Water Parameters Advice please.

[MarkS]

My Tank is a Red Sea Reefer 350. I have had my tank cycling for the past 6 months and added fish about 2 months ago and some small basic frags about 4 - 6 weeks ago. Using RO water.

I think (well I know) I overdosed my main minerals trying to ramp up too quickly. I wanted to get good growth on my frags.

Listed below are my parameters, can an Expert or S4asoned Reefer offer the best next steps please.

1: Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrites are all stable at 0.0. Using API Mater & Salter water test kits.

2: Phosphates are now under control after a spike and stabilised for the past 3 weeks.

3: PH has been stable at about 8.0 for the past 4 - 6 weeks. Thinking of getting proper PH 8.2?

Below tests are using Red Sea Pro test kits.

4: Calcium has been at 500+ for the past 6 weeks.

5: Magnesium has consistently testing at 1,600 (I did read in a post here that Red Sea Pro Kits always show this)?

6: KH has been testing at 14.0 for the past 6 weeks.

7: Salinity is between 2.3 - 2.6 trying to get a better constant base at 2.5 but the weather is so dang hot I am getting quite a bit of evaporation and topping up regularly. Is 2.5bor 2.6 best, looking at mixed coral.

I have been doing fortnightly 15 - 20% water changes, last change yesterday, last testing today.

Advice on the best steps next to take will be most welcome

Also what system do you recommend to track, manage your parameters, using pen and paper at present?

 

[Matt Carden]

I'll leave this for the experts

 

[Alex7845]

Hi
Quite a newbie here as well

On tracking i tried a couple apps including aquarimate - very nice but a bit complex
At the end of the day a spreadsheet on google sheets accessed on my phone is what I found to be the best

 

[SPR1968]

Hi Mark

As you probably realise many if the foundation element levels are on the high side so I would start to lower those down and stop dosing calcium etc., until they are at target levels. But don’t start chasing numbers. This is an excellent guide

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

I have a problem with the Red Sea Magnesium test kits, mine always read 14-1500 so high, but a Triton ICP test showed in reality it was 1224 ppm so it went in the bin replaced with NYOS which matched the ICP test pretty much. This is of course just my personal preference but having increased magnesium levels everything improved as far as coral health is concerned

I assume in salinity you mean 23-26 so just try and keep this stable at around 25. I would get an ATO to make life easier for yourself. The Tunze Osmolator is a very good choice

As far as keeping notes etc., I use a simple excel spreadsheet and that’s it, works a treat and keeps it simple. Everything is there at a glance

I would also increase the nitrate a little as you don’t really want zero nitrate or you could potentially run into unwanted issues with saltwater algae/pests

 

[ckalupa]

The Red Sea Pro Mg kits don’t always show 1600. That is what they max out at. So you could be 1600 or anything above that. That is the one test that is run differently from their others and I believe a lot of people miss that due to the picture instructions. The part A is added one drop at a time- shaking each drop for 15 seconds- then Repeat that process a total of 5 times.

 

[MarkS]

The Red Sea Pro Mg kits don’t always show 1600. That is what they max out at. So you could be 1600 or anything above that. That is the one test that is run differently from their others and I believe a lot of people miss that due to the picture instructions. The part A is added one drop at a time- shaking each drop for 15 seconds- then Repeat that process a total of 5 times.

Thanks, yes I follow that method of dosing. I will see what happens. tY