gemini aquarius(t)
Always Learning
Sooooo.. I've been doing this aquarium thing for a while now... like 9 years and I have never seen anything like this before.
With my most recent tank, a 2.5 gallon I have had ridiculously high alkalinity. Like RIDICULOUSLY high. the first time I tested alkalinity it tested at 12 or 14... not positive. This time I tested it was at 16.8!!!!! WHAT THE HECK?! After each testing session I double checked with other tank water that checked out and confirmed that it was calibrated. The first time I had also checked salinity and it was 1.028 so I added fresh water and have been doing large-scale water changes, as is recommended in pico systems, and replacing carbon regularly. This time I tested calcium and it read BELOW 200!! Unreadable! I have had pretty bad water quality throughout the years, but nothing like this.
I dont dose anything, and water is changed on average once a week.
in between these tests, I thought the extra pump may be increasing the water temperature and altering elements or altering test results, so I turned it off.
I also removed the crushed coral, thinking it may be buffering the tank as water flowed over it. I also thought the detritus being trapped in the gravel, which was fairly significant, could just be deteriorating conditions in general.
Also between tests I turned the lights to a lower percentage in case the leds were somehow drawing something to go array in the chemistry.. (Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but I'm running out of ideas)
Other notable info is that the "control" water was tested between 8.1-8.5 the two times and that I have done a total of 500% water change since the first test.
With my most recent tank, a 2.5 gallon I have had ridiculously high alkalinity. Like RIDICULOUSLY high. the first time I tested alkalinity it tested at 12 or 14... not positive. This time I tested it was at 16.8!!!!! WHAT THE HECK?! After each testing session I double checked with other tank water that checked out and confirmed that it was calibrated. The first time I had also checked salinity and it was 1.028 so I added fresh water and have been doing large-scale water changes, as is recommended in pico systems, and replacing carbon regularly. This time I tested calcium and it read BELOW 200!! Unreadable! I have had pretty bad water quality throughout the years, but nothing like this.
I dont dose anything, and water is changed on average once a week.
in between these tests, I thought the extra pump may be increasing the water temperature and altering elements or altering test results, so I turned it off.
I also removed the crushed coral, thinking it may be buffering the tank as water flowed over it. I also thought the detritus being trapped in the gravel, which was fairly significant, could just be deteriorating conditions in general.
Also between tests I turned the lights to a lower percentage in case the leds were somehow drawing something to go array in the chemistry.. (Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but I'm running out of ideas)
Other notable info is that the "control" water was tested between 8.1-8.5 the two times and that I have done a total of 500% water change since the first test.
