Reef parameters

[LaDonna Von D]

Ever since my husband put all my corals in to his 130 gallon they don’t extend they just stay closed up. I was Able to get them back on a schedule I got the test kits and this was what I got for parameters. The photo the nitrites look clear to me but the photo looks light purple. And Cal 200 ppm, Alk 7.3 , Mag 1400. What should I get to fix the issues?

 

[Garf]

Cal 200 ppm

Typo?

 

[LaDonna Von D]

Typo?

If I did it correctly that’s the number I calculated

 

[Garf]

If I did it correctly that’s the number I calculated

You need to recheck that, I suggest.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Sheesh. Get some reliable test kits or do an ICP. Nitrate.
Phos and alkalinity you can use a Hanna checker. Calcium and mag use salifert. Also what are you using to test salinity. Hydrometer is highly inaccurate use a refractometer if you aren’t already.

 

[goosemans]

do you have pictures of what the corals look like under white light? What light is he using? What was the salinity and temp they were in vs now? Do you have anything you can think of that is potentially not reef safe in the 130 gal?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Would suggest to get better test kits, but looks like the nitrate test is orange which means your well overdue for a water change.

 

[twentyleagues]

API are not bad tests. They dont give an exact number its more of a range. I used them exclusively years ago because they were easy to acquire. If you are careful in your measurements and are not visually color impaired, they are adequate. I would definitely recheck calcium and alk. Also what is your sg? SG has a huge impact on at least alk, calc, mag you need to know what that is before you test any of those and start asking whats going on. How long ago was stuff transferred?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If I did it correctly that’s the number I calculated

What do you mean by calculated? Is that ppm calcium or ppm calcium carbonate? If the latter, it is fine.

Try that test on some new salt water.

 

[Dom]

With the exception of a reliable ammonia test, API test kits are a cost effective way of testing your tank frequently. And you can back up concerning API test results by testing with Hanna and RedSea.

And while a refractometer is more accurate than a hydrometer, there are plenty of hobbyists enjoying success in the hobby using one.

 

[LaDonna Von D]

API are not bad tests. They dont give an exact number its more of a range. I used them exclusively years ago because they were easy to acquire. If you are careful in your measurements and are not visually color impaired, they are adequate. I would definitely recheck calcium and alk. Also what is your sg? SG has a huge impact on at least alk, calc, mag you need to know what that is before you test any of those and start asking whats going on. How long ago was stuff transferred?

He transferred my corals to his tank about 2-3 months ago.

What is SG?

And I rechecked the calcium and I put the first .6ml of titrant in and did a drop at a time until it changed to blue. It took the whole 1ml before it changed to blue so from what I read on the card I think that means 500 ppms?

 

[twentyleagues]

He transferred my corals to his tank about 2-3 months ago.

What is SG?

And I rechecked the calcium and I put the first .6ml of titrant in and did a drop at a time until it changed to blue. It took the whole 1ml before it changed to blue so from what I read on the card I think that means 500 ppms?

Specific Gravity. It refers to how salty your water is. A range of 1.024-1.026 is the preferred range in a reef tank.

500 is a little high but nothing to worry about. Definitely better than 300. I like the Red Sea test kits they are one of my back up tests for alk and nitrate. For calcium I use the red sea or api. Typically if you test for alk and sg and they are within a normal range you really dont need to test calcium or mag if you are using a balanced dosing system. I use All For Reef to keep my parameters in line its a little heavy on the calcium side but water changes balance it back out. Though I have not seen an imbalance in calcium yet and I rarely do water changes.