Water Test Results

[strout]

I have been buying some kits to test my water and I have some results for the experts here to give me their thoughts. I am pretty confident that I have done the test right.

Mag. 920
Nitrates 18
dKH 8
Alk 2.86
Calcium 400 This number was 495 two weeks ago
but I stopped using the 2 part to try and lower this number

I am trying to get my water right for SPS corals, of which I only have two small frags in the tank at this time.
Anyway, thanks for your time and let me know how these numbers are. Its one thing to get the numbers, and another thing to know what they mean and what to do with them.

[Neuticle]

Your mag is too low, 1250-1350 is ideal. dKH and Ca are fine, what are your daily pH results?

[strout]

I bought some stuff to raise the mag. levels and have been using it everyday for the last three days. The LFS told me how much to use and how long to do it, he said the mag. levels should be right in about two weeks. I don't have a ph test kit, but I will be getting one this week. The LFS did sell me something to help lower the PH levels, we don't know what that level is but he said they are most likely high also. He told me to use the whole bag of these brown pellet things and to leave them in the tank for a week.

[Amphiprion]

Use this calculator for magnesium: http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

You should be able to raise it safely in anywhere from 4 days to a week, depending upon the increments you use. Do not do anything to lower pH until you are sure of its level. What is suggestive that it is high and what material were you given? From the description, it sounds like ferric oxide hydroxide, which can and usually does lower pH, but at the cost of lowering calcium and alkalinity. The effect is also somewhat short-lived.

[Neuticle]

If you get your mag and alk right your pH will be fine. With low mag, I would guess your pH is low right now, and does not need to go any lower. Whoever you are getting advice from is just selling you stuff, not helping you.

[strout]

I took the stuff I put in the tank to lower the PH, out of the tank untill I get the test kit later this week. I have been dosing for the Mag. for three days now and have raised the number from 920 to 1000, will dose a few more days and check it again.

[Amphiprion]

At the rate you are going, it will take you more than two weeks. You can safely raise the magnesium concentration by about 100 ppm/day. If you aren't comfortable with that, 50 ppm/day is also acceptable. What magnesium supplement are you using? If you know the brand, but not what kind of magnesium it is, I can tell you what it contains. Then you can use the calculator to increase the level a bit more quickly and practically.

[strout]

I am using B-Ionic Mag., I am using the little shot glass that came with my two part calcium to dose the tank. I am using 5 of these shot glasses per day. The bottle says dose 1.5 ml per gallon per day, and at this rate will raise the mag. 100ppm per week.

[Amphiprion]

Okay, but there's no real need to raise it that slowly, either. You can raise it as much as 100 ppm per day safely. I would split the doses up, though. Keep in mind that, if following those instructions, it would take nearly 3-4 weeks to raise it to the appropriate level. If you don't mind prolonging it like that (no need to), then that's okay, too.

[strout]

What do you think I should be doing, doubling what I am doing right now, or more than that???

[Amphiprion]

How big is your tank? FWIW, whenever you add magnesium, you'll be using a lot, so don't be surprised if you used most of the bottle.

Edit: never mind. I found out. According to the calculator, you'll need a lot of supplement--approximately 160 oz, in fact, to get it to ~1300 ppm. It may be better for you to purchase some dry supplement in order to get it done in a more reasonable manner. I recommend bulkreefsupply's dry magnesium chloride and/or magnesium sulfate. I prefer a mixture of the two, since it balances out the anions in a reasonable ratio. A 10:1 ratio of magnesium chloride to magnesium sulfate will give you the proper results, so for each gallon, dissolve 7 1/4 cups mag chloride to 3/4 cups mag sulfate. This will still require a LOT of supplement, but it will be cheaper in the long run by far.

[strout]

Test results from today, New test kit Phosphate
125g tank

Phosphate 0.5
Magnesium 1120 was 920 2wks ago 1000 last week
dKH 8.0
Alk 2.86
Calcium 430

Nitrates did this test today with the good test kit,
not the cheap dip sticks, I want it to be lower but it is what it is, 25
Maybe a new skimmer will bring this number down, what
do you think? Can't seem to get this number down below 20

The Phosphate number is the first time I have done this test
and according to the chart, the reading below the one I have
says retards coral growth, that dosn't sound good. What do I need to do about this number?

[Amphiprion]

Actually, phosphate concentrations above .03 ppm have been implicated in dramatically reducing calcification rates in corals. I would try to strive for that as well. Nitrate should be lower, as it has also been implicated in slowing growth rates, as well as increasing zooxanthellae population, which can make them more susceptible to bleaching, etc. Ideally it should be below .2 ppm. The best method for controlling nitrate and phosphate is not a skimmer (they help, but they won't solve the problem), but a refugium or something like a turf scrubber. The refugium is arguably easier, and can be pretty effective (minus the fact that it is usually light-limited--i.e. be sure it is well-lighted). I recommend Chaetomorpha as the alga of choice. The higher levels could be related to any number of things, like how often you feed or clean any mechanical filters (filter socks, pads, etc.). Water changes can reduce these compounds immediately, but they tend to rebound relatively quickly (usually within days) to re-establish equilibrium, which is why I don't recommend water changes strictly for reducing nitrate and phosphate--it is very inefficient and can cost you a lot of salt.

[strout]

I have done a few things here, I got something from the LFS yesterday and have it in the tank, its called Pura Phoslock, supposed to help get rid of my high phosphate level. The LFS says that I my have to go thru a few bags of this stuff since my levels are so high. I am going to switch my fish foods around, was feeding frozen cubes all of the time and a dry pellet every once in awhile, I will switch this around, have also been told to feed my fish only one time a day, I am having a hard time with this, just dosn't seem like enough food, my wife says I will starve them. If it was up to me I wouldn't have any fish in the tank, just corals, but I can't kill off any fish as she would kill me. I will start cleaning my pre filter in my sump every day. I am going to see about setting up a refugium but I think I will need a new sump for this and I am not sure I can get the old sump out from under my tank. I have some of the alge, grass stuff in my sump now but there might be to much flow in the sump for this to really take off and grow, I do have a light on the sump to help, I run it at nite when the DT lights are off to help with the water temp. How does this all sound, anything I am leaving out or that I also need to do?

[Amphiprion]

Pura Phoslock will work for phosphate just fine, but is one of the most expensive alternatives available to reduce phosphate, especially in the long term. It will also do nothing to fix your nitrate concentrations. Chances are, unless you have something to consume it, it will stay somewhat elevated. I suspect the extra cleanings may help, but they probably won't drop nitrate to satisfactory concentrations. Feeding one time per day or every other day is perfectly fine. I can assure you (unless you have incredibly active planktivores, like Pseudanthias, etc.) that your fish will not starve on such a feeding regimen. As for the algae, if you have Chaetomorpha, it actually likes quite a bit of flow and tends to do better in higher flow. It actually helps keep it clean and free from detritus, which causes microalgae and cyanobacteria to grow on it. It sounds like you are lacking adequate amounts of lighting. What bulb(s) are you using for the algae, how far from the water surface are they, and how often do you change them?