Help getting started into keeping corals?

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

 

Hey Ktibbs,
have you done that alk test again? On your first post you said it took 20 drops. That would be 10 meq/L right? That's really high! You should have something around 4 meq/L.

 

I haven't done it today,(8/30) just nitrite/nitrate/ph, all of which checked out fine. I plan on doing another 10 gal water change this friday,... other than that, is the high alk a really bad thing, is there something I can do about it?

 

It doesn't appear that the coralline on the new live rock is responding very well. with the exception of the alk test, everything else seems to be ok. I have no magnesium test kit, so I can't test for that. I'm just following the directions on the jar, which says 1 teaspoon per 20 gallons twice a week, except I'm using 2 teaspoons for the magnesium. I'm still a bit confused as to how to read the results of these seachem tests, all I can do is follow the instructions to the letter & try o figure out the results on my own. All I'm used to testing is salentiy, ph, nitrite/trate.

 

Next time you do the alk test, follow up here. It's easy, you just want a range of 3 - 5 or so meq/L (10-14dkH).

I try to keep mine in the 4s.

 

Matt, I was thing the kit was reading DKH instead of meg/l.

 

I figured.. I have that kit.. It's meq/L.
In fact I need to test tonight!

 

Oh ok then.

 

Ok, same alk test performed approx 24 hours after the last one, and it only took 17 drops this evening as opposed to 20 last night, meaning my alk is still high at 8.5 meg/l......... am I right? Good news is it seems to be dropping

 

So, if I'm understanding the reading of this alk test correctly, it should only take between 8 & 9 drops to get a desirable reading, if 1 drop = .5 meg/l ?