Depressing water test news!

[Reefergeorge]

In my nano 12 I don't dose anything and do a 1 gallon wchange a week and my reading have always been good 0 0 0. I would raise the sg to 1.025 and be consistant with wchanges and things should balance out. good luck

I don't have a fish in there anymore because it kept nocking stuff around, and not feeding a fish anymore in that small of volume helps out a lot. imo

 

[Scooterman]

zoas, GPS's, mushrooms and xenias dont need calc?

If you do regular wc's with RC you should keep the levels up just by doing this. I would not switch to kent, RC is a good salt brand! JMO!

 

[burning2nd]

refractometer 1st
water change 2nd

 

[joker577]

I picked up 2 bags of oceanic salt...is it ok to use distilled water?

 

[DonW]

I picked up 2 bags of oceanic salt...is it ok to use distilled water?

I'd return it, distilled water is fine.

Don

 

[joker577]

Well, I just liked how it is supposed to keep the water nitrate and phosphate free i believe thats what it says, instant dissolving, and makes the water very clear...and its made by oceanic so i figured what the hay

 

[joker577]

I'm trying to do more water changes with RO water, and distilled, or whatever I can find around here lol...
I just picked up 5 gallons of distilled water so I will do a big change tonight, probably about 30-40% and remix a new batch of salt so hopefully things will be getting better with the algae problem too

 

[DonW]

Well, I just liked how it is supposed to keep the water nitrate and phosphate free i believe thats what it says, instant dissolving, and makes the water very clear...and its made by oceanic so i figured what the hay

Hu! is it magic now? Its the most wacked out of balance salt Ive ever used, not to mention the N and P issues.

Don

 

[joker577]

At the moment i'd say anything is better than this lol, but my luck may be better than yours who knows we'll see.

 

[Scooterman]

If you can stick with IO or the RC, you will do fine!

 

[joker577]

Well I did a 4 gallon water change, which was about 1/4-1/3 of the tank's water...used distilled water with oceanic salt and now the SG is currently at 1.025 and the temp is 79 degrees so im very happy!

 

[DonW]

Well I did a 4 gallon water change, which was about 1/4-1/3 of the tank's water...used distilled water with oceanic salt and now the SG is currently at 1.025 and the temp is 79 degrees so im very happy!

Dude your moving way to fast. That stuff needs to mix overnight.

Don

 

[joker577]

Really? Darnit...

 

[plack]

"I don't get how overdosing calcium could cause it to lower 150 points..."

I said buffer not calcium....sorry if I confused you .

 

[james734]

yeah, You need to mix it up in a bucket with a small power head (MJ's work great for this in a 5G bucket) for at least 24 hrs preferable longer. This gives the salt time to properly mix. I'm not sure where you started from but jumping up from one SG to another should happen over time. Going down fast isn't that bad, but coming up to fast can be.

Slow down and take your time. Doing to much to fast is a bad thing in this hobby.

 

[joker577]

it was just a small jump...only from 1.022-1.023 range to 1.025

 

[DonW]

it wasn't a small jump...only from 1.022-1.023 range to 1.025

The jump in sg is ok, its the fact that the salt is not mixed, the water may look clear but its not and the ph is way off.

Don

 

[joker577]

I gotcha...man I just wish the cyano would go away!! it looks so much better when the sand is white LOL it makes the tank sorta....glow

 

[DonW]

I gotcha...man I just wish the cyano would go away!! it looks so much better when the sand is white LOL it makes the tank sorta....glow

Flow and better cleaning will cure the cyano. Remember the cyano is covering its food souce. Its not feeding from the water column.

Don

 

[joker577]

Cleaning as far as what? The SB is finer sand so if i aim a powerhead at it it blows everywhere