- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
You can do that but it will drop right back down to the CO2 equilibrium of the room air.
90 gallon reef test results
- Thread starter Mu8st7ang1
- Start date
- Location
- Woodbridge
I did a water change with 1.020 water to bring down the parameters I'm now
80 degrees
Ph 8.02
Alk 7.67
Cal 519
Phos .05
Still don't know my mag
80 degrees
Ph 8.02
Alk 7.67
Cal 519
Phos .05
Still don't know my mag
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
There is something wrong with that 519 being that high.
- Location
- Woodbridge
What could it be I have been testing everyday and it's between 480-520
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
Test the salt mix before you add it. Take a sample to your local LFS or a friend and have them test with their kit. You may have a bad kit or you are not doing it correctly or that salt mix could have calcium through the roof. We need to find out which one.
- Location
- Woodbridge
So I put an alk buffer in and raised it to 8.22 my ph also went up to ph I'm assuming from the buffer. My question is my calcium went down to 390 is this normal?
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
If you have very high Calcium levels like you do, that can happen when you add a buffer. The buffer raises the Alk and pH. These levels cause the precipitation of Calcium carbonate, CaCO3
Ca ( Calcium) + HCO3/CO3 ( buffer ) ----> makes a solid CaCO3. Think limestone, which will settle out all over your tank like a dust and or attach to carbonate substrates, pumps, glass, etc.
Your 480-520, avg 500
For every 20 ppm Calcium you lose, 2.8 dKH in Alk
500 - 390 = 110
110/20 = 5.5 dKH lose in Alk
However, we can't ^ go by that 5.5, as you added buffer. So, in adding the buffer allot of the buffer went to making CaCO3. You may have no drop in Alk, a rise in Alk or no drop or rises in Alk.
The new pH you got is going to drop back to where it was because of room air CO2. Stop, adding buffer to raise the pH. You only add buffer to raise the Alk, NOT the pH. You keep doing this and your tank will be a mess.
Ca ( Calcium) + HCO3/CO3 ( buffer ) ----> makes a solid CaCO3. Think limestone, which will settle out all over your tank like a dust and or attach to carbonate substrates, pumps, glass, etc.
Your 480-520, avg 500
For every 20 ppm Calcium you lose, 2.8 dKH in Alk
500 - 390 = 110
110/20 = 5.5 dKH lose in Alk
However, we can't ^ go by that 5.5, as you added buffer. So, in adding the buffer allot of the buffer went to making CaCO3. You may have no drop in Alk, a rise in Alk or no drop or rises in Alk.
The new pH you got is going to drop back to where it was because of room air CO2. Stop, adding buffer to raise the pH. You only add buffer to raise the Alk, NOT the pH. You keep doing this and your tank will be a mess.
- Location
- Woodbridge
- Location
- Woodbridge
After a few weeks of dosing 2 part and getting the tanks stable the last 3 days I have had roughly the same readings.
Ph 8.2
Temp 79.7
Salinity 37ppm
Mag 1380
Alk 9.14
Cal 480.
Anything else I should be checking on? And how do these look
Ph 8.2
Temp 79.7
Salinity 37ppm
Mag 1380
Alk 9.14
Cal 480.
Anything else I should be checking on? And how do these look
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
Boomer is the moderator of the Chemistry forum. He was chosen for this because he is one of the most knowledgeable people in the country when it comes to reef chemistry. There is no doubt he knows his stuff! In Boomer we trust lol.
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
MU
That is much better and better than you think per say. Look at your Salinity @ 37 ppt.
37 ppt vs 480 ppm Calcium.
480 / 37 = ~ 13
So, each 1 ppt Salinity gives 13 ppm Calcium
Thus if yout Salinity was 35 ppt instead of 37 ppt.
Gives 37-35 = 2 ppt
2ppt X 13 = 26
480 - 26 = 454 ppm Calcium, which is fine.
So, if you stopped adding sups and just used top-off FW for evaporation you could get to where you need to be.
The only sup you need to watch and add if needed is Alk. Try and keep the Alk around 8-9. And before you boost the Alk let it get a drop to around 8 first. DO NOT CHASE NUMBERS. Meaning if it is 7.8, and that is near 8, leave it the hell alone. 7.5, ok boost to around 8-9. And it gets to 9.2, leave it the hell alone, it will come down on its own.
Lastly that pH of 8.2. Is probably from you raising the Alk with a buffer. That seems obvious as your Alk is higher now than your last post of 7.6. Meaning that 8.2 doesn't mean squat if you keep boosting up the pH with a Alk buffer. A pH is stable when you are NOT adding a buffer to boost the Alk and that buffer automatically raises the pH.
For now, stop adding anything for 4 days and then retest. This will tell me where things are really going. I will bet that pH will be below 8 because of high room air CO2.
That is much better and better than you think per say. Look at your Salinity @ 37 ppt.
37 ppt vs 480 ppm Calcium.
480 / 37 = ~ 13
So, each 1 ppt Salinity gives 13 ppm Calcium
Thus if yout Salinity was 35 ppt instead of 37 ppt.
Gives 37-35 = 2 ppt
2ppt X 13 = 26
480 - 26 = 454 ppm Calcium, which is fine.
So, if you stopped adding sups and just used top-off FW for evaporation you could get to where you need to be.
The only sup you need to watch and add if needed is Alk. Try and keep the Alk around 8-9. And before you boost the Alk let it get a drop to around 8 first. DO NOT CHASE NUMBERS. Meaning if it is 7.8, and that is near 8, leave it the hell alone. 7.5, ok boost to around 8-9. And it gets to 9.2, leave it the hell alone, it will come down on its own.
Lastly that pH of 8.2. Is probably from you raising the Alk with a buffer. That seems obvious as your Alk is higher now than your last post of 7.6. Meaning that 8.2 doesn't mean squat if you keep boosting up the pH with a Alk buffer. A pH is stable when you are NOT adding a buffer to boost the Alk and that buffer automatically raises the pH.
For now, stop adding anything for 4 days and then retest. This will tell me where things are really going. I will bet that pH will be below 8 because of high room air CO2.
- Location
- Woodbridge
Great I won't add anything today and retest on Wednesday
- Location
- Woodbridge
I haven't dosed anything since Saturday. Tested the tank tonight and this is what I have
Ph 8.17
All 9.35
Cal 480
Mag 1470
Sal 37.6
Ph 8.17
All 9.35
Cal 480
Mag 1470
Sal 37.6
- Location
- Woodbridge
I week no dosing here are the numbers. Calcium seems to be holding steady along with ph. I think I should dose alk again as its coming down a little.
Ph 8.07
Temp 79.7
Alk 8.68
Cal 478
Mag 1440
Salinity 37.9
Phos.01
Ph 8.07
Temp 79.7
Alk 8.68
Cal 478
Mag 1440
Salinity 37.9
Phos.01
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
Let it go another 5 days, just add RO/DI for evaporation. Leave the Alk alone, it is fine, wait till it gets to near 8.
- Location
- Woodbridge
A did a water change because I had an accidental all dosing yesterday lol. Here are my reading
Temp 79.7
Salinity 36.5
Alk 10.2 tested twice
Calcium 495 tested 3 times
Mag 1340
Phos .05
Is the all too high? Should I be worried??
Temp 79.7
Salinity 36.5
Alk 10.2 tested twice
Calcium 495 tested 3 times
Mag 1340
Phos .05
Is the all too high? Should I be worried??
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
