Cal/Ph problem

New issue

Hey all. I just got home and I was looking at the tank and I saw that on some areas of my rock I have this white cotton like thread and on some areas it's like white cotton patches. Any ideas what this can be?

I posted a couple of links to youtube where I posted two quick videos

IMG_6625.MOV - YouTube

IMG 6626 - YouTube

Thanks

 

Vermetid snail webbing.

 

Cool I didn't know snail could do that. You learn something new everyday. Thank you Nana

 

Update to ph/cal problem

Ok here's an update to my problem. I read some article regarding excessive co2 affecting the ph in the tank and on of the things that was the cause was not enough fresh air. So I realized that my sump came with an acrylic lid which I neve took off, so that was the first thing I did was removed it and the I cranked up my skimmer. This was yesterday at about 8pm. Well I think that was the problem today I saw an increase in the ph but not by much.
I also look up problems with the Hanna checker and it lead me to another forum it turns out that there are many many end user such as myself that have the same problem. One guy who turned out to be a chemist came out with a modified procedure which seemed to work for a lot of users. I'm still having problems get an accurate reading.

Anyway this is what my parameters were today

Modified method
Cal 443 ppm
Cal 571 ppm
Cal 503 ppm

Original Hanna method
Cal 465 ppm
Cal 446 ppm
Cal 430 ppm

API Cal 440
API Cal 480
API Cal 440

Alk 179 ppm
MG 1600
American pin point ph 7.74?
Reef keeper ph 7.86?
Gravity 1.0245

As you can see the API test was more consistant. So my. Alcuin went down and I haven't done a water change but my mg went up (way up). I used the API ph test kit to check my meters and that kit is hard to read.

Questions
Which calcium test kit is better?
Which is the easiest to read/use

 

I'm only speaking from my own experience here. I used nothing but the API for alk/ca for 2 years. Very successfully. Then for comparison reasons only I bought the Red Sea Pro. Ca/alk/mag. In all honesty I've found no meaningful difference in the readings between the 2. The RSP may be more accurate but the difference matters nothing to my corals , fish nor inverts API is IMO a good basic kit for your money.
As for the Hanna Meters? To rich for my blood

 

Yeah you're right about that Nana. The Hanna checker is not user end friendly and the price tag for it is not worth it. I bought figuring it would make it easier and silly me I also thought it would be more accurate. I've been using API for freshwater for years before jumping into salt and I never had a problem with API before. Thanks

 

Found Problem

Ok I whiped up two batches of Saltwater. One with Red Sea Pro which I was using and the other with Coralife Marine Salt. I made each batch with one gallon of water for my test.

Red Sea Pro results
Gravity 1.025
Ph 8.4
Cal 480 ppm
Mg 1600 ppm
DkH 255 ppm or 14.8

Coralife Marine results
Gravity 1.025
Ph.80
Cal 440
Mg 1350
DkH 179 ppm or 10

I clearly have a bad batch of Salt so I made a water change of 20% or 20 gallons and got better results. Gravity 1.024, Ph 7.8 - 8.0 (in between colors), cal 440, Dkh 10, the only thing that didn't adjust was the Mg. It is still at 1600 ppm.

How may water changes will I have to perform so I can bring the Mg down?

 

I wouldn't worry about bringing th mg down , it will go down eventually.

 

i wouldn't blame the salt, unless you are making a batch with the entire contents of the salt container. most people buy the 5 gallon bucket of salt and expect every batch of saltwater they make to come out with the same numbers of alk, cal and mag... the bucket is meant to make 150 or so gallons. there is no way to perfectly mix the salt to make the exact same batch of 20 gallons over and over. i used to do the buckets too, but now i buy the 200 gallon box with 4-50 gallon bags. i make 50 gallons of saltwater at a time...needless to say, they come out the same every time... just something to think about ;D

 

Reeferdude I understand what you mean. The bucket test was just a test. Before I decided to test the salt I was already having problems with 90 gallons of my DT. I couldn't figure out why my numbers were all of the place, so upon suggestions made here to test a fresh batch that is what I did. The results with the Red sea pro was pretty much what I was experiencing in my DT. By the way I also make 20 gallons at a time for my water changes. I am still a newbie so all advice is welcomed. Thank you