Newbie advise on tank chemistry...

[glbtrottr]

3-4 week old 56G 36*18*21" with a 20G Long Sump, lit by OuterOrbit 1*150MH 20k, 2 96W one actinic...70-80 lbs of live rock...

keeping: starter zoos, mushrooms, 3-4 single coral frags to see how things go, looking to keep a very mixed reef of LPS, SPS, and softies / zoos...Fish as well, small yellow watchman goby, 6 line wrasse, neon dotty, purple tang, and potters angel.

I noticed one or two of the mushrooms peeling off, wich prompted me to look at chemistry. Yesterday my salinity was high (rookie error of adding premixed saltwater instead of RO). After hooking up my RO unit, here's my parameters today:

Salinity: 1.026
PH: 8.16 (seachem)
Calcium: 360 (Salifert)
Nitrites: 0, or virtually (salifert)
Nitrates: .5 (salifert)
Temperature: 79-80
Phospates: 2.5 (red sea)

So other than the PH being a little low along with Calcium, I don't know...I added the Calcium part of a two part system after the water changes left things where you see above. Any advice welcome...

[jer77]

If you are adding just the calcium part without knowing the alkalinity your cal/alk ratio could be off. Your alk might be very low. Its a newbie mistake, I did it too. I would suggest getting an alkalinity test from salifert before adding anything else.

[glbtrottr]

My mistake!
Alkalinity: 3.6/L (Salifert - 4-6, right?)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That alkalintiy is 3.6 meq/L or 3.6 dKH?

[glbtrottr]

The seachem test measures meg/L

[steve the plumb]

your system is in the infancy stage its a little early to start adding anything.Even with the live rock I would wait at least 2 to 4 months before adding corals.Try to get some chetto for the sump if you can add it I don't know if you have the room.Softies are easy to take care of and so are zoos and shrooms.Once you start getting into the lps and sps it becomes a little harder.Take your time and let the tank mature.I wouldn't add anything else for the time being.You are better off waiting to establish the tank.The more you wait the better chance you give the corals of having a healthy enviornment and less loss of corals.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The only concern that I see (besides maybe a boost to calcium) is the whopping phosphate result. I'd look to keep it below 0.03 ppm. Skimming and growing macroalgae are good ways, but to bring it down fast (assuming that value is real), I'd use some GFO.

These may help:

Phosphorus: Algae’s Best Friend
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm

Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.htm

[glbtrottr]

I used a red sea test kit which is either yellow for the lowest, and very slight green for the one right above...guess salifert to te rescue again to make sure...

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That is not 2.5 ppm? What value do you mean?

"Phospates: 2.5 (red sea)"