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11-14-2007, 01:25 PM
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#21 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 47
Posts: 1,178
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So, I decided to head out to one of our LFS to pick up a few things and while I was there I picked up a Salifert Alk test kit. I have been using their Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphate, and Strontium(Wow, what a hit, $41, and too many agents, LOL). I have been using the API tests for ph, Ammonia, Alk, etc..
With the API I am getting a reading of 6 and with the Salifert 10.4. I was a bit suspicous that the reading may have been low with the API test...Which one should I trust? Should I get a third? LOL  _________ 72 gallon bowed 150lbs LR 60 lbs LS
2 Percs
1 Chevron Tang
Hippo Tang
Six Line Wrasse
Coral Banded Shrimp
Cleaner Shrimp
Starry Blenny
4 Lyretail Anthias
Long Polyp Toadstool
Montipora
Long Tentacle Anenome
Short tentacle plate
Pulsing Xenia
Green Star polyps
Frogspawn
29 gallon
2 Clown
1 Coral Beauty
1 Fairy Wrasse
24 FOWLR
Dwarf Lion
125 gallon African Cichlid Tank http://home.comcast.net/~pizzal/index.html 
"The more you learn, the more acutely aware you become of your ignorance" | 
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11-14-2007, 01:50 PM
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#22 (permalink)
| | Gigas Clam
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Groningen, The Netherlands Age: 25
Posts: 888
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Have you got any dKH/alkalinity booster at home?! If yes, just PM me the components. I could help you to prepare some test solution that should have desired dKh and You could benchmark your test! | |
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11-14-2007, 01:52 PM
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#23 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 47
Posts: 1,178
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The Salifert does come with a benchmark supply of water that is at 6.4dkh and when I measured it with the kit it was right on... | |
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11-14-2007, 01:55 PM
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#24 (permalink)
| | Gigas Clam
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Groningen, The Netherlands Age: 25
Posts: 888
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And what about the API in the same water sample?! | |
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11-14-2007, 01:59 PM
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#25 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 47
Posts: 1,178
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Wow, I did not even think about that...LOL...I just sent you a pm | |
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11-14-2007, 02:02 PM
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#26 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 47
Posts: 1,178
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Well, that is that...I measured the control water(6.4) with the API and it gave me a reading of 5 | |
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11-14-2007, 02:26 PM
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#27 (permalink)
| | Gigas Clam
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Groningen, The Netherlands Age: 25
Posts: 888
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Hmm... Please notice that the real dKH can be therefore around 5.5-6.0 : so the arithmetic average of both test! It's very good you have got two independent test! That makes your measurement much more reliable!
Cheers! | |
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11-18-2007, 02:42 PM
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#28 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 47
Posts: 1,178
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I am using the B-ionic 2 part calcium/alk buffers...My parameters are now
Calcium 440
Alk 10.4
ph 8.4
SG 1.026
I want to maintain the calcium and alk at these levels. What should my dosing regement be now? | |
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11-18-2007, 03:04 PM
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#29 (permalink)
| | Gigas Clam
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Groningen, The Netherlands Age: 25
Posts: 888
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Hmm... It can be pretty complicated. First off all try to "get to know" your system better.
Assuming your tank is a periodic system you can predict it's behavior and needs. However you first have to learn it's response to different factors ...
For sure ammonia/nitrite/and nitrate will be regulated "automatically".
I can't afford buying these expensive water test (I normally do the analysis in my lab @ work) so I've decided to try to correlate some of the water parameters and predict from these correlations the actual state of the system.
I was measruing 3-4 times every week pH, temp, alk. Ca2+ for 2 weeks. Then I drew few curves: pH vs temp, alk vs pH, Ca2+ vs alk... Since pH/temp/alk are related I can predict at every stage possible drop of alk (these are one of the most expensive tests together with Ca2+) as a function of pH and temp...
However, introduction of any kind of corals (consuming Ca2+, affecting pH and alk) , water change with bad quality RO/DI can make your prediction erratic.
Nonetheless, I think it's quite nice (my beloved experimental) way of learning micro-reef ecology. I think everybody should perform this kind of exercise at some stage...
Cheers!
Last edited by Camilsky; 11-18-2007 at 04:05 PM.
Reason: spelling
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11-18-2007, 03:48 PM
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#30 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 47
Posts: 1,178
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Hey man,
Thanks for your info...I am learning the balance of the system as time goes by... | |
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