low alkalinity

[makana]

Well the tank is clear today and the smell is gone. Amonia and nitrite are going down fast. PH still hasn't changed its 7.9.

How long should I run the carbon? Should I continue to run without the lid? With the lid I didn't need to top off the water because any evaporation pretty much collected on the lid and fell back in. I checked salinity daily and never had it change. Now it has changed half a point since yesterday. I don't mind daily top offs but I'm wondering how you keep fish in and cats out without a top. I also would prefer the lid to minimize evaporation if I go away for a weekend in the summer.

[Snaz]

Originally Posted by makana

Well the tank is clear today and the smell is gone. Amonia and nitrite are going down fast. PH still hasn't changed its 7.9.

How long should I run the carbon? Should I continue to run without the lid? With the lid I didn't need to top off the water because any evaporation pretty much collected on the lid and fell back in. I checked salinity daily and never had it change. Now it has changed half a point since yesterday. I don't mind daily top offs but I'm wondering how you keep fish in and cats out without a top. I also would prefer the lid to minimize evaporation if I go away for a weekend in the summer.

I'm sorry if I came off as strong in my previous post. I apologise.

Run the carbon until your confident all is well, some folk always run carbon of some kind. Chemipure, which has been rumoured to solve world hunger, contains a very active carbon component and lasts a long time. I have a small bag of Chemipure in my system all the time.

As far as your lid goes, describe it. Is it a piece of glass that seals the top? If yes then you might want to consider keeping a portion open for gas exchange. If it is a hood then you can keep it closed but make sure you have some surface agitation either from a power head or return jet or even a bubble wand. Something to break the surface.

Does the water surface have a "skin" to it? A skin is water tension, a seal that will prevent proper gas exchange, it looks sorta dusty that gets broken when you put your hand in. If yes then you need to adjust your overflows so the water draws off the surface properly and not just under the surface.
Keith

[makana]

Sorry I was a little deffensive the other day. A brown tank wasn't the Christmas present I was hoping for.

The lid is plexiglass that I cut to fit. There is a small squre at the back that I cut out to make room for the heater and cords. If I put it back on I will have to cut a hole now for the skimmer so it will not really be sealed.

I've got a koralia 1 power head and it keeps the surface fairly rippled. And now with the skimmer return that should be good. My PH hasn't improved any so I'm doubting it droped due to CO2 now.

I found a small dead crab that may have caused the spike. Or the water changed caused the spike and that killed the crab. I had no idea there was a crab in there.

I'd like to keep the lid but I'm not really sure if it will be a problem. I read that they can trap CO2 that is escaping from the tank and then there is no fresh air under the lid for gas exchange.

[J.Lloy]

You will want to consider the tank location for summer. Is the room going to get hot? A lid keeps water in but I find it also limits the tanks ability to cool. Don't know if that will be an issue or not.

[makana]

I considered that as well. Being such a small tank evaporation could be deadly over a weekend. So my plan is to monitor tank temp in the early days of summer. If it looks like it will be a problem then I will be leaving the ac on to match my current tank temp.

My goal is to be able to go camping without having to find someone to come over and take care of my tank. If I have to I will rig up some sort of auto top off.

[Snaz]

If I were you I would start a new thread describing your lid and how it fits and your concerns regarding gas exchange/evaporation etc.

There are lots of people here with experience on lids. I think this thread has run it's course. Also nano-reef.com is the premier site regarding nano tanks. Try the hidden google search on that site to get any answer you need nano wise.
http://www.nano-reef.com/search/

Also the dead crab might have been a molt. With a flashlight look at your rocks a few hours after the lights are out and you will experience a whole new side of your tank you haven't seen before. Good luck with the reef!