Reef Builders - The Source for Reef Keeping Information

Here's a thread to kick off the new forum. I've been keeping records of my testing for some time, but never really kept track of dosing. So here's some of my recent testing to kick it off, I'll be adding dosing and maintenace as I do them here.

7-30-07
Test results-
Alk 7.5 dkh
Ca 325ppm
Mg 1250
NO3 7ppm +/-

Dosed
Alk 150ml Randys two part
Mg 900ml " "
Ca 900ml " "


8-3-07
Test results
Alk 7.7 dkh
PH 8.0
Mg 1350
Ca 420
Sg 1.024
Temp 84
There was some additional dosing in between the last round of testing to get my levels to this point


8-5-07 ( At Marcs )
Test Results
Alk 8.0 dkh
Ca 420


8-12-07
Test results
PH 7.9
SG 1.024
Temp 80
NO3 7ppm +/-
Ca 370
Mg 1260
Alk 8.0dkh
Thats a pretty heavy demand for Ca and Mg, I havent dosed either since the last testing round, I have been dosing Alk about 300 ml Randy's two part per week to keep it stable.
Today I also spent about an hour removing nuisance bubble algae, since none of my herbivors will eat it I have to manually remove it.

Thats about it for today, will ad more as events happen.

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

Do you have certain days that you try to maitenance the tank? I have picked every Fri. and Tues. I do it on them days. Keep a good routine.

This morning a dosed 100ml of Randy's alk, 900ml of Randy's Ca, and 900ml of Randy's Mg.

My maintenance scedule is whenever I have time.

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

Another round of testing and dosing tonight.

8-17-07
PH - 8.1
Temp - 81
SG - 1.025
Alk - 7.8 dkh
Ca - 410 ppm
Mg - 1420 ppm
NO3 - 10 ppm

Dosing-
100ml alk Randy's 2 part
6ml Kents iron
6ml Kents iodine

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

I figured since I just got the Kalk reactor running I'd do a round of testing to see where my parameters sit after 1 day of adding kalk.

8-24-07
pH - 8.44
Temp - 82.5
Sg - 1.025
No3 - 9ppm
Alk - 8.8 dkh :faint: ( I have been unable to get my Alk over 8 with just regular dosing )
Ca - 440 ppm
Mg - 1500 ( Why is this climbing? ) I havent been dosing, is it a relationship between Mg and Alk.

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

David,

There is no reason why your MG would be getting higher. That's strange. Could be testing error.

Before my Ca Reactor I dose Randy's two part at 25 ml/hr and Alk at 15 to keep Ca at 410 and Alk at 11. Total water volume is about 250 gallons heavy SPS and clams. Now with the Ca reactor I have to adjust things all over again. I just tested my Alk this evening and it was 7.8. Added about a 1.5 cups of Alk .. clouded the tank... PH is at 8.1 now and I will test alk in the am. (after I replace two windows!)

__________________
Rick

120 Gallon Display (in need of pruning)
150 gallon basement sump
30 gallon frag... want some?;)
2-250 MH 20K
AC III controller
220 watts actinic

Another round of testing tonight

8-28-07

Sg - 1.025
Temp - 80.3
pH - 8.48 ( Dosing pump just shut off )
Ca - 410
Mg - 1500
Alk - 8.8 dkh
NO3 - 10 ppm

So NO3 is slowly creeping up, even with alot of macro and seagrass uptake, Alk is stable, Ca dropped a bit, Mg stable

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

David... do you have an idea why the NO3 is rising ...?
What brand of Kalk are you using...?

__________________

www.TheAquariumClassifieds.com
For the Fresh and Saltwater Hobbyist
A New England Reef Builders Sponsor

The Zoo Pirate - I will leave no rock unturned.
140g Oceanic Tank with 45g Sump/Fuge and EuroReef RC-135, Outer Orbit 2 x 250MH x 4 T5s.

LPS, SPS, Clams, Ricordia and Zoanthid reef.


.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>
·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. >((((º> <<ºº>>

Not sure on the NO3, I used to have to dose a KNO3 solution to maintain enough NO3 for the seagrasses, I also have a refugium with a huge ball of chaeto and some caulerpa.

I'm using ESV ( bionic ) Kalk.

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

Begining to see some coral bleaching, I had set pH up to 8.45 on the ACIII, but now I've put it down to 8.35, hopefully the tissue recession/bleaching will discontinue. Still struggling with high daytime temps during these hot humid days ( next year will be different ).

Tested water again tonight

Temp - 83.2
Sg - 1.025
pH - 8.38
Alk - 8.8dkh
Ca - 455
Mg - 1500+
NO3 - 10ppm
PO4 - und

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

9-20-07

Little more testing tonight

Temp - 79.7
Sg - 1.025
pH - 8.37
NO3 - 8-9 ppm
Alk - 8.6
Ca - 470
Mg - 1290 ? Tested twice, its been climbing over the past month, and now in one week drops over 200ppm. Need to get a new kit this weekend. Marc we'll retest your tank with the new kit.

Good news though NO3 is finally dropping

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

Another round of testing 10-4-07

Sg - 1.025
Temp - 80.3
Ca - 405
Mg - 1395 ( New Mg test kit, the old one hadnt come to the expiration date but was definately reading incorrectly ).
NO3 - 8ppm ( Finally coming down )
pH - 79.7 ( cleaned and recalibrated pH probe and now pH is reading .4 lower than it used too :doh: I think I soaked it too long in vinegar )
Alk - 7.0 ( evap rates have slowed with cooler weather so kalk reactor is no longer keeping up with demand, time to start dosing ).

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

What is the number comparision of mEq/l to dlh in alkalinity?

Rich

The alk #'s I've posted are in dkh, I'm not exactly sure how to convert one to the other, but meg/l is roughly 1/3 that dkh is. So my last post was 7dkh ( low ) tramslated to meg/l its 2.51 meg/l.

I did some heavy dosing and before I knew it it was at 13.4 ooops, but I kept my pH steady, and nothing seems to be adversely effected. I started a dosing regime using Randy's two part alk mix and my ACIII to dose it for a few minutes 4 times everyday which seems to be holding it steady. I wanted it down bit so I discontinued the dosing and went with just the kalk for top off for a couple days. Now my alk is at 12.8 dkh and with the dosing back on should remain there. My pH seems much more stable now too. My pH fluctuations are now less than .10 in 24 hr period.

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

What is "Randy's two part alk mix"..? My alk is always around 2.5 meg/l. I cant get my alk higher.

Randy's two part is described in this article. Actually its a three part cause it also includes magnesium.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed

That is the mix I have been using. It keeps my cal and alk stable, but I need to raise the alk. Im starting to do some dosing with Reef Builder too. it has helped some.-.25meg/l maybe Im impatient...lol

Rich

So you're already using Randy's two part? I set up a slow drip and monitored pH to get my alk up. Infrequent small doses or even more frequent small doses just wont do it.

__________________
(' )< David >( ')

"The world is headed for mutiny when all we want is unity" Scott Stapp, Creed