Water Params ok?

[tomreefer]

Tested with Red Sea Pro kit:

Calcium 450
Alk 7dkh (Low?)
Magnesium 1350


Tested with Milwaukee Digital Refractometer
Salinity 1.027 little high adjusting it.


Apex Ph Probe 8.48 might have to recalibrate

Apex Salinity 32 Don't trust that


I have a ton of brownish fuzz algae just got an Tuxedo urchin. Tank running 4 months.

 

[AlSimmons]

The link below might help.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[Uncle99]

How's nitrate and phosphate doing?

 

[tomreefer]

nitrate 1 (Salifert); phosphate showing 0 (Hanna)

 

[hkgar]

A bit low with dKH. I like it about 8.0, I would get it to at least 7.5 if you have any LPS or SPS corals. If not, it doesn't matter.I would get a refractometer and not trust the Apex probe for salinity. I have an Apex and only watch the trend of salinity with it. If I want to know the truth I use my refracometer.

 

[tomreefer]

best way to raise Alk? Yes I have only 2 corals at moment. One is a devils hand the other I think is a Frogspawn.

 

[mcgyvr]

best way to raise Alk? Yes I have only 2 corals at moment. One is a devils hand the other I think is a Frogspawn.

What salt mix are you using? Have you not been doing water changes?

 

[tomreefer]

I am using instant ocean; Yes I do water changes once a week about 10 gallons. My tank is about 50 gallons with sump

 

[tomreefer]

I plan on doing water change tm...

 

[Uncle99]

I plan on doing water change tm...

If you basically have no Stoney type corals a weekly water change should keep you in the ranges.....
Most, if not all brand salts will accomplish this, you should not have to raise the Alk..

 

[tomreefer]

Ok, I just made a new batch. Should I test the Alk on new batch? I read Instant Ocean should be around 11 dkh for new saltwater.

 

[stingythingy45]

What size tank do you have? Any live stock?

 

[tomreefer]

I have a Red Sea Max 170 roughly 46 gallons and a 24 gallon sump. I am guessing have roughly 50 gallons. Yes I have a harper goby I think that is the name of the guy, snails, tuxedo urchin, devil hand coral, frogspawn.

 

[tomreefer]

Ok I just did a 7 gallon water change waited 10 minutes still reading 7 dkh.

 

[tomreefer]

Just ordered a hanna checker. Red Sea pro the end color is green correct?

 

[stingythingy45]

7 is nothing to panic about. The worse thing to do is raise it too fast. A couple table spoons of baking soda dissolved in a cup of RO or freshly mixed IO water added to the tank slowly into a power head will raise alk.

 

[stingythingy45]

Check the freshly mixed IO water as well.

 

[stingythingy45]

Yes, green is the end.Count what you used.