MORE SAND - Page 2

Leesa · 06-11-2003, 09:37 AM

After I hit post it occurred to me that I was not very specific. My water parameters are all stable, i.e. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, trace (less than .25 phosphorous), Ca around 400, ph 8.4, alkalinity is normal.

Hopefully, we will have our sump/refugium with our protein skimmer up and running in the next little while. It would have been sooner except that we had no idea that essentially nothing will bond to a rubbermaid container. So, we are building it in acrylic. It is a process.

Wrassman · 06-11-2003, 11:00 AM

[glow=Brown, 1, 80%]Was it "live aragonite sand"? The fact that it is "live sand" will have a positive effect on your tank (it will keep all the cycles to a bare minimum). If your sand was aragonite, that is why your Ca is 400. It is probably dropping from something like 420ppm. If you want to keep it >400, you should get a good, balanced Ca additive pretty soon. [smiley=yaknow.gif][/glow]

david · 06-11-2003, 07:40 PM

O.K. soooo! What I'm gettin' here is that you can add live sand to your tank with very little bad effects as long as you don't stir up a giant cloud ie. put it in slooow and easy!!! would this sound right? Because I belive I'm going to try it. I'll let you all know how it works out

Gresham · 06-11-2003, 08:18 PM

Mollusks love nitrates, its one of their food sources and one of the down falls.

David-

Live sand or dead, I was referring to dead (dry). Live sand is always a bonus, bu dry aragonite is just fine. Great to see some one taking advice from all, and j then ust doing it. Yah.

Leesa · 06-12-2003, 08:56 AM

Hey Wrassman,
I add B-Ionic #'s 1&2 almost every day. My calcium runs around 400 every week when I check it. Yes, it was "live" aragonite sand that I added to my existing live sand because I wanted my sand bed to be deeper. But in my ignorance I did not check my calcium to see if there was a change in my calcium level.

Wrassman · 06-12-2003, 09:47 AM

[glow=Maroon, 2, 80%]Hey Leesa,

You are ok. If you can maintain a Ca of 400ppm on a weekly basis, you are doing better than a lot of people around here. [smiley=biglaugh.gif] You might want to look at your Alk and pH levels, though. Sometimes, when things aren't "balanced" properly, you can raise your Ca, but it is at the expense of your Alk and pH.

Crushed aragonite has a VERY high intrinsic pH (around 11.0, I believe). As it deteriorates in our tanks, and the bacteria use it for various functions, it loses some of that Ca, Alk, and pH punch it had when you first put it in there.

I would test Ca, Alk, and pH and see if the water is balanced. If you are using B-Ionic 1&2, you should be fine. But, you are going through that stuff pretty fast. Maybe you should look into some less expensive alternatives.

HTH !!!![/glow]

Leesa · 06-13-2003, 03:23 PM

Okay, I just posted this question on a different thread. Sorry....
What brand of test kits will give me a specific alkalinity reading. I am currently using Red Sea and it only gives a range from low to high. I would like a specific reading. Also, my pH has dropped from 8.4 to around 8.0. My calcium remains at 400, alkalinity "normal", nitrites and nitrates at 0 and ammonia at 0. All of these were done with a Red Sea test kit but they have been confirmed on more than one occasion by the LFS.

Also, what are some less expensive alternatives to the B-Ionic 1&2. I have been thinking about reading about and trying Kalkwasser but I haven't gotten that far.

Thanks

Wrassman · 06-13-2003, 03:38 PM

[glow=Blue, 2, 80%]Hey Leesa,

Go to Product Reviews and read up on Seachem's Reef Complete, Reef Calcium, Reef Plus, Reef Builder, Reef Trace, and Reef Buffer. All of these products are less expensive than the other brands, and are formulated to keep your tank at pH 8.3, while keeping everything else in balance.

Read up on them, and if I can help you in any way in the morning, just let me know !!![/glow]

Matt Rogers · 06-14-2003, 07:17 AM

[quote author=Leesa link=board=ASAP;num=1055197640;start=15#16 date=06/13/03 at 18:23:14]What brand of test kits will give me a specific alkalinity reading.
Thanks[/quote]

My Sea Chem Marine Basic kit has an alkalinity test that will give you a #. I can't vouch for the accuracy, but it is specific.

Wrassman · 06-14-2003, 08:34 AM

[glow=Maroon, 2, 99%]That is correct, Matt. Seachem's Alkalinity Test will give you a # instead of a color. [smiley=scholar.gif]

It sounds like Leesa has a Magnesium problem, but I'm guessing with very little empirical evidence. The symptoms described sound like a Mg problem, though. If she would use Reef Complete three times in one week, and test again, I think she'd see the problem cleared up. Reef Complete is "balanced" in that it supplies Mg along with the other stuff that she needs to maintain a healthy Ca, Alk, pH, and Mg complex. [smiley=smart.gif]

I'm a Seachem convert because the stuff WORKS, and works well at keeping my tank stable and in balance. [smiley=smug.gif][/glow]