Fay Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 Skuzza Have you got your Calcium levels down a bit, maybe you could stop dosing Kalkwasser for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 whats the question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skuzza Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 The question is, would this high and riseing calcium cause a problem.Also how can you correct it if need be. My calcium level is now 620.I have not added any thing for over 3 months and i dont have calcium reactor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 620ppm sounds incorrect?? get another test kit, what is the kh?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skuzza Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 My KH is 9 or 161ppm.I will try another test kit for calcium. My mag is 1380 nitrate 10ppm po4 0.5ppm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 i think the test kit is wrong as you cant get calcium of 620ppm and a kh of 9 as both calcium and kh will always balance out, so if kh is high then calcium would be low, if calcicum is high then kh is low. but 9kh is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Thats interesting. My KH is adjusted through baking soda only. I keep mine at 12-14KH and my calcium is 450 at the moment. I keep my KH high so as to keep ph very stable. It never changes from 8.2. I would imagine Kalkwasser to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 .....maybe balance the levels due to its dual effect.... I dont use Kalkwasser, Its a pain in the butt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 As per earlier post, you really do need to check your water with another kit. This just does not sound real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Actually I've just noticed, you say your calcium is now 450, a drop from 620. That is more realistic, in fact if you could maintain that and your kh, you'll have excellent levels. How are you dosing calcium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Wasp That was cracker talking not skuzza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 I keep mine at 12-14KH and my calcium is 450 at the moment. the alk seems very high, anything around 8kh is ok. what is your salinity?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Alk that high is alright. All it means is the corals calcification rate increases. I think where high alk gets it's reputation for causing rtn, is because calcification is increase, but other nutrient used in the calcification process are in short supply, so the coral becomes stressed. If you keep your alk high, while adding some sort of food, like phyto, or amino acids, I think there would be much less chance of rtn occuring. Plus growth would go through the roof. Just my thoughts. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Interesting theory Layton, may be onto something there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 If you have mainly soft corals, what is the benefit of having calciums & kh levels so high??? like 450ppm. will the leathers grow faster?? i thought soft coral utilise nutrients to grow?? can anyone explain?? why is it important to have nitrates below 10ppm in a soft coral tank?? sorry about all the questions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Lowe nitrates in any tank. Also nitrates will reduce the lifespan of your fish. Softcorals grow in the same parts of the ocean as hard corals, so it stands to reason they need the exact same conditions. No doubt that softcorals will survive in higher nutrient environment than many SPS but I think thats because they are more hardy. My leathers, softies and hard corals are all doing well, I am sure I am running a low nutrient tank, low fish load, large water volume and little feeding. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Also nitrates will reduce the lifespan of your fish. Very interesting, did not know that, were can i find info on this?? What i have read, is most fish will handle 60ppm no problems. how does a nitrate level of say 10ppm reduce the lifespan of fish. Leathers might come from the same ocean, however still dont see what the the benefits are of having high calicum/kh on a leather tank??? What i have observed is that leathers grow much quicker in a tank that has 10ppm nitrates vs a tank with zero nitrates. I can understand that low nitrate will help colour up acropora, but how does low nitrate colour up leathers/mushrooms?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Wasp That was cracker talking not skuzza Oops, thanks Fay, I see it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Very interesting, did not know that, were can i find info on this?? What i have read, is most fish will handle 60ppm no problems. how does a nitrate level of say 10ppm reduce the lifespan of fish. You can find more info on this in books or on the internet: Wet Web Media (Bob Fenner) Nitrates Effect on Fish Fish will feel the impact of nitrates by the time the levels reach 20 ppm or greater, particularly if levels remain there. The resulting stress leaves the fish more susceptible to disease and inhibits their ability to reproduce. High nitrate levels or long term exposure to nitrates are especially harmful to fry and young fish, and will affect their growth and colour. Furthermore, conditions that cause elevated nitrates often cause decreased oxygen levels, which further stress the fish. Reefcentral.com Nitrite Nitrite (NO2) is formed as part of the nitrogen cycle, when the bacteria in the tank breaks down the ammonia, nitrite are produced. While nitrite isn’t as poisonous to fish as ammonia, it is still very dangerous and can easily kill fish. In a mature aquarium the nitrite levels will often bezero, thus not being a problem to fish.Nitrite binds to red blood cells and blocks their ability to transport oxygen, because of this affected fish frequently appear to be oxygen-deprived, even in water with high concentrations of oxygen. Affected fish may gasp at the surface or in water inflow. If nitrite is present at lower levels, fish may only show signs of toxicity when they are stressed further and require more oxygen. Over longer periods of exposure to nitrite, fish can become anemic (i.e., deficient in red blood cells). Leathers might come from the same ocean, however still dont see what the the benefits are of having high calicum/kh on a leather tank??? High calcium benifits are probably negligable, however high KH will buffer PH and provide a more stable water paramaters. I can understand that low nitrate will help colour up acropora, but how does low nitrate colour up leathers/mushrooms?? Not sure if it does or not. As I understand it, low nitrates increase colour because of the way in which the xanthelle (spelling!) grows, this same alage is what provides colour to soft corals too so maybee the same rules apply? Just a guess though, don't know. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Nitrite binds to red blood cells and blocks their ability to transport oxygen, because of this affected fish frequently appear to be oxygen-deprived, even in water with high concentrations of oxygen thats really cool info, do you have a link for it pies? i like learning the whys or things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 The link in my post - www.reefcentral.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Not sure if it does or not. As I understand it, low nitrates increase colour because of the way in which the xanthelle (spelling!) grows, this same alage is what provides colour to soft corals too so maybee the same rules apply? Just a guess though, don't know. Pie The only colour zooxanthealle algae provide to corals is brown. What you are after is a low density of zooxanthealle, so the fluorescing protiens that give acro's, and corals in general, their bright colours. Zooxanthealle like any algae feed on nitrate. The more nitrate, the higher the density, and the more brown a coral looks. I have never heard of nitrate being harmful to fish, I only though nitrite was, cause it stops oxygen binding to hemaglobin in the fish's blood. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 what does cause the colour in corals?? do they have a melanin type substance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 I have never heard of nitrate being harmful to fish, I only though nitrite was, cause it stops oxygen binding to hemaglobin in the fish's blood. I thought it was common knowledge. The only colour zooxanthealle algae provide to corals is brown. What you are after is a low density of zooxanthealle, so the fluorescing protiens that give acro's, and corals in general, their bright colours. So lower nitrates means better looking softies. Alois wrote: Leathers might come from the same ocean, however still dont see what the the benefits are of having high calicum/kh on a leather tank??? your answer is above. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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