Main water parameters

Joined
3 May 2008
Posts
690
Reaction score
51
Location
Pretoria
Hi guys can anyone help me with a list of the most important parameters for testing and a list of the less important ones,and what could be done to keep them in place
 
Hi Frans -

Here you go:
Fish only tank:
- ammonia
- nitrites
- nitrates
- pH
- alkalinity
- water temperature
- salinity/SG (amount of salt in the water)

Reef-tank (corals and other inverts)
- as above
- calcium
- phosphates

Not as important:
- magnesium
- redox (oxygen quality in the water)

RO water test:
- TDS (total dissolved solids)

Anyone else got something extra to add?
 
Thanks thats very usefull,any help on how to maintain the correct values and what the values should be
 
Amonia - 0
nitrates - <5
nitrites - 0
ph - 7.9- 8.3
alk 7-10 FKH
phosphates - <0.01
magnesium - 1200 - 1350
 
OKay cool,can anyone help on how to treat these paramters,to make them higher or lower or some homebrew methods
 
OKay cool,can anyone help on how to treat these paramters,to make them higher or lower or some homebrew methods

Perhaps you should tell us a little about your setup first - it's difficult (and risky) giving advice blindly... For starters, what do you have in your tank (or what are you planning on keeping...), size of tank, filtration, etc. Many of the mentioned parameters are controlled biologically via the filtration, whilst others are adjusted chemically.

Hennie
 
No ive got threas on this forum and have a skimmer and dsb etc,just want to now how to keep
- pH
- alkalinity
- calcium
- phosphates
is place,is alkalinity mesured in dkh

You will have to learn some Netiquette if you expect people to help you :nono: - why should anyone have to go to the trouble to search for your other threads if they reply to this thread? As I said earlier, you must supply the information which will enable us to give you good advice: e.g. do you have a deep sand bed, and/or enough good quality live rock - this (in a mature tank) will be all you need to keep the ammonia, nitrite AND nitrate below the detection limit of hobby-type test kits, if your bio-load is reasonable.

Calcium, magnesium and alkalinity can be increased by direct dosing, dripping kalk and/or running a calcium reactor, but if we don't know what equipment you have (and what livestock you have, because 'good' levels will depend on what you want to keep...) we cannot help you.

So, if someone has gone to the trouble of answering your post, the least you can do is to provide the asked information.

Oh, and use a spell checker while you're at it :nono:

Hennie
 
Guys, answer Hennie's questions and he will answer yours, its that easy. (Those little green dots spell something........)
 
Guys, answer Hennie's questions and he will answer yours, its that easy. (Those little green dots spell something........)

Well said and agreed:thumbup:
 
Sory Hennie,all I wanted was a thread that gives ideas of people to keep some of those parameters in place apart from the obvious ones like nitrates etc,like some homebrews like calcium carbonate,here is a thread on my tank,sorry for the hassle
My Nano - Members Systems and Setups
And thanks for all the input and help
 
Last edited:
What should your calcium be in a reef tank and is alk mesured dkh?

OK, I see your tank is about 1 month old, and you have a DSB - no corals yet, by the look of it (and that's GOOD).

The only parameters you should be concerned about at this point in time (apart from the denitrification process), IMHO are:
  • pH - this should be between 8.0 and 8.4. Correct with dripping kalk, or add a buffer (see my above link)
  • Alkalinity (hardness) - this should be between 7 and 10 dKh. Keep it there by dripping kalk, and/or adding a buffer, as above.
  • Phosphate - keep as low as possible, preferably below 0.01ppm. Use a phosphate 'sponge' product such as RowaPhos, PhosBan, etc. Make sure you use an iron-based (ferric oxide) product, and NOT an aluminium based product.
Calcium only becomes an issue once you have hard corals or clams (or lots of corraline algae...), but as long as it's kept above 300ppm it should be OK. Most beginners stress unnecessarily about keeping their calcium levels above 400ppm, and, although that is good on a SPS dominant system, *most* normal hobbyist tanks won't show any improvement between 350ppm and 400+ppm. Dripping kalk should be quite sufficient for the next 4-6 months, after that, use a two part additive, as described in the previously posted links.

Most importantly, DON'T become fixated by numbers - keep the tank as natural as possible, and ENJOY it.

Hennie
 
I am not in denial!

DON'T become fixated by numbers

Now why would anyone want to do that?

Numbers, what numbers ? Who said i am fixaed on numbers??? You gotta be kidding.:nono: I only measure PO4 twice a day, Ca once a day, my pH the whole day, NO3 once a day, Mg once a day, temperature the whole day, have not bought a test kit in the last two days, nor have I taken my water to the lab in three days! I can stop at any time, really, I can go without measuring my numbers for a day if i wanted to...

Be right back, just wanna go check my microbial density, borate alkalinity and manganese levels......
 
Now why would anyone want to do that?

Numbers, what numbers ? Who said i am fixaed on numbers??? You gotta be kidding.:nono: I only measure PO4 twice a day, Ca once a day, my pH the whole day, NO3 once a day, Mg once a day, temperature the whole day, have not bought a test kit in the last two days, nor have I taken my water to the lab in three days! I can stop at any time, really, I can go without measuring my numbers for a day if i wanted to...

Be right back, just wanna go check my microbial density, borate alkalinity and manganese levels......

Funny shit

:lol::lol::lol:
 
Okay Hennie I red through those threads and thanks alot again,just few more questions,
-can I just continue adjusting my alk and ph with your "koeksoda" method and use those dosages that is prescribed?
-and how often to do it
-what is the two part additive you talk about that I should do after 4 weeks,
-is your alk best nearer to 7 or to 10?
-How should I add the bicarbsoda mixture,and how does a dripper work and how much at a time etc
thanks alot it really helped,
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom