Low parameters

[Nano30]

Hi everyone, I'm having issues in my tank with low parameters. It's been up since August. I started with dry rock. I mix with Red Sea blue bucket and do 20% changes weekly. I do not attain even the minimum parameters when testing. For example:
Alk 6.4
Calcium 350

I'm using salifert test kits and had my lfs confirm testing results. I mix at 1.025 salinity and lfs confirmed that my refractometer is correct which I calibrate regularly.

As a result, I'm mixing with partial blue bucket and Red Sea coral pro to get my parameters right. Lfs tells me that perhaps my dry rock is absorbing parameters, I don't know what else could be wrong.

I only have 3 frags, I'm not getting any more for now and my fish are fine. Any thoughts on this? Anyone had similar issues?

Thanks

 

[SPR1968]

Hi there and welcome to R2R!

What parameters are you trying to achieve, we’re are you now and how big is your tank, do you have pictures?

If your using standard Red Sea salt you may need to start looking at dosing the foundation elements of alkalinity calcium and possibly less so magnesium to maintain stability in the system although without to many corals you should get away maybe with regular water changes

If your using the Coral Pro this mixes to higher levels anyway (alkalinity 11.5-12.5dKH) as standard so you may find that better, and this could be used with the Foundation ABC+ (skeletal elements) to keep parameters up.

I’ve not heard of rock absorbing foundation elements (phosphate maybe) so I would question their advice there.

The following are good guides you may find useful

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[Nano30]

Hi there and welcome to R2R!

What parameters are you trying to achieve, we’re are you now and how big is your tank, do you have pictures?

If your using standard Red Sea salt you may need to start looking at dosing the foundation elements of alkalinity calcium and possibly less so magnesium to maintain stability in the system although without to many corals you should get away maybe with regular water changes

If your using the Coral Pro this mixes to higher levels anyway (alkalinity 11.5-12.5dKH) as standard so you may find that better, and this could be used with the Foundation ABC+ (skeletal elements) to keep parameters up.

I’ve not heard of rock absorbing foundation elements (phosphate maybe) so I would question their advice there.

The following are good guides you may find useful

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

Thanks for your response. I have an Innovative Marine Fusion 30. I'll attach pics later. The levels I'm trying to achieve would be somewhere in the range of the chart in the link you provided. My issue being that I'm not even hitting the minimal levels with the example provided that my alkalinity was 6.4 and calcium at 350.

What you are saying makes sense in terms of adding the Foundation ABC+ to keep up parameters but I'm really thrown off that when I mix my RS blue bucket, it doesn't even hit the minimal levels as indicated on the label of the bucket (alk, 7.8 - 8.2, ca 420 -440, etc.). I think my next step is to actually measure the elements in a bucket of freshly made salt vs. what I'm measuring in my tank. This is an odd issue that I've never seen reported before by looking through searches.

Thanks

 

[Nano30]

Found a pic, I lost both the torch and hammer so I’m not adding anything else until parameters are correct and stable. By the way, I re homed the Valentini Puffer because I felt he needed a bigger home.

 

[SPR1968]

If your mixing to 1.025 that’s around 33ppm so if you look at the mixing instructions below your a little lower on all the parameters to start off.

https://www.redseafish.com/red-sea-salts/red-sea-salt/

So if you increase the salinity to 35ppm (over a few days or so) which is more the normal level for a marine/reef system, 1.0264, all the foundation elements will be higher in the new salt mix to start out

The other thing to note as well, is the test error margins on the kits. These are hobby grade so depending on what your using this could also be an issue.

I’ve used both Coral Pro and the standard, and to be honest I’ve never tested the new saltwater parameters, ever, and I’ve never had any issues with them

Great looking tank as well!

Hope this makes sense.

 

[Nano30]

If your mixing to 1.025 that’s around 33ppm so if you look at the mixing instructions below your a little lower on all the parameters to start off.

https://www.redseafish.com/red-sea-salts/red-sea-salt/

So if you increase the salinity to 35ppm (over a few days or so) which is more the normal level for a marine/reef system, 1.0264, all the foundation elements will be higher in the new salt mix to start out

The other thing to note as well, is the test error margins on the kits. These are hobby grade so depending on what your using this could also be an issue.

I’ve used both Coral Pro and the standard, and to be honest I’ve never tested the new saltwater parameters, ever, and I’ve never had any issues with them

Great looking tank as well!

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks, you know, I wouldn't be so caught up on the parameters but I've had a few losses which made me question being on the very low end of the parameter spectrum. I thought I was patient but perhaps not. I've seen other people have more success early on than I but maybe this is part of the learning curve. I can mix to 1.026, I tend to fluctuate between that and 1.025. I have an ATO so I'm pretty stable on salinity.

I guess because I've had a few losses and don't see any growth, it causes me to examine parameters more especially being so low. I know the tests can vary to a degree and I probably would not measure as much as I do if corals were healthy in my system. I'm pretty discouraged, I do a big amount of research but due to my lack of success I just feel like I don't know what I'm doing. Being on top of water changes and mixing according to directions, maintaining salinity and not having the right results feels like filling your car tank all the way with gas and running out of gas 5 minutes later. I'm just a bit perplexed, like I have bad salt or something but I know that's not a thing.

 

[SPR1968]

If your trying to make the corals grow, then increase the salinity mix which will also bring up all the foundation elements to higher levels in the Red Sea salts. I ran the accelerated growth program for over 12 months with the Coral Pro and they grew really well.

Just also remember that to grow, the corals need food and you haven’t said were your nutrient levels are (nitrate/phosphate).

If the nutrient levels are very low, and your foundation elements are also on the low side, you won’t get much growth. Phosphate should be fairly low anyway at around 0.03ppm but nitrates of 5-10ppm are good, and I personally run at around 10ppm and the corals glow with life.

If your not feeding the corals have a look at the Red Sea Reef Energy as well.

One more point with all this, is that all you are trying to do is keep the water parameters stable, whatever their levels provided they are in range. Your just a ‘keeper of water’ thats it, and if you can maintain that and stability you will do well, stability really is the key as corals don’t like changes to their environment or they will tell you.

 

[PatW]

You might try two part dosing. I use Bulk Reef Supply for two part. The calcium stock solution is just CaCL added to RODI and the ALK stock solution is Soda Ash added to RODI. If you get enough to mix up a gallon of each, you should have a Supply for quite some time. I have mixed the Magnesium stock but I have found that water changes with a salt mix high in Mg keeps Magnesium at acceptable levels.

Bulk Reef Supply has calculators that tell you how much stock solution to add to get the levels you want. It is pretty simple and convenient.