How Do These Results Sound?

[bronzecat]

Hi

Thought i'd take a look at the new salifert test kits i bought. They looked well complicated so thought i'd have a test with them.

Got the tank (40 gallon) running, just coral sand in at present.

Temp = 25.2
Salinity = 1.025
KH = 7.4 dkh
Alk = 2.63
Ph = 8.1
MG = 1200ppm
CA = 350ppm

Am I heading in the right direction? Can i expect Live rock to buffer any readings?

Now, had various advice on how to go about getting the tank going.
The method I've heard most has been to add live rock to the system and then let it run? This was from reputable Lfs's.

A very well known and good lfs, said to use LR and stability by Seachem?

Another lfs, well i wont even begin to explain

What do you guys think?

Sorry so many questions

 

[pkc]

There are some very simple ways of keeping a marine aquarium very good.
You will be amazed as to how your tank does,even though your tests read quite good.

There are a lot of hidden substances that do not test and some that you can test and for all logical reasons seem great yet it never quite gets there.
The two things that are not used a lot these days are the most important filter sections to have.

The algae scrubber(not refugium,that was Originally a place of refuge for tank life).
The next is a dry section and this is the gas exchange failsafe for an aquarium.

Any gas expert worth anything will tell you that in order to get the best gas exchange you have to cascade your water.

A protein skimmer will do some of it, but if the bubbles are the correct size than they are coated quickly and do very little for gas exchange.
Both a correctly built(by you)algae scrubber and dry section can be added to a system via remote at any time,very simple to do!

 

[rabbut]

The readings are partly OK, but two could use attention if you plan to keep corals

Temp = 25.2
Salinity = 1.025

fine

KH = 7.4 dkh
Alk = 2.63

These should read the same. Most KH tests are actually Alkalinity test kits, as KH is hard to test for. Alkalinity and KH are very closely linked and hence testing Alk will give a good idea of Alk readings. The Alkalinity kits work by measuring how much acid is needed to drop the liquid down to a set pH. The Alk reading would be dangerously low, the Kh reading OK for softies/FO systems, but low for hard corals under the Berlin system, that it would appear you are planning to use.

Ph = 8.1

Fine in a tank of this age

MG = 1200ppm

low. It will be fine for a FO system, but wants upping for any coral systems realy...

CA = 350ppm

Fine

LR won't buffer any levels for you, in fact, during the cycling process it will put downward pressure on many of them. If you are planning to keep corals, I'd look to buffer Alk and Mg at the point of the large waterchange before you add the first fish or the Clean Up Crew Up the Mg first, the Alk second. The Alk reading depends on high levels of Mg to remain stable. If you up Alk first, you risk the Alk and Ca readings crashing and the water going cloudy. Not too bad for the fish/LR provided surface agitation is good, but corals and certain mobile inverts would realy suffer in that situation...

Add the LR and then monitor Ammonia, NirtIte and NitrAte on a weekly basis untill Ammonia and NitrIte are zero, at which point NitrAte should be high. At this point, you do a large 50%+ waterchange. Stability is a good product apparently, but does nothing extra to the tank that the LR won't do itself... It won't do any harm, but it won't make a particularly big speed boost. Mainly, people running FO with bio-mech set-ups use it to speed-up a fishless cycle...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[bronzecat]

Cheers Pkc Had to read your post a couple of times, but thats just me being dopey

Thanks rabbut for the info ref my 1st results

Live rock is in I'm amazed too There's all sorts of "things" popping out already. Seen a couple of tiny shrimp type things, and there appears to be an anenome of some sort (only tiny) Will keep my eyes open for nasty ones though

 

[rabbut]

Any chance of photo's of these shrimp and anenomies? LR hitch-hikers are always fun to watch and try to ID, untill they start munching coral like a couple of starfish that came in on some of mine...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[bronzecat]

I have been attempting to photograph the anenome thing, but having real difficulties. Netty is just uploading them. The shrimpy looking things were about 6mm and all white, not seen them for a while though.

 

[bronzecat]

Not good photo's but I'm pretty sure this is an Apitasia So will have to go

 

[rabbut]

Certainly could be from that pic...