KH Levels too low-Not Sure Why

[SeaHorseQueen]

Did you get similar numbers for all three alk tests?

As far as the nitrates and phosphates I have no clue how much you have fed and how often you are doing water changes. But those numbers sound high based on the way your tank looks but they could be correct. You do need a proper coral light if you are going to keep corals..

When using the Hanna, make sure you line up the cuvette in the same orientation when you first push the button for C1 and again for C2. I have a small mark on my cuvette at the top so I can face the mark forwards in the checker. Make sure you are mixing the cuvette for 2 minutes and it is oriented in the same direction and clean of finger prints before inserting into the checker and holding the button to start the countdown timer.

Afterwards dump the solution and rinse/shake several times with RODI and then fill and cap with RODI for storage.

No, I actually made a small mistake on the kh. I was doing low resolution instead of full and kept adding 4ml of water but keeping with the 2 drops…. My fault for not seeing the that.

I didn’t know you had to have the Hanna mark facing the front both times. But, I use my phone countdown timer for the two minutes. I’ll redo them and see if that changes them.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

Redone

PO4: 0.6ppm | NO3: 51.7ppm

 

[Shirak]

Redone

PO4: 0.6ppm | NO3: 51.7ppm

2 min for mixing.. I use my phone also. Then 7min countdown timer on the Nitrate and 3min for the phosphate. They are built in timers to the tester. Or you can use your phone and then just do a quick press when it reads c2. and it will immediately give you a reading.

I would not worry at this point with your phosphate and nitrate. Water change will help. Once you get some proper lighting and some corals and algae growth it will come down.

I found that the hanna cuvettes work best if you orient them in the same direction for the C1 and C2 steps.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

I just wanted to give an update. I did a 50% WC last night. It took all afternoon-evening to make the buckets. I need to get a 5G bucket. lol Anyhow, this is what I have for 12hr post change.

Nitrate: 31.9ppm (dramatically dropped)
PO4: .63 (slightly raised)

I went ahead and cleaned the "filter" and tossed out the filter media pad since it was nearly black in a week. I'm going to change the A. carbon. The filter bag is starting to get nasty, so maybe I should go ahead and change it weekly too. I don't even need a typical filter like freshwater correct? I restarted PhosGuard today as well. I'm currently window shopping lights until after rent is paid.

 

[Shirak]

I just wanted to give an update. I did a 50% WC last night. It took all afternoon-evening to make the buckets. I need to get a 5G bucket. lol Anyhow, this is what I have for 12hr post change.

Nitrate: 31.9ppm (dramatically dropped)
PO4: .63 (slightly raised)

I went ahead and cleaned the "filter" and tossed out the filter media pad since it was nearly black in a week. I'm going to change the A. carbon. The filter bag is starting to get nasty, so maybe I should go ahead and change it weekly too. I don't even need a typical filter like freshwater correct? I restarted PhosGuard today as well. I'm currently window shopping lights until after rent is paid.

With the rock in the tank you don't need to worry about biological filtration. The HOB I would just use for catching particulate matter and maybe putting carbon in if you want. So you can change those filters/floss as often as you want.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

With the rock in the tank you don't need to worry about biological filtration. The HOB I would just use for catching particulate matter and maybe putting carbon in if you want. So you can change those filters/floss as often as you want.

That's what I thought, but I wanted to double check. Thank you!

 

[NoLarvatusplease]

Get the SG to 1.025 and see if the refractometer is calibrated

Why are'nt people using a quality hydrometer anymore.100% accurate and no ridiculous calibrations or electronics to fk up.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Why are'nt people using a quality hydrometer anymore.100% accurate and no ridiculous calibrations or electronics to fk up.

Did you ever check yours for accuracy?

As one who chooses to use a conductivity meter, I can explain why.

It is more convenient/faster.
Easy to measure salinity of a small volume, such as a fish bag.
No need for temp corrections.
Useful for measuring potency of things a hydrometer cannot (e.g., kalkwasser).
Mine never drifted, and in fact, cannot be literally calibrated or miscalibrated.

 

[BryanM]

That's what I thought, but I wanted to double check. Thank you!

I would search for reducing phosphates here and pick one to start lowering that number, somewhere down to .1-.3

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

I would search for reducing phosphates here and pick one to start lowering that number, somewhere down to .1-.3

Thank you. That’s what I’m currently work on. :)

 

[Faurek]

Why are'nt people using a quality hydrometer anymore.100% accurate and no ridiculous calibrations or electronics to fk up.

I am really regretting not having my old one lately, had to recalibrate 2 times this weekend, turns out 1.025 was 1.019, only had softies for now and even those are complaining, but it would be a disaster with SPS probably, and probably one of the reasons I had problems with my 3.5g.
Last WC before that apparently went to ****, because coralline started bleaching days after that, this weekend I corrected it and the tank looks way better.
The strange part is that I check it every 2 months.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

So, after not touching the tank since the water change, I have these test results.

Kh: 7.7
Nitrate: 34.7
Phosphates: >0.9 flashing

idk where the high levels of phosphates are coming from. I feed just enough until the clownfish is slowing down or just picking. I backed off to 1 feeding a day. I added phosgaurd two days ago. I had it down to 0.61 the day after the water change. Only thing I can think of is to add a HOB protein skimmer. It has plenty of flow between circulation pump (480mpg) and hob filter (150mpg max).

Will garlic oil cause it to go up? Or silicon?

 

[BryanM]

So, after not touching the tank since the water change, I have these test results.

Kh: 7.7
Nitrate: 34.7
Phosphates: >0.9 flashing

idk where the high levels of phosphates are coming from. I feed just enough until the clownfish is slowing down or just picking. I backed off to 1 feeding a day. I added phosgaurd two days ago. I had it down to 0.61 the day after the water change. Only thing I can think of is to add a HOB protein skimmer. It has plenty of flow between circulation pump (480mpg) and hob filter (150mpg max).

Will garlic oil cause it to go up? Or silicon?

I'm not sure regarding garlic oil or silicon...

You could research lanthium chloride and start dosing that to bring done phosphates. You need to be very careful with tangs in the tank. I dosed this in to a 1 micron filter sock, and my tangs were fine. This definitely works, you just need to be cautious.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

I'm not sure regarding garlic oil or silicon...

You could research lanthium chloride and start dosing that to bring done phosphates. You need to be very careful with tangs in the tank. I dosed this in to a 1 micron filter sock, and my tangs were fine. This definitely works, you just need to be cautious.

I’d love to eventually have a yellow tang but I think they need at 100g don’t they?

I’ll check into that.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So, after not touching the tank since the water change, I have these test results.

Kh: 7.7
Nitrate: 34.7
Phosphates: >0.9 flashing

idk where the high levels of phosphates are coming from. I feed just enough until the clownfish is slowing down or just picking. I backed off to 1 feeding a day. I added phosgaurd two days ago. I had it down to 0.61 the day after the water change. Only thing I can think of is to add a HOB protein skimmer. It has plenty of flow between circulation pump (480mpg) and hob filter (150mpg max).

Will garlic oil cause it to go up? Or silicon?

What are you using oils for?

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

What are you using oils for?

It was getting my clownfish to eat. Sometimes he doesn’t like mysis or bloodworms. I don’t use it every day. I might just switch back to LRS nano for food for him.

 

[Shirak]

So, after not touching the tank since the water change, I have these test results.

Kh: 7.7
Nitrate: 34.7
Phosphates: >0.9 flashing

idk where the high levels of phosphates are coming from. I feed just enough until the clownfish is slowing down or just picking. I backed off to 1 feeding a day. I added phosgaurd two days ago. I had it down to 0.61 the day after the water change. Only thing I can think of is to add a HOB protein skimmer. It has plenty of flow between circulation pump (480mpg) and hob filter (150mpg max).

Will garlic oil cause it to go up? Or silicon?

Rock and sand will absorb phosphate and when the level in the water drops it will be released from the rock. It takes a while to drop. .3+ ppm change though sounds like a lot. Makes me wonder if your getting something odd with the tester.

Can you detail how you are going through the test step by step?

 

[ReneReef]

Did you ever check yours for accuracy?

As one who chooses to use a conductivity meter, I can explain why.

It is more convenient/faster.
Easy to measure salinity of a small volume, such as a fish bag.
No need for temp corrections.
Useful for measuring potency of things a hydrometer cannot (e.g., kalkwasser).
Mine never drifted, and in fact, cannot be literally calibrated or miscalibrated.

Are there brands/models that you would recommend?
Or is there a typical price for devices that are of high quality?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Are there brands/models that you would recommend?
Or is there a typical price for devices that are of high quality?

I use an old Orion conductivity meter with a 4 electrode probe. High quality and would originally have been quite expensive. A number of folks have found them used on ebay and they are much better then cheap conductivity pens.

That said, many/most salinity devices we use will be adequate if you check the accuracy, and then either recalibrate or correct readings as needed.

I've lost confidence in commercial salinity standards. Certainly, sealed bottles from good brands (science brands, mostly, not hobby brands) will be OK, but it is not unknown for some to be way off, and one way that may happen is that someone buys one, uses some, replaces the used fluid with something else, and returns it for a full refund. I'm also not certain how some hobby brands make their fluids, and so am not sure they are even doing it properly, or how many generations away from a primary standard they may be. .

If you have a good scale, I'd have more confidence in a DIY:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/reef-aquarium-salinity-diy-calibration-standards.956/

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

Rock and sand will absorb phosphate and when the level in the water drops it will be released from the rock. It takes a while to drop. .3+ ppm change though sounds like a lot. Makes me wonder if your getting something odd with the tester.

Can you detail how you are going through the test step by step?

I'm glad you brought up the live sand and rock absorbing phosphates and releasing them because I noticed in some parts on my tank, I'm finding craters in the sand. I think the flow is moving the sand bed. I can't control the circulation pump but I did turn down the hob filter to see if that helps. I wonder if that has something to do with the rising numbers in just a couple days since you're not supposed to move the sand much.

As far as the hanna checkers, here is what I do.

1) Fill cuvetts to 10ml (at line)
2) Get my packets and checkers ready to use and keep separated
3) Turn on the checker and wait for C1.
4) I use an eye cleaning glass cloth to wipe off all finger prints
5) Place the cuvetts in the checkers ( I started placing them in the same direction as they went in after someone suggested I try this), press button until it shows C2
6) Remove cuvetts and open packets to fill them with the correct packages
7) Use my phone for a 2 minute timer (actual countdown function) and shake continuously
8) Clean off finger prints and place in the checkers, holding button until countdown number shows
9) Wait patiently for test results
10) I rinse out 3x and leave rodi water in them now