Paddy's Ocean - 70 Gallon Mixed Reef **Phoenix Rebuild**

[paddyob]

Ca - 400
Kh - 90
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
NH3 - 0
Ph - 8.4

[BlueTang<3]

The alk is low you can get away with it for a bit but too long you can have major tissue losses. Its not good to have large swings dosing and then checking a few hrs later and it was 120 so it was probably higher and fell. I see you are using h2 ocean salt i had the same problem with that salt. It was actually some of the worst salt i had ever used.

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by BlueTang<3

The alk is low you can get away with it for a bit but too long you can have major tissue losses. Its not good to have large swings dosing and then checking a few hrs later and it was 120 so it was probably higher and fell. I see you are using h2 ocean salt i had the same problem with that salt. It was actually some of the worst salt i had ever used.

No matter which salt I use, I always have Kh issues. At least with H2Ocean I have yet to dose calcium since this tank was set up last summer.

I am playing with dosing to see what I need to doe regularly to keep it up.

[BlueTang<3]

What kind of salts are have u used. I have used reefers best, royal nature, and instant ocean and had better results than h2 ocean.

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by BlueTang<3

What kind of salts are have u used. I have used reefers best, royal nature, and instant ocean and had better results than h2 ocean.

I have used Instant Ocean (years ago - will never use it again), Bio-Sea, SeaChem Reef Salts and now H2Ocean. Asides from the Kh issue, H2Ocean has given me great results.

I don't foresee myself switching from it anytime soon.

[BlueTang<3]

Pat my only concern for u is I see you are not even checking potassium and magnesium. From my experience with the salt all 3 levels were very low and for the price and hassle of bringing them up I could buy a different salt.

[fishytime]

Ive been using H2Ocean for two years....love the stuff.....so much so that I nearly had to buy it from a competitor recently because RC was in between shipments......Ive used some obscure brand that came in a bag that I cant recall the name of now, Seachem (hated it), Reefers Best (liked it but switched because of availability) and lastly H2Ocean.....

sorry to hear about the anthia mang

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by BlueTang<3

Pat my only concern for u is I see you are not even checking potassium and magnesium. From my experience with the salt all 3 levels were very low and for the price and hassle of bringing them up I could buy a different salt.

I will test my magnesium today.. as I actually do have a test kit for it. I will try remember to pick up a potassium kit next week.

I really never considered testing them before.


I am working on my reservoir a bit as well. I have a 20 gallon food grade container from Zeebest and some plumbing parts. I have a relatively good size pump and a heater already running in the container. I am tired of messing around wasting time with water changes.

Soooo... to begin with, I am going to make the reservoir into a "gas tank" kinda pump system so I can simply turn a valve and fill pails with a flexible pipe. This for the time being will save me some time.

BUT... I got the go ahead from my wife to plumb the tank into the laundry room DIRECTLY BELOW!!

I am going to have two reservoirs set for water change and top up. Pump directly from the room below into the tank. I also need to do some work on my main drain (due to a recent drainage back up issue) so I am going to also set a drain from the tank up stairs directly into it so I can eliminate buckets from my daily life forever. Wohahah. I will also work with the water lines since my water tank is also directly beside my reservoir "area".

Now to find a salt system so I don't have to scoop the salt anymore. Anyone feel like coming over? I need... some help. Ha ha ha!

Anyhow. The build never ends. Planning stages right now. Once I finish renovating the bedroom... I have more time to begin this.

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by BlueTang<3

Pat my only concern for u is I see you are not even checking potassium and magnesium. From my experience with the salt all 3 levels were very low and for the price and hassle of bringing them up I could buy a different salt.

Question.... where do you get a test for Potassium Wes? I was looking for one today. And why test it?