Ira Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 Finally got a skimmer and test kits. Results are... Ammonia:0 Nitrates:5 PH: 8.1 KH:8.8 Calcium: 80 Salinity:1.023 Calcium is way low, I'm kinda surprised. But not too worried since I'm not planning a reef tank. Still, Where's a good place to get kalk in the wellington area? Couldn't hurt to bump it up a bit. Does everything else seem fine to everyone else? The nitrates should go down now that I've got the skimmer running, I'd think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 Your KH is about right so it's probalby best to not add kalk to increase your calcium, until they are closer to normal ratios. Kalk is a balanced addative, it raises both alk and calcium. Probably best to add calcium chloride, to get your calcium up to 420. Then use small ammounts of kalk regularly to maintain it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 Where's a good place to get Calcium chloride then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 Well, probably not the ideal source, but "damp rid" is pure (well not pure, but it doesn't have any other compounds deliberately added to it) calcium chloride, almost any supemarket stocks it, or a version of it. Alternatively any chemical supply place will have it. Redox chemicals down here in ChCh sells all sorts of useful chemical (in medium quantities) suitable for reefers. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 calcium 80?? i dont think this is correct, you should recheck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 Yeah, seemed way low to me too, Reef. Hmmm...Yeah, no harm checking again...Comes up 80 again. Unless I'm doing something wrong, it really is that low. Could be a little higher, maybe 90, but that's just the difference between purplish blue and blue, one drop. Redox chemicals...I'll check if there's anything similar around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 get some sea water and test this, sea water should be around 400ppm. colour on test kit should change from pink, purple then blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 I'm totally out of sea water. Planning on picking some up probably next weekend. Might give APS specialty chemicals a ring monday since they'll probably be closed during the weekend...Oh, damn, they'll be closed then too. Ok, Tuesday. They're the most promising looking company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 i would not be playing around with chemicals at this stage as you will put the balance out betwwen kh and calcium. they are both balanced and if you raise your calcium it will drop your kh. calcium chloride will also add too many chlorides to your tank. The best way would be to a big water change with seawater or mixed salt water. also 80 ppm as a reading is incorrect, i cant see how it can be that low. Test the seawater first to see if the test kit is not faulty, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 I was just think that. If it's that far out of wack, and you have nothing in your tank yet? Then a large water change would be the best way to get your ratio's back in order. I would use calcium chloride if you were out by say 50 - 100ppm then kalk for 50-0ppm. But when you calcium is at 80ppm (i didn't even know it could get that low ) then water changes are the best way. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2004 I do have snails, shrimp, tubeworms, a crab and a handfull of polyp thingies in the tank...But I can't make it out to get more water until next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 Ok, just tested some fresh seawater. Came out as 100ppm, definitely looks like a bad test kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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