Test results and what should I do

[finaddict]

I have had my new 75 DT set up since October 18 and everything has been running pretty good.   I soaked my dry rock for about 6 months before I set the tank up. I added new sand, about 40lbs of dry rock and one or two pieces of live rock from my old tank because they had coral stuck to them (see the big birdsnest in the top middle of the tank).

 

Here goes... please be easy on me... I have only changed the water twice... once was 20 gallons around Dec 15th and then I did 10 gallons on Jan 5th. System volume is around 95 gallons.

 

Here are todays test results:

 

pH- 8.0 API test kit

KH- 5 API test kit

CA- 440 Salifert

PO4- 0 Salifert

PO4- 0.03 Hanna Ultra Low PO4

 

My system:

 

75 G DT

Skimz UP34 Sump

Vertex 180i Skimmer

I run one sock and clean it under the tap about every three days

I use RODI water that I make and it has had a TDS of 1 or lower since I started this tank

I feed once a day and rotate between pellets, flakes and frozen daily

I have one small clown, one small purple dart fish and one medium black cap basslet (basslet has only been in the tank 2 weeks).

Small CUC that probably needs to be replenished soon

 

Question is do I need to address the KH or should I leave well enough alone?. I have some KH Buffer that I used once or twice in an old tank about a year ago but I hesitate to use it since things have been stable in my tank.

 

[Origami]

I'm assuming that, by using API, that your alk is at 5 dKH (vice 5 meq/L). Correct? Because 5 dKH is low, versus 5 meq/L which is high.

That's quite an imbalance between calcium and alkalinity? Are you dosing a calcium supplement. Do you trust that your test kits are giving you accurate results?

Alk can be adjusted upward with baking soda - plain old Arm and Hammer works great. It won't affect other parameters (except pH). You can determine how much to use using a reef chemistry calculator like this one : http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

[madweazl]

20 hours ago, Origami said:

I'm assuming that, by using API, that your alk is at 5 dKH (vice 5 meq/L). Correct? Because 5 dKH is low, versus 5 meq/L which is high.

That's quite an imbalance between calcium and alkalinity? Are you dosing a calcium supplement. Do you trust that your test kits are giving you accurate results?

Alk can be adjusted upward with baking soda - plain old Arm and Hammer works great. It won't affect other parameters (except pH). You can determine how much to use using a reef chemistry calculator like this one : http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
 

 

And I'd guesstimate your water volume to be closer to 75-80g when it comes to using the calculator above. Your sump only holds about 12.5 gallons before equipment displacement is calculated