Something has got to give!!!!

[Im Lon 2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8887106#post8887106 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chelsey
I will likely feel/sound like a complete idiot after posting this, but it's worked for me. It doesn't sound like you have any SPS, so why are you so worried about Calcium and Alkalinity? Softies (and most LPS) do just fine with the amounts of Calcium and Alkalinity that your salt provides. When it gets used up it's replaced by what's in new water from a water change.

That was my thoughts too. (not the part of you being a complete idiot, the rest of it ) The Chemistry side should be after the tank is running smooth.. Start back with the basic's get them worked out and do one thing at a time to your tank, that way if something goes wrong you know what your mistake was and know how to fix it.

 

[DrBDC]

Hmmmm

http://www.ahprokleen.com/products/msds/960pdf.pdf

 

[DrBDC]

It IS correct that you shouldn't have to worry about adding anything until you have a lot of corals in there like LPS and sps. I'll admit I'm really lax on my softy/lps tank and I only bother to add ca or alk when I see the pH drop below 8. That tank is so hands off it's amazing. Well I do have to clean off corraline which seems to like the front glass more than the back. I may have to turn the tank around.

The one time fix shouldn't have been a problem but at that time you were low and it did need attention.

And I will agree with your obvious appreciation of the woman in the bikini.

Going back and reading your first post, you wrote that you figured out the amount for your alk and pH buffer. Are you referring to them as the same thing or did you add a buffer for pH (+) baking soda for the alk?

 

[Biggie]

Biggie, DrBDC is known on our forums as being quite knowledgeable about chemistry...he's done his homework and is trying to help just as you are. It's obvious that you two may have different methods, and that is fine, but let's not attack each other's ideas and ways of doing things. We need to focus less on who's right or wrong and more on getting Rena's tank back in order! [/B][/QUOTE]
With all due respect, I agree with the above.
No intentions of battling with the wits of a Chiropractor or his friend the Chiropractor in training in any forum. For the other feller who pointed out my grammer error .....thanks keep up the good work.
For the guy who had the problem, Sorry I gave my opinion and mucked up your thread with my advice.
It was advice that Randy-Holmes-Farley had given me in the past so I thought Id share my success with someone who had the same problem.

 

[chadfarmer]

if it was my tank

i would just top-off the system with unsalted water


and let it run like that for a few week than test the water and see what the reading are


sorry for the problems you are having

 

[pewter_jean]

Sorry, I had to go to bed, working midnight and all. I do have a couple sps in the tank, very small, and tiny, plus, I don't knnow for sure, but doesn't the coco worms body need it. Like I said, I may be wrong, 99% chance.
The reason I wasn't thinking it was a presip thing was because it didn't happen immediately after adding the 2 teaspoons of baking soda. or the water change. It was about 20 hours later. Well I got up a few minutes ago and the tank is still cloudy. I have to go to work in a few minutes. I will see if it is still cloudy in the morning.
As for waterchanges. We are told from day one, if the nitrate and/or the amonia goes up, do a water change, I was just don't what was told from day one. But I can sit on my butt and wait with the best of them. I can do that. And for raising alk, last month it was at 3.76. Then it droped down to 2.06. I've been adding baking soda since Friday to try to bring it back up. I don't put baking soda in every day. I always thout too the salt has enough to take care of a tank unless heavily stocked with a lot of SPS. then I would have to supliment. I am just trying to fix a down flux.

 

[pewter_jean]

Ok, now this morning when I got home, I noticed the tank has finally cleared. Does this usally take two days. And this afternoon, I have a full blown diatom bloom. Everything is covered. So should I still sit back and let the tank go. I haven't done test yet. Still wakeing up. Will do them in a little bit.

 

[latazyo]

hopefully biggie's avatar doesnt get changed....you know how they are about women in bikinis around here

 

[Im Lon 2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8906132#post8906132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pewter_jean
Ok, now this morning when I got home, I noticed the tank has finally cleared. Does this usally take two days. And this afternoon, I have a full blown diatom bloom. Everything is covered. So should I still sit back and let the tank go. I haven't done test yet. Still wakeing up. Will do them in a little bit.

Yes I would let it sit. Take the readings and give us the test results.

With you going through a diatom bloom sound like you did go through some type of cycle.

 

[inwall75]

Rena,

The diatoms will just use up available Silica and then fade away. (Although, you will likely get some Scypha sponges as well to utililize the Silica....they look like QTips).

When people's Calcium and alkalinity go back and forth in a see-saw motion, I usually ask what their Magnesium level is. Low Mg levels make Calcium and alkalinity adjustments more difficult.

 

[Im Lon 2]

Rena,

Hows the tank coming along??

Things starting to look better, I hope!

 

[pewter_jean]

Oh yea, I knew I was forgeting something. I took the tests the other night, wrote down the results, brought in the room so I could post and
totally forgot..... I know,
Tuesday, 9 Jan 07.
Ph, .1
Ammonia 0.25 maybe a little less. wasn't zero, and not quite .25
Nitrite. zero
Nitrate 100, both test, sailfert and AP. fire engine red.
Alk 3.62
Calcuim 430
Salinity 1.025
temp 81.9
It took 11 days, but today I finally got to empty my collection cup on my skimmer. It finally had almost an inch of skimmate. I was going to take a picture. But I didn't want to make all of you jealous. :lol:
Now I haven't done a water change in over a week, well since you all told me not to. Witch seems weird to me. If my nitrates are up so high, wouldn't you think my fish and inverts would suffer after almost two weeks. But I doubt my test is wrong, since I am testing with two different test. and both are coming out the same
I will test everything again tomorrow to give you all a more up to date reading.

 

[latazyo]

pH is pretty low, hell HCl is about 1

 

[JxMetal]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe some buffer would work?

 

[sirreal63]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8961107#post8961107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
Im overstockin, they hatin...and trollin, they tryin to catch me reefin dirty

LOL...that is great!!!

 

[zt444a]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8961902#post8961902 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sirreal63
LOL...that is great!!!

Now see Jack, you should watch MTV a bit more and change that radio station....

 

[Im Lon 2]

I think she meant to type 8.1.

Everything looks good accept for the Nitrate being at 100.

How much do you feed?

What type of Sandbed do you have? Was it used? How much rock do you have (in lbs)?

 

[DrBDC]

BTW Rena, if you are tired from working overnight or just wake up, theyr'e teasing about how you wrote the pH, not that you REALLY need buffer.

 

[sirreal63]

Howie...MTV doesn't do video's anymore...just ignorant reality shows and and shows of over paid rap singers and their ourageous cribs.

 

[pewter_jean]

Ok, I just finished doing the tests, Did a couple twice to double check. These numbers are right, and not good.
ph 8.1 with test kit and meter
amonia- zero, this has finally gone down
nitrite -zero
Nitrate- 80-100 AP test, 100 sailifert test
calcuim -440 sailifert
ALK - 2.06 sailifert
salinity 1.025
temp - 82.4
And my micro alge has disappeared again, this is the forth time.So should I start with the baking soda again?