed throughout all of my battle, and is still 8.1-8.37 depending on the time of day.
