Reef Sanctuary - View Single Post

koffee · 11-20-2007, 03:59 PM

Params are not too bad this morning:

Temp: 79.0
SG: 1.023
pH: 8.0-8.1 - need to buffer more
Alk: 3.0 meq/L, 8.4 DKH - should this be higher? It used to be a lot more.
Calcium: 345 - still working to bring this up
Ammonia: barely there
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20ppm
Phosphate: 0.25

Some ammonia is expected since I was messing with the tank for the upgrade and then the new sump, and added more LR and DS (Dead Sand) yesterday. Nitrates are still too high, but the new sump and fuge will take time to have an impact. I'm going to throw a bag of De-Nitrate and a bag of Phos-Sponge in the sump.

With all that went on in the past week, I threw away some water and added a lot of RO and DI water - about 20 gallons new. Once I'm started on normal water changes, the results should give me a better idea of how things really stand.

And about the water - I was wrong about buying it. The source I found charges over $3/g for RO/DI!!! It is $0.50 for RO and $0.70 for DI. I got 10 gallons of each this time around. Perhaps I will be looking into an RO/DI unit sooner than I thought. In the meantime, I have to decide which water I should get - RO or DI.

Finally, I forgot if I mentioned - I am now at 55W of 50/50 power compact, and 2x30W of NO daylight. It will be quite a while before I can upgrade the lights, so I am wondering if I should replace one of the NOs with actinic. Unfortunately the fixture is all on or all off, so I can't stagger the daylight and actinic times. However, I could stagger the 50/50 PC and dual NO on/off times so that I have half-intensity 50/50 and then full 50/50 (or 50/50 and all daylight, like it is now). I still only have mushrooms and GSP, so light shouldn't be too much of an issue, but I would like to add some more coral soon.

11-20-2007, 03:59 PM	#36 (permalink)
koffee Midas Blenny Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 119 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: An Alaskan Reef (38G) Params are not too bad this morning: Temp: 79.0 SG: 1.023 pH: 8.0-8.1 - need to buffer more Alk: 3.0 meq/L, 8.4 DKH - should this be higher? It used to be a lot more. Calcium: 345 - still working to bring this up Ammonia: barely there Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 20ppm Phosphate: 0.25 Some ammonia is expected since I was messing with the tank for the upgrade and then the new sump, and added more LR and DS (Dead Sand) yesterday. Nitrates are still too high, but the new sump and fuge will take time to have an impact. I'm going to throw a bag of De-Nitrate and a bag of Phos-Sponge in the sump. With all that went on in the past week, I threw away some water and added a lot of RO and DI water - about 20 gallons new. Once I'm started on normal water changes, the results should give me a better idea of how things really stand. And about the water - I was wrong about buying it. The source I found charges over $3/g for RO/DI!!! It is $0.50 for RO and $0.70 for DI. I got 10 gallons of each this time around. Perhaps I will be looking into an RO/DI unit sooner than I thought. In the meantime, I have to decide which water I should get - RO or DI. Finally, I forgot if I mentioned - I am now at 55W of 50/50 power compact, and 2x30W of NO daylight. It will be quite a while before I can upgrade the lights, so I am wondering if I should replace one of the NOs with actinic. Unfortunately the fixture is all on or all off, so I can't stagger the daylight and actinic times. However, I could stagger the 50/50 PC and dual NO on/off times so that I have half-intensity 50/50 and then full 50/50 (or 50/50 and all daylight, like it is now). I still only have mushrooms and GSP, so light shouldn't be too much of an issue, but I would like to add some more coral soon.