Reef nutrition

65 gallon tank

MarcosDelgado0 said:
Nitrites I’ve never tested for. I don’t think there’s any concern there. I’d say Nitrates are important to test for. Your nitrates should never be 0. Especially if you say you’re not reading any po4? Bottoming out on nutrients and it also being a new tank, is a recipe for Dino’s IMO. Are you sure you have diatoms and not dinos? Some dinos disappear at lights out as they go into the water column and then reappear.
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This is all lights on observations.

Skimmer cup is filling up every other day very funky stuff, my other tank I only swap it twice a week. This one overflows if i skip more than a day
 
Just to let you know. This is what I found from researching spin test. I was gonna buy one when they first came out cuz I’m lazy. This was years ago so I’m writing from memory. Spin test isn’t made by spin test it’s made by a company (I can’t remember the name. ) starts with a F. Or something like that. Anyways if you research that company name and spin test. There’s one or two values that are always incorrect. Then people were saying well just use the average then. So people like you that only do it once in a while. It would totally confuse you.
 
Turkeysammich said:
Just to let you know. This is what I found from researching spin test. I was gonna buy one when they first came out cuz I’m lazy. This was years ago so I’m writing from memory. Spin test isn’t made by spin test it’s made by a company (I can’t remember the name. ) starts with a F. Or something like that. Anyways if you research that company name and spin test. There’s one or two values that are always incorrect. Then people were saying well just use the average then. So people like you that only do it once in a while. It would totally confuse you.
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The API AquaSpin is made by LaMotte. I also looked into it because I hate testing but came to the conclusion that it’s really inaccurate.

Michael, I’d honestly recommend just skipping that test and doing your own tests. I have all the Hanna test kits thanks to Eric so if you ever need to borrow them to do your testing, you’re welcome to use them.
 
Turkeysammich said:
Just to let you know. This is what I found from researching spin test. I was gonna buy one when they first came out cuz I’m lazy. This was years ago so I’m writing from memory. Spin test isn’t made by spin test it’s made by a company (I can’t remember the name. ) starts with a F. Or something like that. Anyways if you research that company name and spin test. There’s one or two values that are always incorrect. Then people were saying well just use the average then. So people like you that only do it once in a while. It would totally confuse you.
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Yea, i only use it to compare to my own results. Several have told me don't make changes based off it's results. I don't plan too.

I'm starting to suspect my skimmer is to efficent. And water is to low on po4 and possibly nitrate that's keeping hammers not happy. Not sure how to determine if it’s likey or not?
 
MarcosDelgado0 said:
The API AquaSpin is made by LaMotte. I also looked into it because I hate testing but came to the conclusion that it’s really inaccurate.

Michael, I’d honestly recommend just skipping that test and doing your own tests. I have all the Hanna test kits thanks to Eric so if you ever need to borrow them to do your testing, you’re welcome to use them.
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Yeah that’s the name. I think there’s another name too.
 
MarcosDelgado0 said:
The API AquaSpin is made by LaMotte. I also looked into it because I hate testing but came to the conclusion that it’s really inaccurate.

Michael, I’d honestly recommend just skipping that test and doing your own tests. I have all the Hanna test kits thanks to Eric so if you ever need to borrow them to do your testing, you’re welcome to use them.
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Only get a spin test probably every other month, nothing i rely on at all. Just something to compare to beyond my own testing.

At some point may try icp never have before.
 
MichaelB said:
Only get a spin test probably every other month, nothing i rely on at all. Just something to compare to beyond my own testing.

At some point may try icp never have before.
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Just bring it to me I’ll test it for you every other month lol. I hate doing my own testing but if it’s only every once in a while to give you something to compare to I’m game
 
MichaelB said:
The salinity it shows, idk they use hanna checker same one as mine. I will calibrate mine to rule it off. But my salinity should be .025 what i run in all my tanks. If off i will address that first.
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As you mentioned, salinity target should be at 35ppt / 1.026ish. Alk would be 7.3 if you just raised it to 35ppt.

MarcosDelgado0 said:
Michael, what’s your target for po4? 0.10 I’d say is still pretty high?
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I think they mislabeled nitrates and nitrites: nitrite is marked at 58ppm and nitrate at 0.

If we go off of that, 58ppm no3, 0.10ppm po4, I'd say nitrate is on the higher side. Your phosphate is fine, smack dab in the middle of the typical recommended range. But I agree it's safer to be a little high than bottom out. I too am curious what your target nutrients are.

If anything your nitrates are high, and would only try to drop them rather than raise PO4. Carbon dose, or maybe reef roid like crazy and then do some nice consistent water changes
 
MarcosDelgado0 said:
Just bring it to me I’ll test it for you every other month lol. I hate doing my own testing but if it’s only every once in a while to give you something to compare to I’m game
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I have:
1.) hanna low range p04,
2.) hanna ulr p04- never use is cause my main take has never been low enough for it to work. - though i imagine it should work on the 65 with it being so low.
3.) Hanna Alk
4.) Hanna Calc
5.) Hanna salinity checker probe

Also salifert- magnesium (only thing I have for magnesium), calc, & Alk

I may pick up a hanna for Nitrate i've been keeping a eye out for a used one on here though not very hard being it’s something I never payed any attention to at all.

What are you using to test.
 
Sounds like you are skimming too wet if you are having to empty it every two days. I would adjust it to more of a dry skim if you want to increase nutrients a bit.
 
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MichaelB said:
I have:
1.) hanna low range p04,
2.) hanna ulr p04- never use is cause my main take has never been low enough for it to work. - though i imagine it should work on the 65 with it being so low.
3.) Hanna Alk
4.) Hanna Calc
5.) Hanna salinity checker probe

Also salifert- magnesium (only thing I have for magnesium), calc, & Alk

I may pick up a hanna for Nitrate i've been keeping a eye out for a used one on here though not very hard being it’s something I never payed any attention to at all.

What are you using to test.
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-Alkalinity DKH Colorimeter HI772 Hanna Checker Marine - Hanna Instruments

-Phosphate Ultra Low Range PPM Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker - Marine - Hanna Instruments

-Nitrate High Range Colorimeter HI782 - Marine Water - Hanna Instruments

-Calcium Colorimeter HI758 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

-Red Sea Foundation Pro (For Mg) Also used it to compare Alk and Ca sometimes

-Hanna Salinity Checker Probe
 
MarcosDelgado0 said:
-Alkalinity DKH Colorimeter HI772 Hanna Checker Marine - Hanna Instruments

-Phosphate Ultra Low Range PPM Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker - Marine - Hanna Instruments

-Nitrate High Range Colorimeter HI782 - Marine Water - Hanna Instruments

-Calcium Colorimeter HI758 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

-Red Sea Foundation Pro (For Mg) Also used it to compare Alk and Ca sometimes

-Hanna Salinity Checker Probe
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How do you rate the rs mag test? Ever compare it’s results to a different test.

I wanna get a second mag test at some point but nothing i'm rushing to get.

And for hanna Nitrate is there also a low range test? If so would I want pick up the high or low one for general testing?
 
Invictus said:
Sounds like you are skimming too wet if you are having to empty it every two days. I would adjust it to more of a dry skim.
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Not sure how to propperly adjust it, it’s a bubble magus curve 5 skimmer. It came used all i ever did was put it in the sump and plug it in.

It foams up through the holes, and if by wet it's all liquid very funky stuff.
 
I would get a refractometer, they're cheap as heck and you can calibrate them very cheaply with a $5 calibration dropper. If your salinity is off, the first thing I think is "refractometer".

Or your skimmer could be pulling out lots of salt if you skim wet like you're saying, and you're topping off with RO

Often on skimmers there's a little knob, turn it tiny bit by tiny bit, wait a bit between adjustments, until the collected crap is very brown
 
MichaelB said:
How do you rate the rs mag test? Ever compare it’s results to a different test.

I wanna get a second mag test at some point but nothing i'm rushing to get.

And for hanna Nitrate is there also a low range test? If so would I want pick up the high or low one for general testing?
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It’s ok I think, I’m not sure. I’ve never compared it to anything else. I just got good recommendations on it. I have a few ICP tests I’ve been holding, planning to send one in soon and see how my numbers compare. Yes there is different versions of the Hanna Nitrate, the HI782 is the one that you want.
 
MichaelB said:
Not sure how to propperly adjust it, it’s a bubble magus curve 5 skimmer. It came used all i ever did was put it in the sump and plug it in.

It foams up through the holes, and if by wet it's all liquid very funky stuff.
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Sounds like you’re definitely skimming too wet. You can adjust it using this
 

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MichaelB said:
Ok, just turn the red nob on top of the pipe I assume. How much would i wanna turn it?
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Mine has a gate valve on it. I just turned it a little in the morning and would check it out at night. Kept doing that until I got it to where I wanted it. Took a few days. Any adjustment will take a good while to show, so don’t just move the knob and expect to see the change immediately.
 
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