Are these parameters ok? - Page 6

rigleautomotive · #**126** 08/14/2006, 01:57 PM

not recently,i will tonight and let you know.i have the skimmer adjusted right i hope.i run the thing wide open,gate valve and pump.produces a wet half gallon a week.darker than tea.i am thinking its just not beefy enough.it was enough to starve algae in the 125 even if i fed heavy,it seemed to me anyway.my rodi water is at about 3 tds.cal460,alk9,sg1.025,ph7.9to8.18.any thoughts on XM 10k mogul bulbs.i switched from ushio 10 k about 6 months ago.

rigleautomotive · #**127** 08/15/2006, 09:02 AM

JD,if you are there,here is nitrate .2mg/lt------phos. almost 0,hard to tell on salifert kit.is there a better phos kit

jdieck · #**128** 08/15/2006, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rigleautomotive
JD,if you are there,here is nitrate .2mg/lt------phos. almost 0,hard to tell on salifert kit.is there a better phos kit

I'm here

I think your readings are OK although you never know if they are low because the algae is consumming the stuff.
THe issue with slime algae is that it is natural to always have some but shoul dnot be expanding if there is a limiting nutrient and with it although we may limit Nitrates or Phosphates it will always find a source.
If is not that bad and it is not expanding I think you are OK, if it is expanding and you want to get rid of it after limiting nutrients then you need to kill it with chemical means for which Chemi-Clean or Red Slime Remover are very effective.

On the XM I really have not tried them for long and only their 20K version but by the reviews they seem to be good.
I want to lower the PAR on my lights (seems I have too much) so I am switching my AB 10K to XM20K (on their way).

rigleautomotive · #**129** 08/15/2006, 10:55 AM

i am thinking clean up crew cause i hate putting anything in to kill algae,never had to go that route in the past,what do you think of reeftopia.the algae is not spreading but it is not crashing either.my tds on the rodi is 3.before you said revamp skimmer.please clarify.

jdieck · #**130** 08/15/2006, 11:19 AM

On the clean crew, it is good for most algae but Cyano, I still have to find something that gets it.
Reeftopia. I am not familiar with their service. I normally use petsolutions for snails and such, If you look for Trochus snails I have found they are the ones that really send you Trochus from the Pacific and not Astreas
Revamp the skimmer= Try to adjust it to produce more skimmate a little wetter foam and keep it clean (twice a week).

tangman99 · #**131** 08/15/2006, 11:36 PM

Looks like we have a few people here getting help. Glad to share the wealth that is jdieck!

My alk was 8.5 today so I went back to using the 2 part to get it to 9 and adding the calc part with it. If it hold well with the 2 part, I'm going to gradually bump it up using the 2 part to try and get it to 10 over time but I'm in no hurry. Everything is doing fine in the tank.

jdieck · #**132** 08/15/2006, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tangman99
Looks like we have a few people here getting help. Glad to share the wealth that is jdieck!

My alk was 8.5 today so I went back to using the 2 part to get it to 9 and adding the calc part with it. If it hold well with the 2 part, I'm going to gradually bump it up using the 2 part to try and get it to 10 over time but I'm in no hurry. Everything is doing fine in the tank.

Yea, I noticed some hitchhiking around

On your system Monkey say

vincent843 · #**133** 08/16/2006, 06:01 PM

HI everyone,
Been busy with "housework"!!! So far, I 've been added up 1coffee spoon of Kent turbo cal, 1 coffee spoon baked baking soda. Yesterday night added 1st time, 100ml Kent tech M.
this moring result : cal =375 (stay this level for 2 days)
alk = 9.2 dkh (stay this levle for 2 days)
mag = 1200 ppm stay like this since I started to check. Just add another 100ml before go to work.
pH = slightly >8.4 tents to go 8.8 !!! is this because of the baked baking soda.
1- When lights go on, what pH level should be?
2- Can I continue adding the same dose for cal. alk, mag everyday?
3- Should I reduce the dose for bbs?

Thanks, vincent.

jdieck · #**134** 08/16/2006, 06:19 PM

Vince:
Seems your system is doing well. You can use the calculator to help you track your requirments. I think you might need a little less bbs and continue adjusting Calcium and Magnesium which I think you may need to add a little more.
http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chem_calc3.html

vincent843 · #**135** 08/16/2006, 09:54 PM

OK. Thanks..Vincent

tangman99 · #**136** 08/17/2006, 10:19 PM

Jdieck,

Still doing the dosing, but I've notice my acro frag is turning white at the base where it is glued to a rock. I posted about it in the reef section and they mentioned Alk swings could be a problem. I would say I've had a few alk swings lately. What is your opinion on that and should I be doing something different now if that is happening?

jdieck · #**137** 08/17/2006, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tangman99
Jdieck,

Still doing the dosing, but I've notice my acro frag is turning white at the base where it is glued to a rock. I posted about it in the reef section and they mentioned Alk swings could be a problem. I would say I've had a few alk swings lately. What is your opinion on that and should I be doing something different now if that is happening?

I would say that in the last three to four weeks you have had those swings but it seems to be happening after you achieved some stability, just in case I would also explore some other causes. The latest most common cause could be acro flat worms, difficult to see (tranparent), if you can check the frag with a strong magnifying lens you might be able to see if they are there.

tangman99 · #**138** 08/18/2006, 09:10 PM

Not to get off subject but, Can a yellow polyp sting an Acro? If so, I think I have figure it out. The back of the acro is perfect but the front is bleached or white. My yellow polyps have spread up on the rock and one is right in front of the acro. The white part looks to be the perfect size where the yellow polyp could touch it.

rigleautomotive · #**139** 08/19/2006, 08:49 AM

in my own tank any soft corals in real close proximity to acros will eventually cause some burn to the stoney.the only thing that does not bother the acros seems to be xenia.i have had it grow right up to the acro with no apparent effect in my tanks.

jdieck · #**140** 08/19/2006, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tangman99
Not to get off subject but, Can a yellow polyp sting an Acro? If so, I think I have figure it out. The back of the acro is perfect but the front is bleached or white. My yellow polyps have spread up on the rock and one is right in front of the acro. The white part looks to be the perfect size where the yellow polyp could touch it.

It surely does. I pull them out from around the acros and then use a bit of Kalk paste or aiptasia killer (Joe's Juice) on what is left to keep them at bay.

tangman99 · #**141** 08/19/2006, 03:48 PM

That's the problem then. Thanks guys. I'm off to eliminate the problem right now.

vincent843 · #**142** 08/23/2006, 12:13 AM

Hello everyone,
Punto, I am getting real close to the center point. cal=375, alk=9.92, mag=1335. Question is if I continue to use the remain of Pure reef calcium and the kent mag 18.4 , and the baked baking soda, then what is the dosing amount?
thanks, vincent.

jdieck · #**143** 08/23/2006, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vincent843
Hello everyone,
Punto, I am getting real close to the center point. cal=375, alk=9.92, mag=1335. Question is if I continue to use the remain of Pure reef calcium and the kent mag 18.4 , and the baked baking soda, then what is the dosing amount?
thanks, vincent.

You can continue using it but you need to either use trial and error to find out how much to ude to maintain the levels. (Magnesium is usually very little if you adjust the levels in your water for water changes before making the change.
Alternativelly you can stop all addition for 48 hours, measure before and after and the difference is the consumption, use the calculator to tell you the amounts to use to bring it back to target (Use as actual the test after 48 hours and the reading before the 48 hours as the target. Then divide the amounts by two and that will be approximately your daily addition.

vincent843 · #**144** 08/23/2006, 01:43 AM

"measure before and after and the difference is the consumption"
Hi Jdieck,
You meant, take the reading today, and do nothing. wait for 48 hours and take the reading and /2?. Thanks, vincent.