thelawnwrangler
New member
How long do I need to wait to trust results of param testing?
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Wait time for testing post water change?
- Thread starter thelawnwrangler
- Start date
Remy LeBeau
New member
I like to wait at least three or four hours before testing, but I'm pretty sure it can be done sooner.
Bl4ckDr4g0n
New member
Fluid mechanics is not a trivial subject, but if you have the kind of flow you should have in a marine aquarium then it should not take more than 15 to 30 minutes for your test results to be pretty darn stable. The longer you wait the more evaporation will occur causing concentrations to rise, and then you will have to wait again after topping off for it to reach equilibrium again, the cycle will never end...
thelawnwrangler
New member
Thanks all- I am doing daily testing to finally nail down my 2 part dosing regiment (ESV). I am at 450 Cal, 9.5 alk, and Mag 1320. I think I want ALK to tick down a notch right?
I was reading if I under dose my ALK should go down as my Calcium increases, and if I overdose the opposite happens. It was a wordpress blog though and I am not sure that made sense to me. Does that sound right?
I have mainly ZOAs, GSP, and Hammers.
I was reading if I under dose my ALK should go down as my Calcium increases, and if I overdose the opposite happens. It was a wordpress blog though and I am not sure that made sense to me. Does that sound right?
I have mainly ZOAs, GSP, and Hammers.
Ron Reefman
Active member
+1
Waiting hours or until the next day is not necessary, assuming you have good flow in your entire system. If I'm making a significant change, like raising Ca from 375 to 425, I'll add it to the tank overflow so it goes thru the refugium, DSB, evap section and gets pumped back to the tank. In 15 minutes it's everywhere.
lespaul339
Reefer
That's what I do too. I add everything to my overflow so it gets mixed good and fast. It shouldn't take long as long as you add to high areas of flow. Once it's mixed in I don't see why you couldn't test it 10 minutes later if you wanted too.
Remy LeBeau
New member
If your only changing out 10-20% then yeah, you don't really need to wait very long to test. Unless the parameters of your make up water are WAY off base your not really going to put a dent in anything. If your dosing something like Epsom salts or perhaps Calcium Chloride then you might want to wait awhile longer for things to stabilize. Either way though, waiting a few hours before testing is probably your best bet.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Try this test once, it's harmless, and you'll know for sure.
Add something to change a water parameter like alk or Ca or Mg. Wait 15 minutes and then test your tank water for that one parameter and write down the results. Wait an hour and do it again. My bet is it's the same as at 15 minutes. You could even do it again at 3 hours and 12 hours, but it will be the same.
If you add it to a low flow area and have slow circulation in your tank, the 15 minute result and the 1 hour result may be marginally different, but I doubt it. Even if you only turn your tank water over 15X (and that's a very low flow rate IMHO), that's almost 4 turns in just 15 minutes and your water should be fairly well mixed.
Add something to change a water parameter like alk or Ca or Mg. Wait 15 minutes and then test your tank water for that one parameter and write down the results. Wait an hour and do it again. My bet is it's the same as at 15 minutes. You could even do it again at 3 hours and 12 hours, but it will be the same.
If you add it to a low flow area and have slow circulation in your tank, the 15 minute result and the 1 hour result may be marginally different, but I doubt it. Even if you only turn your tank water over 15X (and that's a very low flow rate IMHO), that's almost 4 turns in just 15 minutes and your water should be fairly well mixed.
thelawnwrangler
New member
I have 36 gallon with 2 jeabos going full blast hopefully there are no slow areas. Even the stringy pieces on my cyano flow (ps I am starting to win that war)
Ron- I wanted to ask you. Ever see a blue spotted damsel in the keys? I saw one of the reef and loved it, but I have never seen one at the lfs. It looked like the jewel damsel in the link below is that what it is called?
http://www.aquariumcreationsonline.net/Damsel_saltwaterfish.html
Remy LeBeau
New member
I'm assuming your using the whole dosage at once with this 15 minute technique? Isn't that dangerous? Don't some of these additives have adverse effects on other parameters when they're added sometimes too? (pH for example) This is just my opinon, but I wouldn't be rushing things like this just because. Time is your friend here.
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Ron Reefman
Active member
I'm no fish expert, but we've seen lots of fish that look just like that. I've never spent any time checking into them as a fish for my tanks just because it is a damsel. Don't take my word for it, please do your research, but I thought that was a juvenile form and it losses the bright spots as it matures. A number of very cool looking fish do that.
This shot is from a snorkel trip in Belize, but we've seen them in the Keys a lot and in the Bahamas as well.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Yes. Some water parameters you need to be very careful with, like alk. And some are less of an issue but you are still best to be careful with like SG. Others, like Ca are much less of an issue.
I just did this test last night.
Background: my system is 400+ gallons, includes a 180g sps & lps reef, a 75g hexagon tank with Florida Keys stuff and a 180g (8'x2'x18") sump/refugium and DSB. My Ca was 425 and I added 800ml of Randy's Recipe Ca to the overflow of the 180g tank.
In 15 minutes I tested the water in both tanks and the 180g was at 435 and the 75g tank was at between 430 and 435. At 30 minutes they were both at 435. And still 435 at one hour.
Bl4ckDr4g0n
New member
Sounds like an awesome setup. Thanks for validating with tests. Its interesting that even seperate tanks being fed by the same system can become stable in 30 minutes. There is definitely no need for people to be waiting hours.
thelawnwrangler
New member
I'm no fish expert, but we've seen lots of fish that look just like that. I've never spent any time checking into them as a fish for my tanks just because it is a damsel. Don't take my word for it, please do your research, but I thought that was a juvenile form and it losses the bright spots as it matures. A number of very cool looking fish do that.
This shot is from a snorkel trip in Belize, but we've seen them in the Keys a lot and in the Bahamas as well.
yep that is the one- I got a keys snorkel book and they called it a damsel of some sort. I don't need to have one just thought it was an awesome fish and thought it would be extremely popular in the hobby. Do you have a condi in your Florida system?
Ron Reefman
Active member
They are truly amazing looking fish. And probably even better in the wild as the sun seems to sparkle the spots.
I've had Condy anemones in the past. But they are illegal to collect in Florida now. I sold mine off as it got to big and moved around too much. Now it's only rock flower anemones in most of my tanks, and a few mini maxi anemones. Rock flowers from shallow water (snorkeling depth) are kind of plain jane looking. Of course I'm a bit jaded as the more deep water rock flowers are more colorful and fluoresce like crazy under blue light. These are currently in my tank.
If anybody is interested, there is a good thread in the scuba/snorkeling forum about places to snorkel in the Keys and many are accessible right off the beach.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2511350
