Kung Fu Spider Crab Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hello PNWMAS! Decided to dive in and be known. I've been looking at all the great info since July when I started up my tank. I've got a 72 gal Bow with T-5 lights and a 5 gal refugium. I'll get into more of the details of the equip, etc, when I can post some pictures. I hope to do that next week. I do have a question. I've been running in the mid to upper 600 ppm Calcium for the past six weeks. I've been doing regular water changes and all my other numbers are great. PH is 7.2, alkalinity is just a bit above 200. All my water is run through a water filter that needs a filter change, so I'm hoping the number will lower when I get the new filter. I also tried a phos treatment that didn't do much in terms of lowering the calcium. Please let me point out that I've only had a tank up and running since 07-08 and I've subscribed to the slower is better. I bought two SPS to see if they would have any impact. Any other ideas? I've really enjoyed the pictures and seeing the information. Very useful!(rock2) I'll put some pictures up next week. Also, any other central oregon members, it would be great to hear from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Have you been adding calcium? If not, a reading of 600 is really unlikely. Do you have an local fish store you can take a water sample to and have them check your levels? oh, and (welcome)(To)(P)(N)(W)(M)(A)(S) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180Brandy Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Welcome to the club!!! Can you tell us what you plan on keeping in your tank? 400 to 450 seems about right for most corals,clams etc. Post those pictures soon!!! Check to make sure your tests are correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Maybe your test kit is bad. What is the brand of the calcium tester? If it is API, I would not trust the "color changes to ..." end point. I agree with Andy, take a sample of water to your LFS to test. If all else fails, jack your alk up to something really high, and it will precipitate any extra calcium that is in the water. It will also give your tank a snowstorm of calcium carbonate. I would not recommend doing this on purpose in a tank that has anything alive in it... Never mind, don't do this. BTW- Welcome to the club. I hope that you can make it to a meeting sometime to put faces with names. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadReefer Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Welcome! I agree with dsoz, after getting a second test to verify levels, add alk to bring the cal down. You don't need cal over 450. If your pH is 7.2, you will want to bring that up. Is your alk reading in ppm? If so, that should be good,, so all I can think is that you have ammonia, CO2 or some other pollutant causing your low pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kung Fu Spider Crab Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Wow you guys are on it!!! I've taken water to the LFS and they agreed with all my levels. I've stopped dosing anything, other than slime coating and some stabilization chemicals for PH, which doesn't effect cal level??? Any suggestions on dosing the alk? I'm going for a combo tank. I've got two clowns, yellow tail tang, two chromis, and a psudo dottyback. Anomie Obviously a arrow crab, AKA spider crab, some zoos, frog spawn, monti (small frag), and a green brain coral (small). The LFS has been helpful and I've always taken their advice and made sure they are aware of what I have and if it would work in my tank. Other than the rock I have, I've been in there just about every month if not a couple of times per month. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barelycuda Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Take a look at what is necessary to get your PH back up. 7.2 is too low if you are trying to raise sps corals and clams. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 What stuff are you dosing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Baking soda will increase alk. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty419 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 welcome i wiuld have to agree take your water to the lfs and have them test it for you.I dont trust those API kits i got one and it was bad when i opened it up wasted a bunch of money and time on a problem i didnt have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanmike01 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Welcome toad!! Pictures would be great too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanareef Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Wow you guys are on it!!! Any suggestions on dosing the alk? I set up an diy Kalk reactor for the top off. This would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I would not raise Alk to lower Cal I would do water changes less chance of problems with your ph spiking and much, much safer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miniwhinny Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Hello from down the road in Redmond ';-) Pics of your tank or it doesn't really exist (whistle)(enforcer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I just gotta say, "Kung Fu Spider Crab" is the coolest name I've seen since... well... "andy" (laugh) (laugh) (laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kung Fu Spider Crab Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 If the new batteries I bought weren't already expired I'd have the pictures. I'm still learning, so I may screw up some of the names. I'm hoping to remedy the picture problem tonight. Come to think of it... my LFS pulled the same kit, API, from the shelf that I bought from them. It doesn't sound there there is a very high opinion of this brand, so I'll find another. I'll try that. Thanks again for all the feedback. I'll try to get those pics up tomorrow.(scary) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kung Fu Spider Crab Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Pictures of the tank, etc. Quality isn't as good as I'd hoped. First crack at taking photos. Guess I should have read that chaper of the book. I also think the bow front skews the quality a little. OR I'm just no good at it. I'll let you all decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miniwhinny Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Your pictures are great. Wow that sponge is awesome. Your tank looks great, I like your schooling fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Reef Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Take a look at what is necessary to get your PH back up. 7.2 is too low if you are trying to raise sps corals and clams. Dave Exactly right, it will inhibit the grow of many stony corals! You need to keep your PH from going below 8.0, if you don't the phosphate can be deadsorbed from calcite. Like I and Barelycuda said this will effect stony corals, but it will also effect the sediment and your live rock as well. If your testing your dKH and you keeping it around 10-12 (More on the 12 side) your PH should be automatically corrected. Ricky Soutas Jr. -Soutas Saltwater & Reef Inc.- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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