Water Parameters

Riddler05 · 11/05/2013, 03:56 PM

Hey! I am relatively new (~3 months) to the hobby and have made my fair share of noob mistakes, but overall I am loving this hobby. I have the Coralife Biocube 29 with inTank media rack (filter floss, purigen, Seachem SeaGel) and Hydor slim skim nano (still breaking in). The tank is currently stocked with a few LPS (Blastomussa and Torch), soft corals (Tree Leather), and a small frag of Zoanthids. I also have the tank lightly stocked with a pair of small Ocellaris clown fish and a small yellow watchman goby. I know that I probably started stocking my tank too fast, but I have started holding off on putting anything else in the tank until it has matured a little more.

I am also battling a cyano outbreak but I am starting to get things under control, by reducing feeding, addition of a protein skimmer, addition of extra flow, and addition of Seachem SeaGel.

All of my water parameters are in the normal range except my pH and KH, both of which are relatively low. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what I should do in order to get these parameters back in line?

Here are my water parameters:
Temp: 78-79
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: ~8 ppm (I know that this is a little high)
Phosphate: <0.25pmm (I can not read the color change on the API test kit. Once I save up a little I will get Hanna tester)
Calcium: 440 ppm
pH: 7.7 - 8.0 (Night - Day)
KH: 8

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

thegrun · 11/05/2013, 04:09 PM

Your pH and KH are fine as is, but if you want to bump up your alkalinity have you tried soda ash?

thegrun · 11/05/2013, 04:10 PM

Also, if you use floss it needs to be changed out every 3-4 days or it will contribute to your nitrate levels.

11/05/2013, 03:56 PM	#1
Riddler05 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 9	Water Parameters Hey! I am relatively new (~3 months) to the hobby and have made my fair share of noob mistakes, but overall I am loving this hobby. I have the Coralife Biocube 29 with inTank media rack (filter floss, purigen, Seachem SeaGel) and Hydor slim skim nano (still breaking in). The tank is currently stocked with a few LPS (Blastomussa and Torch), soft corals (Tree Leather), and a small frag of Zoanthids. I also have the tank lightly stocked with a pair of small Ocellaris clown fish and a small yellow watchman goby. I know that I probably started stocking my tank too fast, but I have started holding off on putting anything else in the tank until it has matured a little more. I am also battling a cyano outbreak but I am starting to get things under control, by reducing feeding, addition of a protein skimmer, addition of extra flow, and addition of Seachem SeaGel. All of my water parameters are in the normal range except my pH and KH, both of which are relatively low. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what I should do in order to get these parameters back in line? Here are my water parameters: Temp: 78-79 Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: ~8 ppm (I know that this is a little high) Phosphate: <0.25pmm (I can not read the color change on the API test kit. Once I save up a little I will get Hanna tester) Calcium: 440 ppm pH: 7.7 - 8.0 (Night - Day) KH: 8 Any help would be greatly appreciated.

11/05/2013, 04:09 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Your pH and KH are fine as is, but if you want to bump up your alkalinity have you tried soda ash?

11/05/2013, 04:10 PM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Also, if you use floss it needs to be changed out every 3-4 days or it will contribute to your nitrate levels.