Balance alk and Calc.

it is coming down ever so slowly.  i did test my fresh salt mix.  it was 420 Calk and 4 alk.  am using oceanic brand.  this is new brand for me and it is a bit higher in the ca and alk than my last bunch of salt.  my old mix was only at about 75 cal and 2 alk.  if by snowing you mean small white particles all over in tank then i have it

hey Naut. can i do a water change now? trates getting high

 

OK what is in your tank right now? Need to know everything even fish.

Your tank is snowing and Boomer and I have been talking about this and we are going to have to do some drastic things with your tank.

What do you mix your salt in? gallon size is what?
When changing water do you take out the water and then add the fresh water?

We are planning on some big water changes and thinking a third of the water at a time... 17 gallons at one time. mix a little light at 1.023 salinity and cal around 360 to 400. then wait for a couple of days and test so we can see what happens.

 

ok.. i got 3 damsels and 2 clowns. a few hermits and snails. aand on brittle star. i tested my fresh water prior to mixing last night and it has such little alk in it two drops turned it past end point. tested calk and it was about 60PPM.

i mix salt in 5 gal buckets and put in a bubble stone for 24 hours. i draw out old water and poor in new salt mix. ill have to be careful now tho becasue i had to switch salt mixes because my LFS was out of my coralife. i Have Oceanic brand now that mixes at 400 PPM calk and 3.5 alk.

as far as snowing just to be sure we talking about the same thing. there are little white floaties in the water. kinda look about size of micro bubbles

stragne tho cause the polyps i so have will open up one day and the next be all shriviled up like they drying out and tips will turn white. then a few days later its A Ok. also i do still see the coraline growing.

so you need any more info. i got to run to work, but have 5 gals mixed already and ready to go. can do 10 more toinight.

 

Lets do the 17 gallon water change. and get ready for 17 more in a couple of days.
Mix it where the cal is low say 350 to 375 and salinity at 1.023.
Take 17 gallons out and replace with freshly mixed 17 gallons. then wait an hour or so and test. if we get where we want to be then we will stop if not have 17 more gallons ready to change again. We may end up doing this 3 or 4 times depending on results.

 

k.. will start .  do i want to take out all 17 gals at once then replace or 5gals at a time?


will this put my livestock in shock?


k. all done. i did test salt mix water before putting in tank tho and tested about 480PPM with 3 alk meq

tested before mixed with salt and 60PPM cal with alk at too low to get reading before endpoint so close to 0. will wait it out tonight and test again in afternoon

 

Not if it is at the same temp or close to it the fish will be fine.

What was the salinity test? did you mix it to 1.023? and got 480 on cal?
We may need to mix it lighter next time.

A cal that high will not help us out much.
What was the test after a hour of being in the tank?

 

ididnt test when iput in tank am letting it sit for the night and will test this afternoon

 

What is the temp of the mixed salt?

 

ok.. i did another 10gal today. mixed at 1.020 and temp of 78 before i put in tank. i had another 5 gals ready to go, but droped my water jug and broke it heheh (shh wife dont know).

water now
0 trites, amonia and trates
calc at 500 still, but started to turn in 400'sPM very distinct royal blue at 500 tho.
alk is 4meq/l
and ph is 8.6

 

[quote author=new2salt2 link=board=Water;num=1080608869;start=90#98 date=04/20/04 at 14:56:35]ok.. i did another 10gal today.  mixed at 1.020 and temp of 78 before i put in tank.  i had another 5 gals ready to go, but droped my water jug and broke it heheh (shh wife dont know).

water now
0 trites, amonia and trates
calc at 500 still, but started to turn in 400'sPM very distinct royal blue at 500 tho.
alk is 4meq/l
and ph is 8.6

[/quote]
This is much better and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
What were the tests before adding to the tank?
What is the salinity of the tank right now?
Oh I called and told your wife...LOL sorry.