Water for my reef?

[Andezzzy]

i'm still quite new to all of this so try not to bash me to hard lol. i use tap water for my water changes and put this genisis stuff in it, its suposed to kill cholorine and stuff, that tap water in my house goes through a home water filter system. The guys from the fish store dosn't use ro/di water he says he uses tap and what not. i use regular red sea salt. Now, should i invest in a ro/di for my 55 gal or just continue doing what i'm doing? also my calcium was 650 is that ok? if not would it be a good idea to add kalkwasser to even out the alk and Ca? thx for any help

[Ninong]

i'm still quite new to all of this so try not to bash me to hard lol. i use tap water for my water changes and put this genisis stuff in it, its suposed to kill cholorine and stuff, that tap water in my house goes through a home water filter system.

Does your tapwater have chlorine or chloramine in it? Many water districts use chloramine. They are chemically different. For one thing, chlorine will dissipate after 24-48 hours all by itself but chloramine takes two to three weeks to dissipate.

There are potentially other nasty things in your tapwater that are not removed by a typical add-on water filter. Unless you have a more elaborate filtration system with a D.I. cartridge???

The guys from the fish store dosn't use ro/di water he says he uses tap and what not

Well, what can I say. Some LFS do weird things. Some Many of them give weird advice, too.

Now, should i invest in a ro/di for my 55 gal or just continue doing what i'm doing?

I guess that all depends on your tapwater. You would have to know what's in your tapwater. You could start by simply measuring the TDS (total dissolved solids). They sell $20 handheld instruments to measure this.

also my calcium was 650 is that ok?

No, it's too high. You should keep it below 500 ppm. Anything between 400-500 ppm is okay but 425-475 ppm would be better.

if not would it be a good idea to add kalkwasser to even out the alk and Ca? thx for any help

Kalkwasser (limewater) is a balanced additive that maintains BOTH calcium AND alkalinity. If your calcium is 650 ppm, what is your alkalinity right now? And how about your pH do you know what that is?

[LCP136]

Check your tap water quality. My town has very good water quality, and i've never had any problems with using tap water.

[Poseidon]

RO/DI is the best, everything else is a sacrifice. The cost of an RO/DI unit is tiny as compared to other costs of our chosen hobby.

[Andezzzy]

ph is at 8.2 and the Ca is 650 i ran out of tests for alk so i gotta get more... how can i go about lowering my calcium lvls to around 450-500??

[Ninong]

ph is at 8.2 and the Ca is 650 i ran out of tests for alk so i gotta get more... how can i go about lowering my calcium lvls to around 450-500??

I forgot to ask you what method, if any, you are using to maintain calcium and alkalinity? In other words, I'm trying to find out exactly how your calcium got to 650 ppm, assuming that's an accurate reading.

Then I guess I should ask you what salt mix you're using because one brand in particular is known for very high calcium levels?

I should have mentioned that 650 ppm calcium is not going to cause any serious problems, so relax. However it's quite possible that your alkalinity might be on the low side right now.

Follow this link to all of Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley's excellent articles on another board. Check out the article on how to solve calcium and alkalinity problems and the one on how to choose a calcium and alkalinity maintenance method.

You will find a lot of very detailed explanations in Randy's many articles. I would rather that you browse through some of those first and then ask specific questions later. If you're not all that up on chemistry, you may have to read some of the passages more than once, but everyone can benefit from reading Randy's articles.

[Andezzzy]

Sorry... i do a bi weekly water change using red max sea salt with dechloranated h2o (tap water). as of a week ago i was using purple up daily and adding a capful of calcium as i was misguided. i was told reefs need high Ca and back then my Ca was low, so i was told just add purp up and calcium daily and everything will equal out. the only thing i put in it now is just liquid gold every other day and trace elements once a week

[weez1959]

Purple up is a crock of Hooey! One way or another your tank will get purple in no time

[Andezzzy]

so the Ca being at 650 do you think it would be a good idea to take 5 gallons out and replace it with unsalted water? i have a 55 gal tank. the salinity is 24 so it shoudnt drop below 21 rite? thx for the help in advance

[Poseidon]

No, I would NOT take out salt and add fresh water. Get your Alk test, find out where that is, and RELAX. I would also suggest a second test kit for your Ca, 650 is almost impossible to get too.

[Ninong]

so the Ca being at 650 do you think it would be a good idea to take 5 gallons out and replace it with unsalted water?

OMG! NO!!!
That would be an incredibly bad idea!

i have a 55 gal tank. the salinity is 24 so it shoudnt drop below 21 rite?

I certainly hope your salinity is NOT 24, as in 24 ppt. Natural seawater = 35 ppt.

If you're talking about your specific gravity being 1.024, then I would raise it to around 1.025.

[Ninong]

Sorry... i do a bi weekly water change using red max sea salt with dechloranated h2o (tap water).

I believe Red Sea offers two formulas: Red Sea Salt and Coral Pro Salt. I don't believe they offer a forumla called "Red Sea Max Sea Salt."

It's important to pin down exactly which salt you are using, assuming you are using a brand of salt manufactured by Red Sea. That's because there is a difference in formulation. Their Coral Pro Salt has more calcium than their regular Red Sea Salt. According to their website, Coral Pro Salt mixes up to 450 ppm Ca at a SG of 1.023 and 480 ppm Ca at a SG of 1.025. Those calcium levels are fine. Their cheaper product, Red Sea Salt, apparently has less calcium.

Both of their salt products are intended for use with Reverse Osmosis water, according to their website. I was looking to see if either product contains a dechlorinator/dechloraminator but I couldn't find anything. So I guess it is necessary for you to use a dechlorinator since you're using tapwater unless you can find something on the bag/bucket of salt mix that says it contains something to remove chlorine.

I'm not a fan of their salt products but I guess that's up to you to decide. There are lots and lots of choices out there when it comes to salt. You will have to use whichever one you think is best for you.

Your high calcium is coming from whatever you are adding to your tank. I suspect you are overdoing it. I suggest you read Randy's article on how to choose a good calcium and alkalinity maintenance method. That's important.

as of a week ago i was using purple up daily

Purple Up is sold by a company in the sand business. It's powdered sand in suspension. I can't think of any good reason to buy it.

i was told reefs need high Ca

No, they don't. They require NATURAL seawater conditions. That would be ~410 ppm Ca. However, most hobbyists prefer to maintain calcium slightly higher, around 425-450 ppm.

the only thing i put in it now is just liquid gold

What exactly is that, what does it do and how does it do it??? What are the ingredients???

...and trace elements once a week

Well, if you're only adding a tiny bid of these "trace elements" once a week, I guess I will withhold my usual comments. Oh, what the heck: Why are you adding trace elements? Is your water deficient in one of these "trace elements?" Which one? All of those "trace elements" are included with in the salt mixes. In fact, the problem is not that they aren't included, it's that some of them are included at concentrations much higher than natural.

You need to measure for magnesium, to make sure you're not running low on Mg. You want to keep that around 1300 ppm.

Don't add iodine unless you measure for it and find that it's below 0.06 ppm (all forms). Most people don't need to add iodine. Ever.

Don't add strontium unless you measure for it first. NSW Sr = ~8-9 ppm.

Both iodine and strontium are toxic in excess.

Read Randy's articles. They will save you a bunch of money.



P.S. -- There is no good reason to maintain salinity below natural levels in a reef aquarium. The suggestion on Red Sea's site that it's a good idea to keep it lower than natural levels is unfounded. Successful public aquaria maintain 35 ppt salinity.