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My Parameters. What else should I test for and how are they so far?

MikeNapoli

MikeNapoli

How's it look?

Mag 1290 meq/L*
Alk 3.54*
dKH 9.9*
Calcium 400
SpGrav 1.024
Ph 8.18
NitrAtes 40ppm
NitrItes 0ppm
Amonia 0ppm
Phos 0ppm


* = Testing for the first time in a while (Magnesium, first time ever)


I dosed Calcium to get it up a little bit with the RedSea Calcium+3 after testing.
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Trates are high, PO4 is probably inaccurate (nobody has zero...). Mag could come up a hair. Everything else looks perfect though so apart from an increase in your WC schedule (or a nitrate reactor), I'd stick with what you're doing. How's your polyp extension?
 
MikeNapoli

MikeNapoli

Phyl said:
Trates are high, PO4 is probably inaccurate (nobody has zero...). Mag could come up a hair. Everything else looks perfect though so apart from an increase in your WC schedule (or a nitrate reactor), I'd stick with what you're doing. How's your polyp extension?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response. Mag, ALK, dKH, and Calcium were Salifert tests, the rest were API .. SG with a Coralife Deepsix as far as the SPS ...
polyp extension didn't look as good a couple weeks ago but now all my millies are pretty polyped out/fuzzy and the ORA frags I got from Will yesterday look great already.

My zoas are really multiplying well and my LPS is nice during the day but a couple hours before the lights go out they don't look as full. Like around 2pm my duncans are enormous and then around 8pm they look wilted. (for a while now.)

The only thing that looks horrible is my Red People Eater Zoos .. I moved them from where they were today and hopfully they will come around.
 
J

JRodrig692

Like Phyl said, there is no way that your PO4 is at 0. The test kits cannot read that low. I have a Hanna Meter and I am finding that what I am reading may be off on that too. Going to send my water out for analysis.

As for your PO4, what is your feeding cycle, how heavy do you feed, what do you feed, do you rinse it, how often water change, when you do do you siphon bottom, do you blow off rock, how old is rock... all this needs to be factored to determine PO4. I am going to say your PO4 is up there with you pointing out that your zoas are doing very well, being they prefer a bit dirtier water. DKH looks good, with a number from 7-10 your looking good. Too high or too low and there is trouble.

NSW parameters run 400-420 Ca, 1250-1300 Mg, DKH 7-9 ballpark.

In regards to the parameters you have, STABILITY is the key to success. You could have good parameters, but if they fluctuate constantly your doomed.

In regards to the polyp extension, mine really don't extend too far during the day due to my Coral Beauty that every now and then picks them, but at night they boom, so check also at night. In regards to the corals, as long as everything is growing and coloring up, do what your doing becasue it works.

Oh and sometimes no matter how HARD you TRY, there are some corals for some reason that will NEVER make it in your tank. You may have just found one.
 
MikeNapoli

MikeNapoli

Thanks Joe ... good information.

I do 10-15% water changes weekly. I siphon my sump and rocks bi-weekly sometimes I skip a week. The rock is from my old 55 and some from a 2 year old system in another system and some from one of Carlo's which was then passed to Damon(subliminal) then to me.

The only problem that i'm having on a daily basis is micro bubbles. My spunge bubble trap is letting bubbles out... I pretty sure it's because I have a Mag24 as my return pump and it's way too strong so it's pulling too much water through my sump.
 
M

mladencovic

I have found out that microbubbles in my tank are usually associated by with skimmer not doing the job properly. If you have that high nitrates with 10-15% weekly water changes, then I would take a serious look at your skimmer.

As for phosphates being 0, that could easily happen if you do not feed heavily and you do harvest your macroalgae. Of course we can always argue if that is really 0 or just an undectable level or even go into a phylosophical argument (Zeno anyone) whether "transient" phosphates - phosphates removed as soon as they emerged should be counted.
 
MikeNapoli

MikeNapoli

I have a Coralife Super Skimmer, it's not that great. It pulls about 16oz(guessing) of skimate a week. Should I be looking into getting a new one.

I've turned my ballvalve down further now. I had it about 75% flow I ruduced it to about 50% and i'll see how that works out with the microbubbles.
 
M

mladencovic

NapoliNewJersey said:
I have a Coralife Super Skimmer, it's not that great. It pulls about 16oz(guessing) of skimate a week. Should I be looking into getting a new one.
Click to expand...
I pull that much in a day in my 75 gal, but I do aggressive wet skimming. Judging from your pics yours seems very dry. Without knowing your bio-load and feeding habits, I would still say that getting only 2oz a day on a 120gal tank is not enough. Maybe you should think of tuning the skimmer wetter and getting a bit more out.
 
MikeNapoli

MikeNapoli

Update .. I retested a few days ago.

Ph. 8.0-8.1 (ACjr)
Calcium 440 (Salifert)
Mag 1440 (Salifert)
dKH 10.2 (Salifert)
Alk 3.77 (Salifert)
Phos .5 (API)
NitrAte 40ppm (API)
NitrIte 0ppm (API)
Amonia 0ppm (API)
S.G. 1.25 (Coralife Hydrometer)
RO/DI 009 on the TDS meter. My tap water reads 223.


Other then doing water changes to lower my NitrAtes and Phos (I do between 15-20gal changes weekley) is there anything else I should be looking after?

Oh yeah and my skimmer is now pulling way more skimate then it was. In one day it's doing what it used to in a week, maybe more.
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
A phosphate reactor would help with your high PO4 reading. For the NO3, if you're blowing off your rocks, siphoning out your sumps, cleaning your socks and sponges, then the only other thing you can do is manage your water changes (or startup a nitrate reactor). Or reduce your feeding/fishload.
 
H

hayabusa2003

The high Nitrates may be due to your heavy bioload..you're pretty stocked with big eaters and poopers in your 120. Carlo once recommended to me a Seachem product - Matrix. It's a biological product, which is why I went with it. I didn't have problem with trates but I must say that after putting it into my system about 1.5 months ago, I am now starting to see alot less algae buildup on my glass. It's a 1-time purchase and not very expensive.

You might want to get a more efficient skimmer down the line. I hope the next PA group buy is coming soon...I've eyeing a EuroReef for myself ;)
 
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