Scott's 270g aka Project Mayhem

[shabidou1990]

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


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[Scythanith]

You always cheat on the ouija board!

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Scythanith

Used three Magnesium test kits. An old Salifert, new Salifert and a new Red Sea.

Old Salifert test kit: 1065
New Salifert kit: 1305
New Red Sea kit: 1380

What the hell lol!

Haha, you and test kits! 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.

[Scythanith]

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.

[Scythanith]

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?

[MitchM]

Originally Posted by Scythanith

... Where is my Boron coming from?

...

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

.

[Scythanith]

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!

[MitchM]

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.

[Scythanith]

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!

[sphelps]

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.