eniram

Oh you Guys know your stuff don't you? Purchased a titration Alkanlinity Testing Kit and here are the results: Comparitor Test 1.5 meq/l Photometer Test 1.59 meq/l Titration Test 2.6 meq/l So my comaparitor test kit is definitely "stuffed" and I my photometer is actually designed to test potable (fresh) water, so perhaps it throws a "wobbly" when given saltwalter - maybe? Thanks for all your help and advice - I am now back on track thanks to you all.

Hey thanks Guys - all good advice from Davidb, Reef, Dogmatix. Okay, first thing - I've had the lights on too long per day - was at twelve - will slowly pull that back. Perhaps that's why I had a wee burst of some pretty ugly looking green strand like algea - looked a bit like didymo!! I brushed it all off, it disappeared into the filter and hasn't come back (yet!) Tested again tonight and pH is 8.4 and Alk 1.45 (and yes Dogmatix, it is meq/l not DHK as I thought - Duh! But I will take the advice not to worry too much about it and wait to the cycling ends and do a 50% change and see what happens then. And just exactly how do I tell when the tank is fully cycled please Guys?

Wasp, Thanks for the prompt response and the "heads up" that Mg and Ca are okay where they are (were). I am reasonably confident the Alkalinty (DKH) is correct. I am using both a reagent/comparator and a photometer to check it and they have verified against each other from the beginning. Alkalinity was around 2.3 - 2.5 DKH from the start and then started dropping when the pH started to climb (and my limited knowledge of chemistry suggested that if Ca & Alk. were dropping, why was the pH rising?) I am also sure I have the pH rise recorded correctly as I checked that using two reagents kits and the photometer!. Anyway, I will take your advice and get a sample analysed for Alk. at a Marine Shop and advise. Thanks

I'm just starting out on marine tanks, so please excuse any mistakes or misunderstandings I make. I am five weeks into cycling a 120 litre tank with about 35% live rock. Everything appeared to be going normally until about a two weeks ago. The ammonia and nitrate spikes came and went in the first two weeks. I have been doing a 10% water change weekly, using RO make-up water and Red Sea salt. I have been adding the recommended bacteria. Temperature has been stable at around 25- 26 throughout and the S.G has always been 1.020 to 1.024. Ammonia, Nitrates and Phosphates are now all within limits. I have a lovely dark green carpet of algea on the sunlit surfaces of the LR. Then two weeks ago the calcium dropped below 370, the pH went above 9.0 and over several days, the Alkalinity went down to 1.1. (I have checked it with a comparitor and a photometer so I am sure it is correct) I added calcium and now have that back around 400. I have slowly been adding Red Sea Buff for the Alkalinity and it is slowly rising, but is still at just 1.4. The pH is coming back down and last night was at 8.4. I have only just today received my Magnesium titration kit and is is off the scale at >1280ppm (titrated twice to check) Can anyone help with some some advise please on how to now get the Mg down without effecting the S.G. and do I still continue to slowly add Buff to get the Alk up? And on a different note - I am new to this web site and I must say there are some very impressive marine reefs on display - I admire your work. And for anyone wanting to know what eniram stands for - I'm not that creative with Nicknames so I just spelt Marine backwards - all I could think of!