# Beginner. Any advice appreciated



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

Hi everyone I got into the hobby a bit over 3 months ago. I love it so far but have a few questions. Long story short just wanted to post my specs and test results and see what you guys have to say. 

Tests:
Total/free ammonia- 0
Ph -8.1
Alk -4.5. (Started 5.5 and slowly dropped to 4.5 over 2 months)
Nitrite -0
Nitrate-~0
Calcium - 520
Phosphate .5


Equipment:
90g tank 48" 2x150w mh 4x giesman bulbs

30 - 35g sump 
Reef octopus 150s classic skimmer
Refugium with cheato
6500 jebao dcp return pump

Getting reef fanatics ato 


Livestock:
9 chromis
1 orange white 1 black white clown
1 serpant star
1 lyretail anthias ( male hid for 2 days and was dead on third morning, female happy healthy from begining) 
Peppermint shrimps
Blood red fire shrimp
Zebra hermits
Banded trocus snails

Corals:
Torches hammer acan brain zoas mushrooms lobo and red plating montipora


Just did a water change 2 days ago that brought calcium up from 400 to 520. All the tests have been consistent for last 2 months but just started testing phosphate and calcium about a week ago. Don't know why phosphate is so high and why alk has dropped that low so any ideas appreciated. I always use RO in case that matters. 

The lobo and one of the torch corals have on and off days. My other torch is always very happy looking as well as every other coral and fish. Only death I've had is the male lyretail and I dont think that was really my doing based on how well the female has been. After aclimating and introducing to dt he only hid in the rocks, he did come out to eat but that's it. On third day he was gone. Female has been swimming eating and happy from day one. 


Sorry long story short turned long again. Lol. Let me know what you guys think


----------



## Bassick (Nov 19, 2014)

Your Alk is seriously low, should be between 8-9 and calcium is also a little high in my opinion. I keep mine between 420-450


----------



## poobar (Feb 20, 2011)

Alk is really low. Even sea water is around 7, in an aquarium should be nearer 10

From experience, trying to get Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium in the correct doses is about the hardest thing to do in a marine aquarium.

There are posts on here that explain the process well. Really need to understand the process before you have a chance of nailing the dosage.


----------



## Bassick (Nov 19, 2014)

Also you didn't say what your Mg levels were, should be around 1300. But I am guessing with your Alk that low, that your Mg is also low


----------



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

I don't have a mag test kit I will be getting that today. To be honest a lot of what I read says magnesium is secondary and long as I do constant water changes mag calcium and alk should be good. I do 20g water change every week- week.5. So I thought this was good enough. Obviously I was wrong. I'm going to search for a noob friendly way of dosing and should be getting on top of it today. Everything I read makes it seem a little scary so I thought I could keep things good with water changes. No one mentioned the phosphate. Is that not as important right now compared to my alk or is .5 not to worry about ?


----------



## twobytwo (Oct 25, 2014)

As others have mentioned, your alk is low. You may also want to test pH at a few different times during the day, there's often a range and 8.1 might be the high point (or low).

Are you making your own Saltwater, or buying from a store? If you're making it, what salt are you using and do you have a RODI system?

Additionally, are you running an ATO system? Some people might use Kalkwasser but with your high Calcium reading, maybe try Sodium Carbonate (Baking Soda) or Bicarbonate (Baked Baking Soda).

What brand test kits are you using? And - you may want to consider a QT for any new livestock.


----------



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

Sg 1.026 .025 always, sorry I forgot to mention that

Ok so I bought another seachem alk test kit and I bought Red Sea reef foundation pro test kit which comes with magnesium calcium and alkalinity. 
2x old seachem alk test results = 5.5. (Confused if dkh or ? Says each drop is .5 meq/l and divide drops by 2) 
2x Red Sea pro alk test results 7.6 and 7.4 dkh
Didn't bother retest with old seachem alk
Checked magnesium only once though and it's 1480 -1520

I'm going with Red Sea alk results because from what most people say the Red Sea is more accurate. also looking at my tank all the corals and fish seem extremly happy and based on if alk was that low in last few days I should be seeing sad sad corals. Also from what I understand if alk is low magnesium is low but since my magnesium is high I'm assuming the higher alk test is the more accurate one. Also I paid more for it (jk) 

I bought Kent Kalk mix and seachem reef builder for the alk. 
I know my alk is still lower then recommended but I'm wondering if I start raising alk will that raise my already high magnesium. And does that even matter. I'm thinking wait until someone tells how to go about this.


----------



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

Sorry. 2x old seachem test result is actually the new test kit result. Was using seachem and it said 4.5. Bought another seachem it says 5.5. Bought Red Sea alk test as well and Tested 2x and that says 7.4 and 7.6.


----------



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

twobytwo said:


> As others have mentioned, your alk is low. You may also want to test pH at a few different times during the day, there's often a range and 8.1 might be the high point (or low).
> 
> Are you making your own Saltwater, or buying from a store? If you're making it, what salt are you using and do you have a RODI system?
> 
> ...


 ..............


----------



## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

Can you post a pic of your sump? And what powerheads are you using? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

CamH said:


> Can you post a pic of your sump? And what powerheads are you using?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


............


----------



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

Overflow comes down to left chamber where skimmer is then baffels then cheato and liverock and hair algae/ brown string algae. I tried to clean that stuff out but it comes back. I read it's no problem thats where it should grow. I don't get much in Dt. Then little baffle/ eggcrate befor return pump


----------



## Wagonpitt (Mar 18, 2017)

Quick video of my tank so far


----------

