I think I'm nearly ready

[Rainman]

Alright. Here's the deal. I've set-up and cycled my 35gal system over the last 6 months or so (see specs and photos links below).

Currently my params are:
Temp: 27
pH: 8.3-8.4 steady
Sal: 1.024
Amm/Nitrite: Undetectable
Nitrate: 5ppm
Ca: 580ppm
Alk: 100ppm

My plan is to add a) 2x150W 10000k MH and b) Sfiligoi Chiller (model Flite). I also intend to begin dosing Alk up a little, and then Kalk when both Ca and Alk are in range together. I'm in zone 4.

I then want to turn this:

into this, an SPS show.

I think I'm on the right track

 

[Anonymous]

whoa, that seems like too much Calcium in there!
Oh, and I hope its a typo, but is your water temp really 27 degrees? As in almost freezing?
Other than those two, I think if I knew any better, Id say youre looking like a text-book example to of "the right track"! If you dont have one, get a protein skimmer. If you dont have em, get Metal Halides. If they ain't there, make waves. Yadda yadda, blah blah, you know the rest. :wink:

 

[Rainman]

Haha, Temp is in Deg. C. Get with the SI program you crazy american bastard j/k

The high Ca is due, I think, to the fact that the plenum is partially comprise of CaCo3. This tends to 'dose' the system as it very slowly dissolves. How much is too much, though? And why?

There's a skimmer on the sump.

 

[tazdevil]

Thats probably 27 deg CELSIUS, which is 80.6 degrees FAHRENHEIT. Perfectly normal temp. But the Calcium is high.

 

[Anonymous]

Ca is high...and actually alot of things are measured in degrees C in America just most home stuff isnt..Most commercial, industrial, and military is measured in degrees C...

 

[hdtran]

What are your alkalinity units in meq/L, please?

 

[Rainman]

Have a look here, hdtran

http://saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/AlkConv.php