Take the average?? Flip a 3 sided coin ? Or ask a ouija board maybe!!! I'll come help ;)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You always cheat on the ouija board!

Haha, you and test kits! :lol: How many times have you used the RS kit so far? The Red Sea Mg kit is really finicky - I won't buy it again. That said, I can get the same reading from Salifert as Red Sea, but those first 5 drops in the RS kit need to be done 15 seconds apart. Stupid.

I'd dismiss the old kit results because now that I use test kits multiple times everyday and they only last me a couple months maximum, I'm finding new kits match up with "old" kits. I've come to the conclusion that older kits start wandering quicker than we might expect. Looking back through 5 years of test result journals anecdotally confirms this suspicion.

I wouldn't care much between the two remaining results - both are above NSW Mg level.

Test time again this morning!

Ca - Hanna HI758

426ppm - Test 1: Old reagent (exp 11/16)
432ppm - Test 2: New reagent (exp 03/18)
433ppm - Test 3: Same reagent as above

Alk - HI755

130ppm - Test 1: Old reagent (exp 03/16)!!!
154ppm - test 2: New reagent (can't remember exp, but it's new)
153ppm - Test 3: Same reagent as above

Mg - RedSea Magnesium Pro Kit

1380ppm

Phos - Red Sea Phosphate Pro Kit

0.02 - 0.04ppm

NO3 - Red Sea Nitrate Pro Kit

32ppm!!!!!

So obviously I haven't been keeping up on my water changes, look at those nitrates! I think it's having a detrimental effect on some of my corals. So I did a ~40g water change and I have another one mixing as we speak. I may do a 40g change every couple days to try and drive those nitrates down. If I do a 40g change every two days for a week that will be approx. 38% water change.

Second point of this post, check your reagent expiry dates :) I think that was part of my issue with my parameters seeming funky for the last couple months.

Hello All,

I recently had a large rtn/stn event and I couldn't figure it out. It started on one coral (not new to the system and spread out from that point like a wild fire. Currently the death has stopped, seemingly confused by a large encrusted sunset montipora. But up to that point it eradicated a bunch of Acropora sp. and a M. setosa. As far as all my tests told me my numbers were all in the wheelhouse. I also use a microscope professionally and could not see any unwanted pests on the corals I removed from the system. I only observed a magnificent foxface picking at the dead skeletons once algae started to grow on them. A bit of background info:

I use all Tropic Marin products (TM Bio Actif Sea Salt, TM Bailing 3-part, TM K+ & A- Elements)
I guess that's a lie, I also dose Zeovit Pohl's Xtra
I use GHL dosers to deliver the dosing (recently re-calibrated since the death started. They were only off by 5ml/min)
RO/DI system testing 12ppm on the clean side (I know I need to change the cartridges and the DI resin is pretty spent)
I do a ~45g water change every 2 weeks
I use Hanna Alk, Ca & PO4 handheld testers
I use Red Sea Pro Test kits for Mg, NO3 & PO4

My corresponding kits test results vary quite a bit in the Ca (478ppm) and Mg (1260ppm). I performed the tests at the same time as drawing the water for the Triton vials (or at least within 10 minutes).

So Triton says I am way low on Ca (323 mg/l), high on Mg (1449 mg/l), and have dangerous levels of Boron & Molybdenum. The test mentioned Mo can cause cyano, and I do have a little patch of it in the back section of the tank. So what do you all think I should do? Where is my Boron coming from?

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-p4WjTXM-L.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-phB8srx-L.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-Vdt3B3Z-L.jpg

Scythanith, have you had a read through this article?
There is a list of Boron sources in a reef tank near the middle of the article.


http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/12/chemistry

.

I have not but I will right now. I am also going to contact TM to find out if there is Boron in any of their products I use, even in trace amounts.

Thanks!

You're welcome.
As far as what to do about the elevated Boron, try growing some macro algae somewhere in your system, if you're not already.

Good read. I have a spot I can easily grow a ball of macro. I even have a red GHL simustick I've been meaning to use for something. May as well be this!

Way back in the day I stopped using Ocean Pure salt because I discovered it contained higher than normal levels of boron. For that reason the TM salt would be the first thing I would rule out. Get a freshly mixed batch of salt water tested with Triton to see how the base line compares.