Results of tests

[jpsx3]

Waiting on Calcium test, but here is what I have so far:

Nitrates 50 ppm:eek1:
Ph 8.0
KH 11.04 measured in dkh
Alk 3.94

Please help me read these numbers and decide what to dose my tank with.

As far as nitrates I have cut back on feeding, added a caulerpa refugium in an overflow box & in the sump, and added extra sand.

Also answer me this, I have read in order to keep the nitrates down, you must have anaerobic zones such as live rock and live sand. Anaerobic being defined as areas where water and oxygen does not move freely, so the nitrates are trapped until they can be cycled.

So why have I also been told, I need to have animals to burrow through the sand and also have been advised to vacuum the sand when doing water changes?

If the purpose of the sand bed is to trap the nitrates, why keep stirring it up?

Thanks for your help,

[Brad Gardner]

Paul I would like to address you question on the sand/liverock/critters but I do not have much time to spare today.

As far as your 11.04dkh That is right on. My is just about the same. The recommend range is 10.0 to 12.0 dkh.

What time of day did you measure your PH. If morning that is okay. If late in the day when lights have been on that is a little low.

[jpsx3]

Morning, the lights had only been on about an hour.

[Brad Gardner]

That may be okay...mine is around 80.8 in the morning and around 8.25 at night..

[jsfakianos]

I've seen that huge tank that you have, but I don't remember what kind of skimmer you have. A skimmer will lower your nitrates. However, macro algae has not been proven to do this. I think that a lot of reefers favor using algae, but a lot of reefers will also say that they don't. Also, water changes help to keep the nitrates in check (not by dilution).

That is too bad that everything else is so good. Alkalinity is easy to fix.

Good luck,

Jeff

[jpsx3]

I have a Berlin skimmer. I do not have it set real agressive because when I used to feed the flake food the water it would discharge would be fairly clear.

Now I only skim thick green stinky fish crap.

For my 210 gal tank, I normally do a water change of 15 gal once per week. This is only 7% so I have considered increasing this to 25 or 30 galllons.

I will probably add some more rock this year also. Because of the cost of live rock I will probably find some nice sized white pieces and place them in the back behind my nice purple ones.

I also want even more sand when someone brings some back up from the south. Hint, Hint, jadams :)