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Howdy folks,
Brand new here... This is my very first post. However, I joined here because I've gotten a lot of great knowledge from reading these threads. Anywho... Here's my Aquarium's water parameters.
<u>Aquarium</u>:
6 months old.
30 gallon tank with 30 lbs. of Live Sand and 26 lbs. Live Rock
HoB filter (no sponge... removed one week ago) containing bio-media and carbon.
HoB Reef Octopus BH 100 Protein Skimmer (running for two weeks, skimmate has started to be consistently syrupy and brown, but not very dark)
I use RO/ID Water to top off from my LFS, and use Saltwater I purchase there as well. I do a 5 gallon water change every Tuesday, religiously.
<u>Inhabitants include</u>:
2 Ocellaris Clowns (6 1/2 years old)
1 Four-Line Wrasse (1 1/2" in length)
2 Emerald Crabs
1 Coral Banded Shrimp
1 Sand Starfish
2 colonies of Florida Ricordea Mushrooms (and about five smaller ones starting to spawn on LR)
1 colony of Polythoas
1 small Finger Leather
1 small Frogspawn
3 very small Red Mushrooms that randomly appeared
<u>Water Parameters</u>:
pH - 8.2 ppm
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Nitrates - 3 ppm
Alkalinity - 9.3 dKH
Phosphates - 0.26 ppm
Calcium - 280 ppm
Magnesium - 1160 ppm
Salinity - 1.021
My tank has maintained these levels since the nitrogen cycle ended. It's been very consistent despite my attempts to level things out. I have only used one buffer, as I am try very hard to get the tank to be as natural</em> as possible. The buffer is B-Ionic's dual Ca and Kh buffer. I dosed it 12ml everyday for 6 weeks, but to no avail. I probably won't use it any more after today.
I purchased the skimmer in an attempt to remove the NO3 and PO4. I know it's probably not "broken in" yet, but I'm not even sure what that means.
<u>Here's my question</u>:
Is the high NO3 and PO4 effecting my low Ca, Mg and Kh?
Thanks in advance!
Brand new here... This is my very first post. However, I joined here because I've gotten a lot of great knowledge from reading these threads. Anywho... Here's my Aquarium's water parameters.
<u>Aquarium</u>:
6 months old.
30 gallon tank with 30 lbs. of Live Sand and 26 lbs. Live Rock
HoB filter (no sponge... removed one week ago) containing bio-media and carbon.
HoB Reef Octopus BH 100 Protein Skimmer (running for two weeks, skimmate has started to be consistently syrupy and brown, but not very dark)
I use RO/ID Water to top off from my LFS, and use Saltwater I purchase there as well. I do a 5 gallon water change every Tuesday, religiously.
<u>Inhabitants include</u>:
2 Ocellaris Clowns (6 1/2 years old)
1 Four-Line Wrasse (1 1/2" in length)
2 Emerald Crabs
1 Coral Banded Shrimp
1 Sand Starfish
2 colonies of Florida Ricordea Mushrooms (and about five smaller ones starting to spawn on LR)
1 colony of Polythoas
1 small Finger Leather
1 small Frogspawn
3 very small Red Mushrooms that randomly appeared
<u>Water Parameters</u>:
pH - 8.2 ppm
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Nitrates - 3 ppm
Alkalinity - 9.3 dKH
Phosphates - 0.26 ppm
Calcium - 280 ppm
Magnesium - 1160 ppm
Salinity - 1.021
My tank has maintained these levels since the nitrogen cycle ended. It's been very consistent despite my attempts to level things out. I have only used one buffer, as I am try very hard to get the tank to be as natural</em> as possible. The buffer is B-Ionic's dual Ca and Kh buffer. I dosed it 12ml everyday for 6 weeks, but to no avail. I probably won't use it any more after today.
I purchased the skimmer in an attempt to remove the NO3 and PO4. I know it's probably not "broken in" yet, but I'm not even sure what that means.
<u>Here's my question</u>:
Is the high NO3 and PO4 effecting my low Ca, Mg and Kh?
Thanks in advance!