HELP HELP HELP SERIOUS PROBLEM!!!!!

[Nano]

ooops sorry my bad Hey I found a refractometer on kijiji in edmonton for $30 it looks like its in great shape, its a Sybon is this a good deal? its regular $59.95

[gregzz4]

As long as nothing is broken, scoop it up
Just make sure the sample lens is not scratched up
And check the focus on the eye socket
Good luck, it's a great deal
I've never seen a used one that cheap out here

[Nano]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

As long as nothing is broken, scoop it up
Just make sure the sample lens is not scratched up
And check the focus on the eye socket
Good luck, it's a great deal
I've never seen a used one that cheap out here

well there is a picture, lol but a pictures worth 1000 words, it looks pristine but as you said I have to actually look at it

[Myka]

Nanomano, I can tell by looking at your tank that the alkalinity is not at 27 dKH. I think you goofed on the test. Re-read the instructions from beginning to end, then test again following the steps one by one. The alkalinity kit is really easy, and the API alkalinity kit is actually quite a good one even though it is cheaper. The Salifert alkalinity kit will test 1-2 dKH higher than it actually is, so I don't like Salifert for alkalinity, but API and Elos are both good for alkalinity and will both give you a really similar reading.

IIRC, the API kit is 1 drop = 1 dKH. First it turns blue, then it turns yellow. When it is clear yellow you stop adding drops. Is that what you did? Did you have to add 27 drops to get it to turn yellow? I have a feeling that the dKH is half of that, and you goofed some weird calculation you did...?

The AragaMILK is essentially really, really fine aragonite sand and at saltwater pH values it will not dissolve. It doesn't really do anything at all.

Reef Crystals out of the bucket will be around 500 ppm calcium, 8 dKH, and mg I can't remember. Mix up a batch of saltwater (to 35 ppt or 1.025-6), let it mix with a powerhead for 24 hours. Double check salinity then test calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. This will tell you what the waterchange water is, which is important to know. Are you using tap water or RO or RO/DI?

Since you got your hydrometer calibrated, you can still use it will no issues. Just remember to re-calibrate it every 6 months.

From Wetaskiwin, Blue World is probably the closest "REAL" saltwater store to you. It is actually only a few blocks away from the Big Al's in the south end. Go there instead! Red Coral in the north end is good too, and Aquarium Illusions is up there too (more west of Red Coral), but I haven't talked much to the staff at AI so I can't vouch for them.

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by nanomano

BIG ALS YOU BETTER REFUND ME! I AM SO TICKED

Relax. Problem is not so bad. BA does tend to have under educated staff but their products should not be to blame.

Aragamilk is primarily for Ca bu is more of a cocktail mixture. It should raise your parameters as s whole.

If you move you Kh too quick you can cause major Ph swings and that can cause more trouble than being high.

Research. Number one in this hobby. Do lots before buying anything.

Good luck.

Ps... Shake the hell outta the bottle when using it.

[daniella3d]

Why not get a refractometer and toss the guess work?

It's around 20$ at ebay with automatic temperature compensation (ATC).

This is by far the most important piece of equipement to have when you start in saltwater. Hydrometer can be off too much and they can swing in that margin too much. Even when you think you know, it can still be off. Take out the guess work, buy a refractometer.

Originally Posted by nanomano

seeing as though I know my hydrometer is off by .003 cause it was just compared to a refractometer on wednesday, I made a mistake saying it was 1.023, I checked it 5 times and it reads 1.0215(so + .003=1.0245) so my actual salinity is 1.0245 so its just slightly low, but tomorrow I am going to have my hydrometer checked again as well as take a water sample for testing, and replace the bad alk test kit.
other then that my params
PARAMS
Salinity 1.0235---actually is 1.0245
CA 320-----accurate but bringing it up slowly
ph 8.1 accurate
Ammonia 0 ppm accurate
Alk/Kh 27???? WTF?--broken test kit
Phosphate less then .25---is this ok?
Nitrites 0 ppm---accurate
Nitrates 0 ppm---accurate

so all this being said, should I still hold off on my fish purchase if this is my actual parameters? or are they in fact ok?

[reefwars]

dude trust me slow down , your tank is new and your also new to the hobby i wouldnt be dosing anything at all. if i were you i would forget about alk,cal and mg for a short while.... do some water changes and forget about your tests. water changes will bring you back to where you need to be since your tank prob doesnt actually consume anything.its a 20g right?? in a 20g with a few water changes you will be where you need to be in no time and it wont cost a fortune in salt. bring your water in for testing to an lfs for now.buy good quality test kits i prefer elos for most and api for nitrate and amonia. do the test over and over but do not dose anything.if after a couple weeks your levels stay consistant with water changes then you can try to figure out whats low and for what reason.when dosing you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KNOW WHY YOUR LOW OR HIGH or you wont know what to dose or why to dose.dosing blindly is bad, adding only one thing like calcium is also bad when dosing daily and in a small tank of 20g. just do some frequent water changes and let your eyes be the judge. once you start to add corals and your tank gets more full and mature you can start to see what your tank uses up.i think youll find at the stage your in your tank doesnt use practically anything.start with calcium keep an eye on it and do water changes, test before and after the water change, if your at 320 keep doing the water changes and watch it go up slowly, once your at where you need to be(i like 420) then watch your alk, it should also be where it needs to be.with a tank as small as 20g and not a full blown mature reeftank water changes is all you will need......keep it simple is the key



salinity at 1.023 isnt bad salinity above 1.026 is bad so its better to be slightly lower than higer, you dont need to add salt to raise your salinity let evaporation do it for you its slow and free, then just replace the salt at the level that matches your tankget a refractometer hehehe

[spawn]

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned yet, is that if you do your mixing in a 5 gal pail with a pump & a heater, it takes 2 2/3 of a household measuring cup to mix your water to 1.026 @ 79 degrees. So if you want to mix your new batch at 1.024 just put a little bit less salt then that, & you should know that your water is very close in terms of sal.

[Nano]

k again, thanks guys.. I hate being the newb.. its so frustrating, and I'm sure most of you have been where I am at some point. I'm just glad I have the help. I am getting a refractometer today. you know to top of all my other problems, my only fish (Ocellaris Clown) has ICH. ughhh.... so I am treating him with ich attack. I use garlic rich food (new life spectrum with garlic) and he is still eating, but today I came and saw he is covered head to tail poor guy. I know this is a typical thing to say, but I just feel like giving up, I am afraid of killing everything.
the few zoos and ricordea I have are fine, and my clean up crew as well are fine. I just don't get it. lol.. I'm going nuts over here!! I mean fresh water is a breeze but this is just giving me a brain tumor.

[Blom]

Well as many have said you need to slow down... fresh water is easy because most people don't over think it.... tank, water, fish... pretty easy. Ive noticed that there are alot of people who over think these salt water tanks at the start. Just worry about your temp, ph, and sg. I test for nitrates from time to time just to see, but I can usually tell from looking in the tank if somethings off. The old hammer coral shrivels up like George off Seinfeld. There is no need to panic... a small water change can have a big difference. Its basically the only thing I need to do to get the water parameters back into a good range. And remember Big Als is like a walmart, lots of stuff, some good some not so. But it is for the most part a one stop shop, I just tend not to talk to the staff lol. Over the next bit you will figure your tank out and have more confidence to deal with it.