Param Check

[ramsey]

What are you guys/gals testing for, what are the numbers, what type of tank (SPS, softie, ect.) and what numbers do you want?

Calcium - 480 - shooting for 420 or so
Alk - 6.44dkh (old test kit though, waiting on new one) - I'm shooting for 8dkh. I hope it's just that my test kit expired in dec 2012. If not, I may start using kalkwasser in my top off water.
Nitrates - 0 - want to keep that
Phosphates - .03 - would like to keep it there though I have a hair algae problem so I suspect either nitrate or phosphates are giving me bogus readings.
Ph - 7.8 to 8.1 - don't care too much about this. I get the typical nightly drop.

Currently a softie and LPS tank but that's going to change once I get all my parameters in order and keep them rock solid and stable. Then it'll be an SPS tank.

[FireWater]

My mixed 120. Checked a couple days ago.

Cal- 480
Alk- 8
Mag- 1400
Ph- 7.8

Phosphate- .05
Nitrates- 2

Depending on which phosphate and nitrate tests you are doing do a google search on heating water for accurate results. I've read that test kits won't pick up true results. Also you have different kinds of organics- part of which are free floating.

[350gt]

lol no kidding...


my phosphates are through the roof, yet I have no bad algae what so ever......

[ramsey]

My mixed 120. Checked a couple days ago.

Cal- 480
Alk- 8
Mag- 1400
Ph- 7.8

Phosphate- .05
Nitrates- 2

Depending on which phosphate and nitrate tests you are doing do a google search on heating water for accurate results. I've read that test kits won't pick up true results. Also you have different kinds of organics- part of which are free floating.


Nice! Those numbers are what I'm shooting for. I know test kits aren't very accurate. I'll look up the stuff on heating water. I noticed that my Hanna checker for phos can vary drastically. You would think for the amount of money you send on test kits, they could make one that was super accurate and EASY TO USE.

[FireWater]

That would be awesome wouldn't it?

I use a Hanna for phosphates and no, I don't heat that water. I read somewhere and can't remember where about the heating the water. It was after I got tweaked about the inaccurate Red Sea phosphate results.